After a three-game homestand, No. 18 Virginia football is back on the road for the first time since week one as the Cavaliers play No. 10 Notre Dame Saturday in South Bend, Ind. The road matchup will be the first time Virginia (4-0, 2-0 ACC) plays at Notre Dame (2-1) in program history. Coming off their first loss of the season, the Fighting Irish will look to bounce back in their second-straight game against a top-25 opponent. The Cavaliers, on the other hand, will look to secure a statement win against one of the best teams in the country.
Key Players:
Sophomore tailback Wayne Taulapapa
While Notre Dame has talent throughout its defensive front seven, the Fighting Irish have been the most vulnerable when they can’t stop their opponents’ run game — the second half against Georgia last week is a prime example.
While the Cavaliers may not have Georgia-level running backs, Taulapapa’s toughness makes him a very credible threat. However, his lack of efficiency at times can be troubling.
Against Old Dominion, Taulapapa averaged only three yards per carry with his longest run totaling just eight yards. When Taulapapa is struggling, Perkins has to carry a larger burden, which places enormous pressure on the offensive line and the passing game.
If the Virginia offense wants to be successful against Notre Dame’s defense, which is far better than any opposing defense Virginia has seen so far, Taulapapa will need to be more productive and help Perkins — especially in early-down situations.
Junior linebacker Charles Snowden
A standout performance against Old Dominion was yet another example of the impact Snowden can have throughout a game. His 15 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and 2 sacks powered Virginia’s defense and stalled many Old Dominion drives.
Snowden’s physicality will be key against Notre Dame’s offensive line who just played a brutal game versus Georgia last week. That heavyweight matchup showed us that Notre Dame can struggle against more athletic and aggressive defenses.
Snowden can be a disruptive force in both the running and passing game, which is why the reigning Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week can be the x-factor for the Cavaliers’ defense.
Keys to the Game:
Let Perkins loose
Notre Dame has struggled this season against quarterbacks who can make plays on the ground. Louisville junior quarterback Jawon Pass ran for 67 yards on 16 rush attempts earlier in the season and revealed problems the Fighting Irish have yet to fix.
In Perkins, Virginia has one of the most dynamic dual-threat quarterbacks in the country and the Cavaliers have to give Perkins the freedom to make plays with his legs Saturday.
With Perkins making plays all over the field, Virginia can spread a very talented defense thin and open up holes for the entire team. If the Cavaliers hope to beat Notre Dame, their offense — which begins and ends with Perkins — has to step up.
Against a team that made it all the way to the College Football Playoff last season, Virginia has to trust that Perkins will make the necessary plays to give the Cavaliers a fighting chance.
Pressure the quarterback as much as possible
When Notre Dame faced Georgia last weekend, it was clear that Notre Dame senior quarterback Ian Book struggled when pressured in the pocket.
Book often scrambled backward, rarely creating room for himself and usually throwing wild balls out of bounds. An otherwise poised and confident passer became flustered and frenzied as soon as the pocket collapsed.
For Virginia — who leads the entire country in sacks with 20 alongside Florida — this presents an opportunity to disrupt an offense that can be dangerous when firing on all cylinders.
If senior linebacker Jordan Mack — sixth in the country with five sacks — can continue being a menace to opposing quarterbacks and the Virginia defense can keep blitzing effectively, the Cavaliers should be able to keep Book in check and even force some turnovers.
Notre Dame is, by far, the best team Virginia will play in the 2019 regular season. The Fighting Irish have talent throughout the roster and on both sides of the ball, and even kept the game close against No. 3 Georgia last weekend. That being said, Virginia has momentum, confidence and plenty of talent of its own, so look for this to be a tough game between two hungry teams.
Virginia is set to play Notre Dame Saturday at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Ind. Kickoff is slated for 3:30 p.m., and the game will be nationally televised on NBC.
Correction: This article previously misstated that Notre Dame football was in the ACC. Notre Dame football competes as an Independent, and the article has been updated with the correct information.
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