Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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On Paper By Dan Murphy Miami Running Game Vs. Notre Dame Run Defense Freshman running back Duke Johnson wasted little time climbing to the top of the Miami depth chart. The 5-9, 190-pound Johnson broke out with a four-touchdown performance against Bethune-Cookman in mid-September. He ran for two scores, caught another touchdown pass and ran back a kickoff. Hiding behind a massive offensive line, Johnson averaged 9.4 yards per carry in his first three collegiate games. Even without 340-pounder Seantrel Henderson, the Miami offensive line averages 312 pounds across their starting five. Henderson played sparingly in his first month after August injuries, but is slowly working his way back into the Hurricanes lineup. The Notre Dame rush defense hasn’t faced a line as meaty as Miami’s, but they’ve been dominant to start the year in 2012. A steady flow of interchangeable parts lines up in front of playmakers like junior Prince Shembo and senior Manti Te’o. They held their first three opponents to an average of 96.33 yards per game on the ground. That includes Navy’s triple option attack and Michigan State’s Le’Veon Bell. Johnson hasn’t seen a front seven like this before. Advantage: Notre Dame Miami Passing Game Vs. Notre Dame Pass Defense The hits keep coming for Notre Dame’s secondary. Add senior safety Jamoris Slaughter to the list of major losses for the Irish passing defense this year. He ruptured his Achilles tendon against Michigan State and will miss the rest of the season. The young group of replacements has the athletic ability to hang with most receivers they have faced so far. Freshman KeiVarae Russell and Elijah Shumate broke up four passes between them in their first three games. Miami junior Stephen Morris is one of the more experienced quarterbacks to face the Irish secondary so far this season. He completed passes to 14 different receivers during Miami’s 2-1 start, after losing his two best pass catchers from a year ago. Phillip Dorsett (5-9, 187 pounds) is the team’s most dynamic receiver, but he lacks the size and speed of a real deep threat. Through three games, the Hurricanes were averaging only slightly more yards per passing attempt (5.9) than rushing attempt (5.2). Advantage: Even Notre Dame Running Game Vs. Miami Run Defense Sophomore Denzel Perryman is the hub of Miami’s defense at middle linebacker. He slid inside after making 69 tackles as a Freshman All-American last year. Junior defensive end Shayon Green had 23 tackles in Miami’s first three games and is proving to be an impact player. However, the Canes are 102nd in rush defense through three weeks, giving up 205.67 yards per game. Kansas State steamrolled its way to 288 yards on the ground in a 52-13 blowout win Sept. 8. Notre Dame’s rushing attack combines the steady pounding of seniors Theo Riddick and Cierre Wood with the big-play ability of electric sophomore George Atkinson III. Atkinson broke long runs in two of his first three games in the backfield. Wood returned to the lineup to help seal a landmark win against Michigan State. If Notre Dame can build an early lead, that trio might have a busy afternoon in Soldier Field. Advantage: Notre Dame Notre Dame Passing Game Vs. Miami Pass Defense Everett Golson is a quarterback under construction for the Irish, but the sophomore is already past the stage where he simply manages a game. Golson wasn’t afraid to launch a few home run shots against Michigan State’s top defense, nor was he shaken after several near interceptions in the second quarter of that game. Miami’s secondary matches Notre Dame in youth with two major freshman contributors and a sophomore starter. That group gave up an average of 257.7 passing yards per game in its first three outings, which puts them in the bottom quadrant of Football Bowl Subdivision teams. The loss of senior safety Ray-Ray Armstrong was a big setback this offseason. Notre Dame’s tight ends should be able to get more involved this week against some undersized and inexperienced defenders. Senior captain Tyler Eifert didn’t have a catch against Michigan State, but he and sophomore Troy Niklas could cause some major problems for Miami. Advantage: Notre Dame Special Teams Johnson is second only to UCLA’s Jonathon Franklin through three weeks with 212.67 all-purpose yards per game. He’s a serious threat in the kick return game, and the identically sized Dorsett is just as scary fielding punts. Fifth-year senior Jake Wieclaw has missed only three career field goal attempts and was a perfect 5 of 5 in the first three games of 2012. Sophomore Kyle Brindza looks to have won the Irish placekicking job after coming on in relief to hit a game winner against Purdue. Senior punter Ben Turk is off to the best start of his career, averaging 41.5 yards per kick through three games. He was a difference maker in Notre Dame’s 20-3 win over Michigan State. Miami may not be the team it was a decade ago, but they can still rope in incredible athletic talent on a regular basis. Johnson and Dorsett, combined with the proven consistency of a senior kicker, give the Hurricanes the edge in this category. Advantage: Miami Coaching Brian Kelly set out to build a strong defense when he arrived in South Bend a little less than three years ago, and that’s exactly what he has done. Kelly and the Irish staff have also done a stellar job of bringing a rookie quarterback into the fold one week at a time. A marquee victory over Michigan State has this staff’s stock on the rise. Al Golden inherited a horrible situation in Miami with NCAA sanctions and veteran players jumping ship after a 6-6 finish in his first year. Golden took a doormat to a winning program in five seasons at Temple. He might be the right man for the Miami job as well, but he’s got a long road ahead of him. Advantage: Notre Dame Intangibles Notre Dame has a week off to rest after a three-game trek through the Big Ten. Any long term effects from their overseas opener in Dublin should be gone by the time they face Miami, which is coming off back-to-back conference games. The Irish lost last year to USC coming off their bye week, but Kelly said he and his players have both learned from their mistakes in that experience. In their first game against an ACC opponent since announcing their future plans to join the conference, the Irish should feel right at home in Chicago’s Soldier Field. Advantage: Notre Dame Predictions Lou Somogyi: Notre Dame 31, Miami 13 Jason Sapp: Notre Dame 34, Miami 17 Wes Morgan: Notre Dame 35, Miami 17 Dan Murphy: Notre Dame 44, Miami 14