1. Look for Notre Dame to run run run.
When it comes to his philosophy, Weis will commonly talk about winning a game 34-31 or 21-17; in other words, do you want to win in a shootout, or a relatively low scoring game? Needless to say, with the ultra high powered offense we currently have, Weis hasn't been trying to compete in many shoot outs, and with Purdue's impressive offensive numbers (even if they have been against week opponents) expect the Irish to play the ball control game as much as they can.
2. Look for Purdue to run a nifty option play.
A friend of mine who lives down the hall tapes the portions of practice open to the media, and apparently Notre Dame spent a good deal of time defending a nifty option. The quarterback either hands the ball off for a run up the middle, throws a jet screen, or rolls out for a pass. The difficulty in covering this play is that the DB who comes up to hit the quarterback on the rollout must also cover his receiver. I hope practice paid off because poor coverage and missed tackles can lead to big gains on short passes.
3. Look for John Carlson to get involved in the passing game.
Who am I kidding? Everyone's been saying this all season, but I can at least hope that it happens, right?
4. Look for Purdue to come out strong.
Starting the season off 4-0, the Boilermakers have a lot of momentum coming into this game, and they should be sufficiently motivated, having been crushed by Notre Dame twice in the last two years. It would be huge to stop Purdue and get a quick score, giving our team confidence and rattling them at the same time.
5. Look for your uncle Pops.
Section 133, Row 15. I'll be the one in a green shirt cheering for Notre Dame.
1 comment:
Looks like a big miss on #1 and #2.
We couldn't run, and Purdue didn't need an option - they came right up the middle.
Post a Comment