Cavalier Corner Digital

✦ on paper Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly recently emphasized the importance of defensive backs not chasing down a mobile quarterback too early in a play at the risk of leaving a receiving target open. With Bell's dualthreat abilities, the Sooners' offensive success might boil down to the discipline of the Irish secondary on such plays. Advantage: Oklahoma By andrew owens Oklahoma Running Game Vs. Notre Dame Run Defense Notre Dame did not allow a rushing touchdown until its eighth game of the season a year ago, and it came via the legs of Oklahoma redshirt junior quarterback Blake Bell, then a backup to Landry Jones. Outside of that, the Irish front seven suffocated the Sooners' rushing game, giving up only 15 yards on 24 carries in a seasondefining performance. Senior running back Damien Williams, who rushed for 946 yards and 11 touchdowns during the 2012 season, will get an opportunity to redeem himself against the Irish after producing just 29 yards on 13 carries last year. Williams carried the ball 37 times for 161 yards in OU's first two games this year, but was suspended for the Tulsa game Sept. 14 due to an undisclosed violation of team rules. He is expected back against the Irish, but in his stead fellow senior Brennan Clay has performed well. Clay leads the team with 45 carries for 262 yards (5.8 yards per rush) and two touchdowns. Notre Dame hopes it turned the corner in some areas defensively the past two weeks. After yielding 134 and 166 yards against Temple and Michigan, respectively, the Irish derailed the Boilermakers' ground game to the tune of 38 yards on 21 carries. And although Michigan State reached the century mark on the ground (119 yards on 35 attempts) against Notre Dame, it translated into only 13 points. Notre Dame's most pressing issue has been when it is up against mobile quarterbacks this season — Temple's Connor Reilly gained 65 rushing yards and Michigan's Devin Gardner scrambled for 82 — and will now have to worry about not only Williams and Clay, but also quarterback scrambles by Bell, a luxury Oklahoma did not possess a year ago with Jones. Advantage: Even Oklahoma Passing Game Vs. Notre Dame Pass Defense Bell is known for his bruising running ability out of the "Belldozer" package — he had 11 rushing scores a year ago — but he has an excellent arm as well. He showcased it for the first time in the Sooners' 51-20 victory over Tulsa Sept. 14. He completed 27 of 37 passes for 413 yards with four touchdowns, all career highs. The Sooners return two of three starters at wide receiver and have six viable options at the position. Senior Sophomore wide receiver Sterling Shepard leads the Sooners with 11 catches for 146 yards and two touchdowns. photo courtesy oklahoma Jalen Saunders torched Notre Dame for 181 yards on 15 receptions last October and faces a maligned Irish secondary that has struggled to find its footing to this point. Senior cornerback Bennett Jackson, sophomore cornerback KeiVarae Russell and junior safety Matthias Farley are all in their second seasons starting for the Irish, but there have been considerable breakdowns in the secondary and a dearth of turnovers in the early going. The Irish defense as a whole has forced just four takeaways in four games, while allowing an average of 21.0 points per contest. Last year's illustrious unit recorded 13 turnovers in the first four contests, while allowing an average of 9.0 points per game in the four victories. ✦ Page 4 Notre Dame Running Game Vs. Oklahoma Run Defense Notre Dame's ability to not only stop the run, but also to gain yards on the ground offensively led to the signature 30-13 victory in Norman, Okla., last season. Cierre Wood's 62-yard touchdown scamper in the first quarter set the tone for the evening, and he (74 yards), Theo Riddick (74 yards) and Everett Golson (64 yards) all impacted the running game. Although none of those three players will suit up for the Irish on Saturday, the same theme needs to carry over to the 2013 game for Notre Dame to prevail. Kelly and offensive coordinator Chuck Martin are still mixing and matching the personnel at running back while trying to find the pair of backs they will hand it off to consistently. In the early going, those two ball carriers have been juniors Cam McDaniel (45 rushes for 169 yards and two touchdowns) and Amir Carlisle (33 carries for 157 yards). Along the defensive line, the only Oklahoma returning starter is junior defensive end Chuka Ndulue, who registered 45 tackles and five sacks a year ago. The other three mainstays (redshirt junior Geneo Grissom, redshirt sophomore Jordan Phillips and sophomore Charles Tapper) are unproven in big-game situations prior to running out of the Notre Dame Stadium tunnel. Senior linebacker Corey Nelson, who has made a team-best 20 tackles, leads the way for a unit that was tied for fifth nationally in scoring defense (9.0 points allowed per game) through four weeks. Advantage: Even Notre Dame Passing Game Vs. Oklahoma Pass Defense Following the semester-long suspension of Golson, the most-discussed issue heading into the 2013 season was how senior Tommy Rees would fare in his absence. Despite his struggles against Michigan State, Rees has performed better than many of the Irish faithful expected

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