As the clock ticks down on the 2010 regular season, Notre Dame remains in search of a sixth victory that will undoubtedly lead to a bowl invitation. Coach Brian Kelly has stated that the additional practice time will benefit his team in 2011, but the Irish are running out of opportunities to qualify. The next game will be held on Saturday evening in New York’s Yankee Stadium against Army, after which Notre Dame will travel to Los Angeles for the season finale against USC in the Coliseum.

The Black Knights are a triple option team coached by Rich Ellerson, who is very much aware that archrival Navy destroyed the Irish 35-17 last month. Earlier this week, Ellerson responded as follows when asked what he and his team took away from that game:

 “We’re looking at that tape, obviously, but we also know that Notre Dame has a copy of that tape and it makes them mad as heck. We know they’ll adjust. We know they’ll play better. We know they’ll be motivated. They were hurt by that performance on the defensive side of the ball and they’re going to respond. In terms of what they’ll do technically, strategically different, we’re just scratching our heads because of two things: One, they’re going to adjust based on their experiences against Navy and two, we’re not structured quite the same way. Certainly we run the triple option and that’s the foundation of both offenses, but how we complement it is so different than what Navy does.”

Notre Dame defensive coordinator Bob Diaco will be in the spotlight this weekend, as he was roundly criticized for his failure to find an answer for Navy’s version of the option. It should be apparent early in this game as to whether the Irish can capitalize on its size and athletic advantage to shut down the Knights. Even a shutout won’t guarantee victory, however, as Notre Dame learned in 1946 when these teams played to a 0-0 tie in a classic showdown. This week, freshman Tommy Rees will get his second career start after conservatively but effectively leading an injury-depleted offense to a 28-3 rout of Utah.

NOTRE DAME’S OFFENSE vs. ARMY’S DEFENSE

The Knights are not particularly big or fast on defense, but they do play with discipline and are able to disrupt their opponents. They have forced 22 turnovers and have the same number of sacks, while the offense has coughed up the ball just ten times and surrendered only four sacks. Army is also effective on third down, yielding only a 37% conversion rate. The statistics will go out the window if the Irish are able to flex their muscles as they were finally able to do last week against the Utes. A productive power running game is something for which the Knights will have no answer.

Mike Gann is the only lineman along the Army front four that tips the scale above 250 pounds. Surprisingly, 6’1” 235-pound end Josh McNary has 9.5 sacks this season to lead the team, which says volumes about his heart and determination. Linebackers Stephen Anderson and Steve Erzinger lead the team in tackles. The Knights do not rely on blitzes to get to the quarterback, but rather execute a variety of stunts up front with Gann as the pivotal player.

Donovan Travis and Jordan Trimble are a pair of senior safeties who anchor the secondary, and Travis is particularly good. Josh Jackson is a very athletic cornerback who doubles as the return specialist. Notre Dame should be able to throw the ball against Army, either by spreading them out with multiple receivers or using play-action. Despite some favorable matchups, the best case scenario for Rees and his mates will be another game in which only 20 passes are required and the running game is generating large chunks of yardage. There is no reason why a motivated Irish offense can’t accomplish this against a defense that has not played a quality opponent all season apart from a 42-22 loss to Air Force.

The running chores for Notre Dame will again be split among Cierre Wood, Jonas Gray and Robert Hughes. Gray looked very good in limited action last week, and Wood began to run well after being forced to watch Gray from the sidelines for a few series. In the passing game, Michael Floyd is still the main receiving threat, although T.J. Jones will return to action and New York area product Duval Kamara will play in front of family and friends after an outstanding performance last week.

ARMY’S OFFENSE vs. NOTRE DAME’S DEFENSE

The Knights’ version of the triple option is led by sophomore quarterback Trent Steelman, but his classmate and fullback Jared Hassin is Army’s not-so-secret weapon. At 6’2” and 235 pounds, Hassin is a bruiser whom the Irish must stop, especially after allowing Navy’s Alexander Teich to run for over 200 yards. Patrick Mealy, and Malcolm Brown and Brian Cobbs are small but quick running backs who can get around the corner.

Steelman is a fair and efficient passer but is unlikely to be able to lead a comeback on the strength of his arm. Wide receivers Austin Barr, Davyd Brooks and George Jordan are uncharacteristically tall at 6’3” or above, but none have more than 13 catches in Army’s ten games. Hassin is also a capable target out of the backfield, and Irish fans should expect to see at least one screen pass attempt from the Knights that is similar to the throw caught by Teich for an easy score against Notre Dame.

Army is generally a young team, but its offensive line is dominated by seniors and is a main reason why the Knights have enjoyed some success this year after a decade in the doldrums. None of them weigh more than 275 pounds, but they are proficient in the execution of their blocking scheme and rarely allow tackles for loss. Army’s 31 point per game scoring average, 91% red zone scoring efficiency and 48% third down conversion rate are exemplary, and Notre Dame will have to play well to shut them down completely.

Although the Irish defense will be back at full strength with the exception of nose tackle Ian Williams, it is the scheme more than the presence of talented players that will determine how the game unfolds. Psychologically, the Irish cannot allow the Knights to enjoy early success with the triple option. They must send a message that they can take away the bread and butter elements of this offense and force Army to gamble.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Notre Dame covered kicks and punts very well last week, and the Irish special teams forced two turnovers. The return game has remained only average, but Bennett Jackson has provided an occasional spark and appears ready to break a long one. Kicker David Ruffer will try to extend his record string of consecutive field goals.

Alex Carlton has hit only 12 of 19 field goal attempts for Army, and has suffered two blocks. Jackson handles both punts and kickoffs with average results, while punter Jonathan Bulls has a strong leg yet rarely leaves room for a return.

SUMMARY

Army is a capable team when playing suitable competition, but they will likely be out of their league against the Irish. The Knights will be highly motivated given the venue and the opponent, and Ellerson is sure to spice up his offense with a few plays not previously seen on film. Army may keep the game interesting for a quarter or so, but barring another utter failure by Diaco to devise an effective defensive scheme the Knights should not score more than 14 points in this contest. Last week’s shutdown of high-scoring Utah would suggest that Notre Dame can easily handle another team with limited size and speed.

Unless the Irish find themselves in an early two-score deficit, Kelly can afford to duplicate the conservative offensive game plan that worked so well last week and yielded zero turnovers. It remains for the linemen to get used to their smaller but quick opponents and the cut blocking style of play, but this should be less of a factor after having experienced a similar style last month.

Let’s review the questions that will shed light on the outcome:

Can the Irish break a few long runs and reach the 200 yard mark on the ground?

Will fullback Hassin rush for 100+ yards?

Will Notre Dame dominate both lines of scrimmage?

Can Rees continue to display the poise and accuracy he demonstrated last week?

Will the Irish special teams make another significant contribution?

Can Steelman and his tall receivers cause problems for the Notre Dame secondary?

Can the Irish avoid injuries to key players?

PREDICTION

Army will pull out all the stops to make a game of it, but Notre Dame’s breakout win last week should give its more talented players a jolt of confidence that will overwhelm the Knights. Neither the Irish coaches nor the players will take this game lightly, so the issue should be decided by halftime.

NOTRE DAME 34  ARMY 14