Notre Dame-Wisconsin: 5 Things to Know
No. 12 Notre Dame vs. No. 18 Wisconsin isn’t as big as big gets but on a week that lacks any top-10 matchups it’s the biggest game on the college slate.
There will be a ton of breakdown for the game both here and at Badgers Wire as the programs meet at Soldier Field in a game that could very easily define Notre Dame’s 2021.
What are the first things you need to know about the matchup this game week? Here are five things to know to start the week:
5. First Matchup in Forever
(AP Photo)
Ara Parseghian's first game as head coach at Notre Dame was a 31-7 win at Wisconsin that started a 1964 season that saw the Irish come within a heartbreaking loss at USC in their final game of winning a national championship. That was the last time Notre Dame and Wisconsin met on the football field despite the programs being only a 241 mile drive from each other. It is my belief that even if this series is only played once every 50 years or so that the winner should get a small bronze statue of Barry Alvarez.
4. Turnovers Extra Costly
MARK HOFFMAN/MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL
Notre Dame nearly gave a game away two weeks ago when they welcomed Toledo to town by giving the ball away three times, one being a pick-six thrown by Jack Coan. The good news for the Irish is they cleaned that up and didn't turn the ball over against Purdue which will hopefully be a sign of better things to come. Wisconsin also welcome their first guests of the year by giving the ball away three times. Penn State is obviously a much better team than Toledo and the Nittany Lions made the Badgers pay by handing them a 16-10 season opening loss at Camp Randall.
3. Wisconsin off the bye
Photo by Jeff Hanisch/USA TODAY Networks
Wisconsin is the first of five teams that will be coming off a bye week when they take on Notre Dame this fall. Is it all it's cracked up to be? We often like to claim it does to fit a narrative but consider this: Paul Chryst has a career winning percentage of .740 at Wisconsin and he's 5-3 (.625) following a bye week as the head coach of the Badgers.
2. Wisconsin's Stout Run Defense
Photo courtesy of USA TODAY Networks
Notre Dame fans are well aware of the struggles the Irish have had running the ball with any consistency in 2021. Despite Kyren Williams breaking off a big touchdown run in each of the last two weeks the Irish are still averaging just 3.7 yards per carry by their running backs this season, down significantly from the 5.3 yards they averaged a year ago. Wisconsin brings a nasty defensive front that should make running the ball difficult at best as the Badgers have allowed just 1.8 yards per carry through two games this fall.
1. Coan vs. His Replacement
Wisconsin Badgers quarterback Graham Mertz (5) finds an open receiver as quarterback Jack Coan (17) watches during the UW football spring practice in Madison, Saturday, April 13, 2019. Photo by Rick Wood USA TODAY Networks
Anyone who follows Notre Dame or Wisconsin is aware that Irish quarterback Jack Coan used to be the signal caller in Madison. It was Graham Mertz who took over Coan's job in 2020 due to a foot injury that ultimately resulted in Coan transferring. Did Wisconsin go forward with the right guy? Time will tell but one stat to consider early on is Jack Coan has averaged 8.4 passing yards per attempt this year while Mertz has only put up 6.0. Related: Notre Dame-Wisconsin kickoff time officially set Difficulty rankings for Notre Dame’s 2021 schedule Notre Dame’s all-time results on ESPN’s College Gameday
1
1
