Notre Dame Defense Has Important Matchup Advantages Against Tennessee State

Key matchups that Notre Dame must win to firmly defeat Tennessee State on Saturday

Defensively, Notre Dame got off to a nice start last week against Navy. They hope to continue that mineral in their second matchup against Tennessee State on Saturday.

Everyone knows that this should be a decisive victory for Notre Dame but the Tigers do have a couple promising offensive players who could cause some problems. Let’s look at the key matchups to watch for on Saturday.

FORCE DRAYLEN ELLIS TO WIN FROM THE POCKET

BREAKING IT DOWN

On the Tennessee State side, they return Draylen Ellis at quarterback, who was originally a part of the Austin Peay program. There, he was a Sophomore All-American pick and one of the top quarterbacks working outside of structure. It was a rough season for Ellis in his first season at Tennessee State last season but the program expects him to take a nice step forward. When Ellis is in rhythm, he is a tough player to stop consistently.

Notre Dame boasts a deep and athletic front seven that is coming off of an impressive first outing against Navy this past weekend. The defensive line has been hyped up all off-season and players like Rylie Mills, Jason Onye, Javontae Jean-Baptiste and Jordan Botelho flashes that upside. The team is also coming off of a really impressive outing from their linebackers, with JD Bertrand, Marist Liufau and Jack Kiser all making plays for the Irish defense.

WHY IT MATTERS

In the past, Notre Dame has had some issues with scrambling quarterbacks. Ellis is not necessarily a runner but he can absolutely extend plays as a passer. The defensive line will need to maintain good rush lanes and keep him inside the pocket as much as possible. He is just not nearly as effective in those situations.

The Irish defense has a chance to create a lot of negatives against a pretty underwhelming offensive line group for the Tigers. Finishing plays will be a big point of emphasis. Keeping everything in structure as much as possible will make the defense very difficult to stop.

LEAVE NO DOUBT UP FRONT

BREAKING IT DOWN

As mentioned, the Tennessee State offensive line is expected to be a below average group overall. Their biggest impact will be in the running game, where they hope to get adequate push for running back Jalen Rouse. That’s the identity that their offense wants to boast.

On defense, stopping the run has been a big point of emphasis this season, which got off to a good start against Navy last week. Notre Dame has really improved the quality of size up front on the defensive line. They are long, powerful and deeper than in years past. Add in the veteran linebackers behind them and the front for the Irish has a chance to be very good this season.

WHY IT MATTERS

If both units are playing well, Notre Dame should dominate. There is no questioning who the more talented team is. The talent gap is substantial.

Tennessee State is going to want to run the football. Notre Dame can not allow them to control the tempo, eat clock and keep the chains moving. The physicality must match the talent for the Irish. If it does, this promises to be a decisive advantage. 

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