Notre Dame’s No. 1 goal: Keep Sam Howell off the field.
The second-ranked Irish probably figure they cannot beat No. 23 Carolina in a shootout Friday on national TV (ABC) in Kenan Stadium. That is not their game, anyway, but it certainly can’t be against the high-scoring Tar Heels if they hope to win.
So what will be defensive coordinator Jay Bateman’s strategy? “You want me to give away our game plan?” he joked during a Zoom press conference Monday. “(Notre Dame coach Brian) Kelly will be listening to this.”
ND and UNC both average about 233 yards per game on the ground, a statistical anomaly that amazes Mack Brown. But his team flings the ball around much more than Irish quarterback Ian Book, an excellent athlete who is a game manager more than gunslinger Sam.
Thus, keeping No. 7 on the sideline has got to be a top priority for Kelly and the Irish. “They will probably try to control the clock,” Bateman allowed. How can UNC stop ND’s sturdy running game and give Howell more possessions? “Outnumber the run,” Bateman said.
From a defensive standpoint, that means pack the line of scrimmage and force Book to throw the ball more than he is comfortable doing. The senior averages about 16 passes a game for a per-completion rate of 8.4 yards. Howell averages 31 throws a game for 10-plus yards per catch. He has 23 touchdown passes and 6 interceptions compared to 11 and 1 for Book in the more-measured Irish passing game.
Obviously, in this contrast of styles, the team that runs the most plays from scrimmage will likely win the game. Carolina needs more possessions to maintain its balance between running and passing. The Tar Heels average 43-plus points per game, Notre Dame 37-plus.
Brown believes his team has a better chance of winning by also running the ball well, pointing out that in the Heels’ two losses at FSU and Virginia they lost the rushing battle. So balance is the key, which means Howell has to get the ball in his hands at least as much as usual.
Carolina must stop Notre Dame enough to give slinging Sam that chance.
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