Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1526921
BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM SEPT. 28, 2024 39 GAME PREVIEW: LOUISVILLE If Lacy is out, this passing game doesn't threaten the Irish nearly enough. Oh, and Notre Dame's pass rush got back on track at Purdue and should rattle Shough plenty, led by devious Al Golden blitz packages and the uber-promising Traore. Advantage: Notre Dame NOTRE DAME RUNNING GAME VS. LOUISVILLE RUN DEFENSE Louisville has been excellent against the run so far this season, allowing just 2.5 yards per carry. Again, the Cardinals have faced Austin Peay and Jacksonville State. Run defense was a strength for Louisville in 2023, though, when it led the ACC by allowing only 3.3 yards per carry. Everything starts up front with third-team All- America senior defensive end Ashton Gillotte, and we'll talk more about him in the pass defense section. Suffice it to say he's an elite run defender, totaling 16 defensive stops (tackles that result in a failure for the offense) against the run in 2023. Leading the Cardinals last season with 27 run stops was linebacker TJ Quinn, who returned for his redshirt junior season. Sophomore Stanquan Clark stepped into a starting role this season and is the current leader with 6 run stops. On the interior, there isn't as much star power but the Cardinals Todd D. Burlage: Notre Dame 24, Louisville 21 There's a change of attitude in Louisville under head coach Jeff Brohm. The second-year Cardinals skipper has proven to be adept at pulling players out of the portal, and he proved it with a 10-win season and a trip to the ACC Championship game last season. The Cardinals weren't tested in their first two games this year in blowout wins over Austin Peay and Jacksonville State. But they still managed to come out of those two games ranked No. 4 nationally in total offense, No. 8 in total defense, No. 3 in points scored per game (55.5) and tied for 10th in fewest points allowed per game (7.0). Louisville pulled a 33-20 upset of the Irish last season, which should get and keep Notre Dame's attention. The Irish win a nail-biter. Steve Downey: Notre Dame 26, Louisville 10 This is a different-looking Cardinals team from last year's edition (its class of 31 incoming and 33 outgoing transfers was ranked No. 1 in On3's 2024 College Football Team Transfer Portal Rankings), but it is not lacking in tal- ent. Louisville has a pair of big-time defensive playmakers in defensive end Ashton Gillotte and cornerback Quincy Riley, plus former Alabama wide receiver Ja'Corey Brooks has played like the five-star recruit he was coming out of high school. Nevertheless, the Fighting Irish should be motivated to make a statement against the Cardinals after last year's humbling defeat. Louisville averaged 33.8 points in the first 16 games of head coach Jeff Brohm's tenure, but Notre Dame's defense will be the best unit on the field in this game. If Al Golden's crew plays the way it did at Purdue — and I believe it will — that'll be the difference-maker in this contest. Kyle Kelly: Notre Dame 31, Louisville 13 Ironically, under coach Marcus Freeman, the Irish have won more convinc- ingly against ACC schools at home compared to MAC teams. In Notre Dame's four home ACC contests the last two seasons, it has trounced its rivals by an average of almost 40 points. While I'm still not ready to say the Irish can put that type of performance together this season, I think they avenge last season's blunder and beat the Cardinals by at least two scores. Tyler Horka: Notre Dame 23, Louisville 17 Notre Dame would love to take it to the Cardinals like the latter did to the Fighting Irish a year ago. But like that version of the Irish, this iteration would take a win of any kind. Even at home. Both defenses are well coached and both offenses have questions about their quarterbacks, both veterans but neither having ever asserted them- selves as top-notch signal-callers for various reasons. The two sides' running games will be leaned into as a result, and I like Notre Dame to pride itself on not allowing what happened in 2023 to happen again; the Irish rushed for a season-low 44 yards against Louisville while the Cardinals went off for 185. Notre Dame defensive coordinator Al Golden and his group haven't forgotten. Wrongs get righted for the Irish in a win that will feel as big as the one at Texas A&M, considering the pressure Notre Dame is under from here on out this season. Mike Singer: Notre Dame 28, Louisville 23 The Cardinals will come to South Bend ready to play and look for another win against Notre Dame, but I like the Fighting Irish in this matchup. It'll be a close one though. Louisville is no slouch. Jack Soble: Notre Dame 24, Louisville 10 Putting it simply, I don't think Notre Dame lets itself lose to Louisville two years in a row. The Cardinals have looked great in two warmup games, and I think they finish the season in the top 20. They also match up well with the Irish offense, with an excellent defensive line and secondary. But veteran quarterback Tyler Shough is unproven, and this time, Notre Dame hosts Louisville head coach Jeff Brohm in South Bend. Similarly to last year's USC game, the Irish will understand just how impor- tant this game is and just how furious they were with last season's result. They'll win this one any way they can, and enter the bye week with time to make a leap on offense. Third-team All-America defensive end Ashton Gillotte finished sixth in the nation with 42 pressures and eighth with 11 sacks in 2023. PHOTO COURTESY LOUISVILLE Staff Predictions