Turnover Battle Won’t Be Easy For Indiana Or Notre Dame To Win … Or Lose

Both Indiana and Notre Dame are excellent at forcing turnovers and avoiding them.

Indiana's Shawn Asbury II (1) celebrates his interception at the Indiana versus Nebraska football game at Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024. / Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – How can two teams potentially win and lose a category within the same game?

As it relates to Indiana and Notre Dame as they prepare to face each other in a first round College Football Playoff game at 8 p.m. ET Friday at Notre Dame Stadium? It’s about the turnover battle.

Both teams share the same strengths. Notre Dame is tied with Texas as the best team in the country at forcing turnovers. The Fighting Irish have forced 28 turnovers.

Indiana, on the other hand, is tied for second nationally in avoiding turnovers, with just eight giveaways.

The Hoosiers don’t force turnovers at the same rate as the Fighting Irish, but they’re no slouch. Indiana forced 23 turnovers, tied for 11th nationally. Notre Dame counters with just 12 turnovers of its own, tied for 21st in FBS.

It will be hard for the defenses to play to their strengths. It will be equally difficult for the offenses to protect their usual strengths.

Both teams could win … and lose. It just depends on which strength overtakes the other.

“I think we're plus 15 on turnover ratio, and they're plus 16. So, ball security for us and them is going to be really important – winning the turnover battle,” Indiana coach Curt Cignetti said.

Notre Dame has forced many of its turnovers with its excellent secondary. Notre Dame has intercepted 17 passes in 2024, tied for third-best nationally.

Notre Dame All-American Xavier Watts is the hub of the Fighting Irish opportunism. He has five interceptions for 136 yards and a touchdown.

Notre Dame safety Xavier Watts (0) celebrates getting an interception during a NCAA college football game against Virginia at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in South Bend. / MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Safety Adon Shuler has three interceptions while cornerbacks Leonard Moore and Christian Gray have two each.

It’s going to be cold Friday night. That can make ball security for everyone a challenge. Notre Dame forced 13 fumbles. Moore and linebackers Jaylen Sneed and Drayk Bowen forced two fumbles each.

“You’ve got to be able to squeeze the ball and be able to run hard at the same time and have low pads. All those details go into the play about protecting the football,” Indiana running back Justice Ellison said. “They are a team that wins off turnovers. We go in there on Friday and take care of that, I know that we are not going to have any trouble down the road.”

Indiana forced 11 fumbles. Linebackers Jailin Walker and Rolijah Hardy and defensive end Mikail Kamara forced two each.

“Turnovers are a big thing. When we create turnovers, it gives the offense and special teams energy, and when you create turnovers, their defense is tired and they have got to get right back on the field and play our offense,” said Walker on why he values turnovers.

Notre Dame only had six fumbles, though four of them were by Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard. Only one of the Fighting Irish fumbles was by a running back.

The Hoosiers intercepted 14 passes, led by Amare Ferrell’s four picks. Intercepting Leonard won’t be easy. Notre Dame only averages 27 throws per game, and Fighting Irish quarterbacks matched Indiana with a low 1.5% interception rate.

Indiana will get some help defensively when starting cornerback Jamier Johnson is expected to return after a one-game absence. He had one interception this season.

One of the fascinating subplots of Saturday’s game will be whether the offenses or defenses play to their turnover avoidance or turnover opportunism. If one team has even a slight edge in either department, it might be the edge in the game.

Related stories on Indiana football

• BRAND NAME BIAS: Despite being a close game on-paper, Todd Golden writes about the benefit of the doubt Notre Dame gets for being a national brand. CLICK HERE.

• CIGNETTI CONTINUES TO EARN HONORS: As of Tuesday, Curt Cignetti has now won four national Coach of the Year awards. CLICK HERE.

• NOTRE DAME DEFENSE IS STOUT: In a case of strength vs. strength, Indiana's potent offense takes on a stingy Notre Dame defense. CLICK HERE.

• INDIANA DEFENSE WANTS RILEY LEONARD TO 'PAY A TOLL': Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard is a centerpiece of the Fighting Irish. Indiana is focused on stopping him. CLICK HERE.

• HOW DOES INDIANA STACK UP? How the Hoosiers stack up statistically against the rest of the College Football Playoff field. CLICK HERE.

• WHAT CIGNETTI SAID: What Indiana football coach Curt Cignetti said during his pre-Notre Dame press conference on Monday. CLICK HERE.

• FREEMAN HAS PRAISE FOR INDIANA: Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman was complimentary of what Indiana has accomplished this season. CLICK HERE.