Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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GAME PREVIEW: MICHIGAN side to inside this season after fully recovering from a torn ACL. He's expected to have an all-conference quality season in his new position. Advantage: Even NOTRE DAME PASSING GAME VS. MICHIGAN PASS DEFENSE The loss of senior wideout DaVaris Daniels leaves Notre Dame without the experience in the receiving corps that can help in primetime games against big rivals. Senior tight end Ben Koyack and junior wide receiver Chris Brown had a combined 31 career catches heading into the season. That pair will need to be the reliable options for Golson, who will be putting his year of quarterback tutoring on display for one of the first times since spending last fall with coach George Whitfield. Golson will have one more safety valve with his trio of running backs, who have all become a bigger part of the receiving game. They give him a check-down option with the potential to create big plays once the ball is in their hands. There will be many opportunities for check-down routes against a Michigan secondary that has the skill to blanket the Irish in coverage. The Wolverines have four strong options at cornerback, including senior Ray Taylor, who led the team with 86 tackles last season, and junior Blake Countess, who led the team with six interceptions. Freshman five-star prospect Jabrill Peppers can make an impact as a nickel back as well. Advantage: Michigan SPECIAL TEAMS Michigan's Will Hagerup was the Big Ten's top punter in 2012 before missing all of 2013 for vi- olating team rules. He's back this year to set up a matchup of powerful legs with Irish senior Kyle Brindza. Senior Matt Wile takes over the Wolver- ines placekicking duties after hitting three of five attempts, including a 49-yarder, in spot-duty last season. Notre Dame's coverage units and punt return group have been a black mark on Kelly's tenure in South Bend thus far. It will take a few good per- formances to establish a line of credit in this de- partment. Peppers, the dynamic freshman, has the potential to make a game-changing play as a punt returner. Advantage: Michigan COACHING This early season rivalry has the potential to set Brady Hoke's career at Michigan back on a better path or derail it for good. Hoke finds himself running out of rope after taking incremental steps backward following a 2011 Sugar Bowl victory. Kelly has more leeway in South Bend this season, but his reputation as a touchdown rainmaker will be in jeopardy if he can't get more production out of his offense this season. While his offense has been slow to pick up steam, Kelly has shown the ability to find ways to win and to continue marching his program forward in the face of seemingly constant controversy. At least for now, he gets the edge in this category. Advantage: Notre Dame INTANGIBLES Notre Dame enters the season with a ready-made distraction hanging over them due to an ongoing academic investigation. But a night game in Notre Dame Stadium against fellow traditional power- house Michigan for the last time in the foreseeable future should provide enough reason to stay focused on football this week. Michigan will need to lean on its defense and veteran quarterback Devin Gardner to get a young group of players ready for a big stage. Both teams have plenty to compete for, but play- ing in South Bend gives the Irish a slight edge on the mental side. Advantage: Notre Dame