It’s an obvious strategy.
With Michigan starting true freshman Chad Henne at quarterback, you would figure Notre Dame’s game plan on Saturday would be simple–blitz, blitz and more blitz. Pressure the kid into making decisions he will regret.
It makes sense, but it’s probably not going to happen.
“It’s not that simple,” Notre Dame defensive line coach Greg Mattison said. “You could do like BYU did against us and blitz every single down, but then it’s feast or famine. And it’s difficult to blitz against teams that run the ball [effectively] because those creases can be really big, and those cutbacks can become home runs.”
Stay the course
ESPN analyst and former Notre Dame coach Bob Davie concurred.
“I think Notre Dame is making a mistake if they change a whole lot defensively,” Davie said. “With Michigan’s scheme, it always has been pretty difficult to sack the quarterback. They’re not a team that spreads it out a lot. They’re a play-action team that keeps a lot of people in to protect.
“At end of the day, you’re not going to trick Michigan even though they have a young quarterback. The game is about out-executing and big plays.”
Familiar foes
Davie went 1-2 against the Wolverines during his five years as Notre Dame’s head coach. His 1998 team, ranked 22nd, whipped the No. 5 Wolverines 36-20 on a warm September day in South Bend.
Davie would not be shocked to see the beleaguered Irish, coming off a 20-17 loss to Brigham Young, beat the 1-0 Wolverines. “If Michigan doesn’t get the big plays, I don’t think they will beat Notre Dame in Notre Dame Stadium,” he said.
“I don’t see Michigan scoring a lot unless it’s on a big play or in the kicking [and return] game. Michigan has a great offensive line, but I don’t think they will be able to run it on Notre Dame consistently. The jury is still out on David Underwood.”
Underwood, a career backup, ran for just 61 yards on 22 carries against Miami (Ohio).
Rushing forward
Although Michigan coach Lloyd Carr blamed the subpar running game on “a combination of things,” including missed blocks, there’s talk Underwood could be replaced by sophomore Jerome Jackson, who had seven carries for 25 yards against Miami (Ohio).
Mattison, a former defensive coordinator under Carr (1995-96) and Davie (97-01), said Underwood impressed him. “It’s the same old deal,” he said. “When you’re the back who follows the great one (Chris Perry), nothing you do will be up to people’s standards.”
A little magic?
Comparing the athletic ability of Michigan’s defenders and BYU’s defenders would be silly. The Wolverines have the horses.
But Davie said BYU, with its blitzing 3-3-5 scheme, presented more of a problem for Notre Dame in terms of preparation.
“BYU has more of a helter-skelter, come-at-you defense,” he said. “It’s either real good or real bad.
“I don’t think Notre Dame’s offense, because of its familiarity with Michigan’s defense, will self-destruct to the level it did against BYU.”
That said, Davie expects Michigan to bring the heat against Notre Dame, just as BYU did. “Let’s face it: Everyone’s going to blitz Notre Dame because teams have had success doing it,” he said. “The key play to answer the blitz is the jailbreak screen they throw to Rhema McKnight.”
Davie won’t be in South Bend on Saturday. He’ll be calling the UNLV-Wisconsin game in Madison, Wis.
“I miss that game,” he said of Michigan-ND. “Like I miss the USC game. Just the atmosphere in that stadium, particularly with Notre Dame’s back against the wall. If they’re capable of some magic this season, it’s going to happen Saturday.”
