Notre Dame football secondary knows the challenge ahead with Ohio State wide receivers
SOUTH BEND — It’s no secret how good Ohio State's wide receivers are.
Two potential first-round picks in the 2024 NFL Draft start for the Buckeyes in juniors Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka. They’re complimented by two other productive seniors in wideout Julian Fleming and tight end Cade Stover.
With pass catchers all over the place, No. 9 Notre Dame football's secondary face its toughest test to date Saturday against the sixth-ranked Buckeyes, who are ranked No. 4 in the US LBM Coaches Poll. Kickoff at Notre Dame Stadium in 7:30 p.m.
“I think we look at it as a challenge but one we’re going to embrace,” Notre Dame senior cornerback Cam Hart said this week. “We have great players and we’re very confident in ourselves right now. That’ll be amazing to get that battle-tested and see who’s better.”
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The Irish have plenty of reasons to feel confident about its defense. They allow just 11.8 points per game, 14th best amongst FBS schools. Its defensive passer efficiency rating is number one in the country, allowing just 43 completed passes on 97 attempts this season.
The Buckeyes offense will test those numbers. Harrison Jr. leads the receiving group in catches (14), yards (304) and touchdowns (three), while Egbuka has 12 receptions for 167 yards and three scores.
While Fleming and Stover have yet to catch a touchdown pass, both have been productive through three games. Fleming has 11 catches for 100 yards, while Stover is at 10 receptions for 188 yards.
“They're all talented,” Notre Dame defensive coordinator Al Golden said. “The length, the catch radius, the ability to adjust to the ball in flight, competitive nature of them, lateral quickness at the top. There's a lot of elements there that make them really good. And each has his own individual strengths.”
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Experience should help Notre Dame’s defense when facing the Buckeyes pass catchers. The two teams faced off in the 2022 season opener, a 21-10 Ohio State win. The Irish did a good job containing Buckeyes quarterback C.J. Stroud that night, limiting him to 223 pass yards and two touchdowns, both of which ranked low in his single-game totals last year.
With Ohio State wideout Jaxon Smith-Njigba sidelined early in the game with an injury, Egbuka stepped up, catching nine passes for 90 yards and the game’s first touchdown. Harrison Jr. finished with five receptions for 56 yards, Stover three catches for 14 yards and Fleming with zero receptions.
Another offensive weapon back for the Buckeyes, Xavier Johnson, caught a back-breaking 24-yard touchdown pass late in the third quarter of last year’s game, putting the home team ahead for good.
Amongst the secondary, Clarence Lewis led Notre Dame with seven tackles. The now-graduated TaRiq Bracy recorded the lone tackle for loss for the Irish, while Lewis and eventual All-American Benjamin Morrison each deflected passes.
Harrison Jr. went on to have one of the best seasons for any wide receiver in the country, finishing with 77 receptions, 1,263 yards and 14 touchdowns.
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“I think that’s what differentiates a really good receiver from an average receiver is if they can make all their routes look the same,” Hart said. “There’s some guys I can tell what route they’re running after two steps. If you make everything look the same, it’s really hard. That’s one thing (Harrison Jr.) does well.”
Other than a venue change, a big difference in the 2023 matchup is a new quarterback for Ohio State. With Stroud now playing for the NFL’s Houston Texans, Kyle McCord has taken the reigns of the Buckeye offense. He’s completed 70% of his passes, for 815 yards and six touchdowns.
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A new quarterback has changed Notre Dame’s approach to defending its opponent, according to Hart.
“We’re focusing this year on their whole offense with Kyle being a new quarterback,” Hart explained. “Last year we knew: great quarterback and great receivers, so it was more, ‘Okay, we’re going to attack this from an outside-in perspective: cornerbacks, defensive backs, to the front seven.’ Now with a new quarterback, I think we’re taking a holistic approach rather than breaking it down with the receivers like we did last year.”
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This year’s game is different for both teams as well because of where it falls on the schedule. Notre Dame has already played four games and Ohio State three this year, giving both programs a few weeks to figure out things before heading into the top-10 showdown at Notre Dame Stadium.
“There’s a lot of differences,” second-year Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman said. “Experience, right? You have a year under your belt. It’s not the first game of the year. You’ve been able to develop an identity as a program these first four games, so it’s a lot different from what it was last year.”
No. 9 Notre Dame (4-0) vs. No. 6 Ohio State (3-0)
When: Saturday, Sept. 23, 7:30 p.m. EDT
Where: Notre Dame Stadium (77,622), South Bend, Ind.
Rankings: Notre Dame is ranked No. 9 in both AP and US LBM Coaches Polls. Ohio State is ranked No. 6/4.
TV: WNDU-TV (NBC)
Radio: WSBT (960 AM), WNSN (101.5 FM)
Line: Ohio State opens as a 3.5-point favorite
Series: Ohio State leads all-time series 5-2
Last meeting: No. 2 Ohio State defeated No. 5 Notre Dame 21-10 on Sept. 3, 2022 at Ohio Stadium in Columbus.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Big challenge awaits Notre Dame football pass defense vs. Ohio State
