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✦ on paper By andrew owens BYU Running Game Vs. Notre Dame Run Defense Dynamic sophomore quarterback Taysom Hill leads the Cougars with 956 rushing yards and eight touchdowns heading into their clash with Notre Dame. Hill and sophomore running back Jamaal Williams, who has recorded 940 rushing yards and six touchdowns, have powered the successful BYU rushing attack that ranked 12th nationally (265.4 yards per contest) with two regular-season games to play. In September, BYU rushed for an astounding 550 yards and four touchdowns in a 40-21 beat-down of Texas, leading to the firing of Longhorns defensive coordinator Manny Diaz. Notre Dame has fallen to 62nd in the country in rushing defense (159.6 yards allowed per contest) after its back-to-back matchups with run-heavy foes Air Force and Navy. The Irish front has been inconsistent much of the season and has been decimated by injuries in recent weeks — seniors Louis Nix III and Kona Schwenke, juniors Ishaq Williams and Ben Councell, and sophomore Sheldon Day have all been lost at one point or another. The unit will need to utilize all of its depth to stymie the Cougars. A year ago, the Irish held BYU to 66 rushing yards in their 17-14 win. With the Hill-Williams duo this season, a repeat performance is highly unlikely. Much of Notre Dame's early-season defensive struggles revolved around mobile quarterbacks such as Michigan's Devin Gardner, Temple's Connor Reilly, and Oklahoma's Blake Bell and Trevor Knight. Advantage: BYU BYU Passing Game Vs. Notre Dame Pass Defense At times this season, Hill has had difficulty protecting the football for the 7-3 Cougars. To date, he is 176-of336 passing (52.4 percent) for 2,379 yards with 16 scores and 12 picks. The Cougars employ a passing attack with balanced distribution. Four players have caught at least 20 passes and one touchdown in the first 10 games. Junior wide receiver Ross Apo is a dependable red-zone threat, turning three of his first 14 catches into touchdowns. Senior wide receiver Cody Hoffman's 6-4 frame also makes him a valuable target near the end zone. He led BYU in recep- Sophomore running back Jamaal Williams, who is averaging 5.5 yards per carry en route to 940 yards and six scores through 10 games, is part of a potent Brigham Young rushing attack that ranks 12th nationally (265.4 yards per contest). photo courtesy byu tions (38) and yards (664) to go along with his five touchdowns despite missing two of the team's first 10 games. The Cougars rank 59th nationally in passing offense (238.3 yards per game) while the Irish shot up to 25th in pass defense (209.4 yards yielded per contest) after playing Air Force and Navy. Notre Dame has stifled opposing passing games consistently since the end of September, when the Irish stood at a disappointing 3-2. Last year, the vaunted Irish defense held Cougars quarterback Riley Nelson to 177 passing yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions, but Hill will provide a more difficult test for Notre Dame this season. Advantage: Even Notre Dame Running Game Vs. BYU Run Defense Notre Dame survived BYU's attempt to derail its perfect season in South Bend a year ago largely because of its 270 rushing yards against the Cougars. Cierre Wood and Theo Riddick both reached the 100-yard mark, and George Atkinson's touchdown in the fourth quarter clinched the Irish win. This season, Notre Dame needs another strong effort on the ground to top a talented BYU team. The inconsistent Irish ground game (86th with an average of 149.3 ✦ Page 4 yards through 10 games) continues to use four backs (juniors George Atkinson, Cam McDaniel and Amir Carlisle, and freshman Tarean Folston) to attempt to spark the unit each week. BYU's rushing defense ranks 57th (155.0 yards allowed per contest) and is led by senior linebacker Kyle Van Noy, one of the top players at his position in the country. He recorded 56 stops, 15 tackles for loss, four sacks, 13 quarterback hurries, one safety and two interceptions in the first 10 games. The more anonymous standout on the defense is senior middle linebacker Uani 'Unga. His 106 tackles are easily the most on a defense (the next highest total is Van Noy's 56) that is breaking in seven new starters, including Unga, in 2013. Only once, however, have the Cougars held an opposing offense to fewer than 100 rushing yards. Advantage: Even Notre Dame Passing Game Vs. BYU Pass Defense Senior quarterback Tommy Rees made one of his two 2012 starts against BYU after Everett Golson suffered a concussion the week before. The performance was one of Rees' least productive as a starter. He completed 7 of