Notre Dame will attempt to end a three game losing streak on Saturday afternoon when the Fighting Irish host Nevada. Former Irish assistant Brian Polian is in his fourth season as head coach of the Wolfpack, where he has recorded19 wins and two bowl appearances. Nevada is coming off a 30-27 overtime victory over Cal Poly in its season opener, while the Irish fell by 50-47 in double overtime to Texas last Sunday night. This matchup marks the second time these schools have met, with Notre Dame winning at home in 2009. NBC will televise this contest beginning at 3:30 PM Eastern time.

Earlier this week, Coach Brian Kelly named DeShon Kizer as his starting quarterback. There are no plans to rotate Malik Zaire into the game at this point, so the job belongs to Kizer as long as he continues to perform well. Kizer led the Irish comeback from a 31-14 deficit last week to take the lead in the fourth quarter, but the defense could not hold off the Longhorns with the game on the line.

The Irish may be without the services of top wide receiver Torii Hunter, Jr., who suffered a concussion after a particularly vicious hit in the end zone against Texas. According to Kelly, Hunter will go through a light practice on Friday and his status will be determined by team doctors prior to kickoff. Defensively, the safety position is still in flux as freshman Devin Studstill replaces Avery Sebastian in one of the spots. Drue Tranquill is listed as the starter alongside Studstill, but he was replaced early in the Texas game and did not return to the lineup.

Nevada, on the other hand, has issues of its own. Polian was not happy with his team’s sloppy performance against a weak opponent last week, stating that significant improvements are required to complete with the bigger and more talented Irish. Still, he was not ready to concede anything. “We’re not trying to keep it close”, he said. “I want to win”.

NOTRE DAME’s OFFENSE vs. NEVADA’s DEFENSE

Even if Hunter is available, the Irish must be able to rely on the running game to take control of the Wolfpack. The offensive line performed poorly against Texas and even the highly touted left side manned by guard Quenton Nelson and tackle Mike McGlinchey struggled to create lanes for the backs. The Nevada defensive line is several notches below the Longhorns, however, and Notre Dame should be well motivated to assert its power against the Wolfpack’s undersized front four led by ends Malik Reed and Patrick Choudja.

The linebacking corps for Nevada is also relatively small, although senior Alex Bertrando is a productive player in their scheme. Kizer is bigger than any of the Wolfpack starters, and he will present a difficult matchup for them when he elects to run the ball. It should be noted that Cal Poly gained 383 net yards rushing last week against this defense, and it’s fair to assume Notre Dame has better offensive talent.

Nevada’s best unit on defense is its secondary, and safety Dameon Baber may be the team’s best player. The only hope that Polian may have to keep the Irish from scoring in bunches is if his defensive backs can hold up against the young Irish receivers while the rest of the team sells out to stop the run. This strategy may work at times, but Kizer and company should be able to generate a number of explosive plays when the defense overcommits.

NEVADA’s OFFENSE vs. NOTRE DAME’s DEFENSE

Senior quarterback Tyler Stewart and junior tailback James Butler provide a quality one-two punch for the Wolfpack. Stewart was a very efficient 17 for 23 last week with two scores and no interceptions, and also ran eight times for a forty yards. Butler racked up 129 yards and two touchdowns, including a 50-yarder. The running lanes for Butler should be smaller and time in the pocket for Stewart should be shorter this week if the Irish defensive line plays to its potential. Unfortunately, only Isaac Rochelle has lived up to expectations while the reviews of the others last week ranged from inconsistent to disappointing.

On the positive side, linebackers Nyles Morgan and James Onwualu turned in strong performances against Texas despite the overall breakdowns and missed tackles that occurred around them. Nevada will start seniors at center and on the right side of its offensive line, and the Irish need to win those battles up front to allow Morgan and Onwualu free lanes of pursuit. If Butler is able to gain traction, the game may become uncomfortably close. More likely, the Irish will be able to make whatever adjustments are required to control the line of scrimmage.

That will put pressure on Stewart to make plays under pressure. He was a 57% passer last year with 15 TDs and 7 INTs in his first full season as the starter. This year, Stewart is off to a better start and has a few talented receivers at his disposal. Wyatt Demps is an outside target at 6’4”, Andrew Celis is a deep threat, and slot man Jerico Richardson will present problems in the middle of the field for the vulnerable Notre Dame secondary. Tight end Jarred Gipson is also a capable receiver.

The Irish played a lot of three man line formations against Texas with five defensive backs, but the Nevada offense is more traditional in its formations and tempo. Polian could try to introduce changes to throw Notre Dame off balance, but success in these endeavors will only be possible if the Wolfpack can compete on a physical level with the Irish. Needless to say, a poor level of effort by the defense is not something one would expect in a home opener, even after a short week of practice and another tough opponent on next week’s schedule.

SPECIAL TEAMS

A blocked field goal and a couple of poor punts hurt the Irish last week. Return man C.J. Sanders proved he can gain significant yards when he has room to maneuver, but the effort from the other ten players to block for him is typically substandard. The coverage teams turned in a solid but not exceptional performance last week.

Punter Alex Boy is well above average for the Wolfpack, while kicker Brent Zuzo is not known for having a strong leg. Zuzo made a 25-yard field goal last week but missed from 38. The Nevada return men include starting receivers Celis and Richardson, but they had little opportunity last week to show what they can do. If the Irish decide to exert a fair amount of effort in this area, a special teams score is not out of the question.

SUMMARY

Notre Dame has too much firepower for the Wolfpack, but the main concerns here are the ability of the offensive line to assert itself against a weaker foe and the defensive line to show the level of heart and effort needed to be successful over the course of the season. The secondary also needs to be straightened out, and this game represents an opportunity for freshmen like Studstill, Julian Love and Jalen Elliott to claim significant roles. The other person who potentially has a job on the line in the next few weeks is Defensive Coordinator Brian VanGorder, who is justly being vilified by Irish followers for the team’s embarrassing outings against Stanford, Ohio State, and most recently the Longhorns.

Here are a few questions that will shed light on the outcome:

Can Kizer’s receivers do a credible job even if Hunter is not in the lineup?

Will Nevada be able to sustain a balanced attack or must they abandon the run early?

Can the Notre Dame secondary tighten up and prevent the big play?

Will the Irish defensive linemen be able to make plays in the backfield?

Can Sanders and the special teams make some noise?

When will ND deploy its own Texas-sized cannon and Jumbotron to assault and alienate the fan base?

PREDICTION

Notre Dame should score forty or more points in this contest with Kizer at the helm, but the questions on defense provide the most compelling reason to watch. This team still has sufficient talent to excel when it wants to, but the coaches need to provide motivation and the players have to play with a level of emotion that matches what every opponent will bring to the table against them.

NOTRE DAME 42 NEVADA 17