Cavalier Corner Digital

✦ ON PAPER BY DAN MURPHY back with a gutsy veteran one for the first half of the sea- son. Fifth-year senior Riley Nelson returned to the lineup last week against Oregon State after missing two games with bad back. Nelson's replacement, freshman Taysom Hill, led the team in rushing yards (336) through the first six games, but will miss the rest of the year after hurting his knee in a 6-3 win over Utah State Oct. 5. That leaves freshman Jamaal Williams and junior Michael BYU RUNNING GAME VS. NOTRE DAME RUN DEFENSE BYU Running Game Vs. Notre Dame Run Defense Injuries have led to BYU rotating a young, mobile quarter- a group that averages 3.33 per game. Advantage: BYU Alisa to carry the load at running back. They combined for 567 rushing yards and six rushing scores in the first seven games, but neither has flashed any real breakaway speed. Notre Dame's defense allowed an average of 113.5 rush- ing yards per game through six outings. The front seven is set up well to have another dominant day along the line of scrimmage. A much less daunting Irish defense allowed 75 rushing yards the last time BYU visited South Bend in 2005. Advantage: Notre Dame the title of best receiver on an independent team. He is BYU's leading pass catcher with 41 catches for 534 yards and two scores through seven games, while redshirt junior tight end Kaneakua Friel (6-5, 250 pounds) paces the team with four touchdown catches. Nelson is BYU's best passing quarterback, but he has eight interceptions to go with his six touchdowns during his first five appearances. Notre Dame's passing defense was not mistake-free BYU PASSING GAME VS. NOTRE DAME PASS DEFENSE Redshirt junior Cody Hoffman has a legitimate claim to through six games, but it got away with most of its mis- cues. Senior safety Zeke Motta continues to lead a young group that is ranked fifth in the country in pass efficiency defense (94.26 rating). Advantage: Notre Dame defense, the going doesn't get any easier for Notre Dame. BYU allows an average of 67.9 rushing yards, which is the third fewest in the country. The Cougars have 54 tackles for loss, including 11.5 from junior outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy, the defense's top playmaker. The linebacker corps is a big reason why teams were averaging 1.9 yards per carry and 8.8 points per game against the Cougars before Oregon State scored 42 on them last week. NOTRE DAME RUNNING GAME VS. BYU RUN DEFENSE One week after facing the sixth-ranked Stanford rushing Redshirt junior wide receiver Cody Hoffman, BYU's leading pass catcher with 41 receptions for 534 yards and two touchdowns. In last week's loss to Oregon State, he became the 13th player in school history to surpass 2,000 career receiving yards. PHOTO COURTESY BYU in the run game, but they have yet to establish themselves as a group that can compete with a physical defense like BYU. Sophomore Everett Golson is becoming a bigger part of the run game in recent weeks, but a slight concussion and three fumbles against Stanford will likely lead to his role being dialed back. Advantage: BYU The Irish have had no problem bullying weak opponents receiver with 20 catches. He is the only one on the team averaging more than three receptions per outing. Through six games, Notre Dame had only six catches for 30 yards or more. Senior tight end Tyler Eifert re-emerged as a focal point for the offense last week against Stanford with his four catches for 57 yards and a touchdown. The Cougars defense starts two sophomores in the sec- NOTRE DAME PASSING GAME VS. BYU PASS DEFENSE Senior running back Theo Riddick is Notre Dame's leading ondary, but they have held their own against teams like Washington State and Hawaii that are known for airing it out. Similar to the Irish, their biggest asset in the pass game might be a strong rush. Van Noy has 7.5 sacks to lead ✦ PAGE 5 games that feature two strong defenses. The Cougars missed four of their first eight field goal attempts to start the year, and senior kicker Riley Stephenson has also missed three extra points this season. Stephenson has re- deemed himself in the punting game, with 17 kicks longer than 50 yards and 16 downed inside the 20-yard line. Notre Dame punter Ben Turk has been inconsistent this season, but the Florida native has typically picked up the pace during his college career when the weather gets cooler. Sophomore kicker Kyle Brindza is 10 of 12 since tak- ing over the job in the second week of the season. Advantage: Notre Dame SPECIAL TEAMS Field goals and field position are always important in made the most out of the talent he has in Provo. Kelly, billed as an offensive technician, has also built his founda- tion on defense at Notre Dame. Both coaches have had to deal with shuffling a veteran COACHING Bronco Mendenhall is a defense-first coach who has and a young talent at quarterback this season. Kelly has done so with much more success, keeping Golson pointed on an upward trajectory while using junior Tommy Rees to fill in the gaps. That well executed, delicate balancing act is a big reason why Notre Dame is a top five team. Advantage: Notre Dame start of the season. Wedged between Stanford and Okla- homa, BYU is a dangerous team that can match up well with Notre Dame's strengths. The Irish have done a good job so far of executing the INTANGIBLES This game had caution tape wrapped around it from the week-by-week, day-by-day mantra they have preached since August. Now, as they wander into BCS territory that hasn't been explored in South Bend for quite some time, the pressure rests squarely on their shoulders. BYU has nothing to lose coming on the road this week. Advantage: BYU PREDICTIONS Lou Somogyi: Notre Dame 23, BYU 6 Jason Sapp: Notre Dame 24, BYU 9 Wes Morgan: Notre Dame 33, BYU 10 Dan Murphy: Notre Dame 27, BYU 13

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