We sit three days away from No. 18 Wisconsin's second non-conference clash of the 2021 season when it faces No. 12 Notre Dame across state borders.
Here are significant stats and key Fighting Irish standouts to know before Saturday night's matchup inside Soldier Field in Chicago (11 a.m. CT, FOX), plus an in-depth insight from our Q&A with Blue & Gold's Patrick Engel.
NOTRE DAME'S 2021 STATS
*Record: 3-0
*Points per game: 33.3
*Opponents points per game: 26.7
*Rushing yards per game: 105.7
*Opponents rushing yards per game: 145.7
*Passing yards per game: 302.0
*Opponents' passing yards per game: 232.7
*Third-down conversions: 37.5%
*Opponents' third-down conversions: 36.7%
*Total turnovers created: 6 (five interceptions, one fumble recovery)
*Total turnovers given up: 4 (two interceptions, two fumbles)
*Sacks: 13
*Sacks allowed: 15**
**Notre Dame's official stats say it has given up 15 sacks in three games, but game logs totaled equal 14 (four by Purdue last week in the official stats, five noted by Notre Dame in cumulative stats for that particular contest).
PLAYERS TO KNOW: OFFENSE
*Quarterback Jack Coan: 62-of-99 (62.6% completion percentage), 828 yards, eight touchdowns, two interceptions
*Quarterback Tyler Buchner: 3-of-4 (75% completion percentage), 78 yards, one touchdown; 10 carries, 92 yards
*Running back Kyren Williams: 46 carries, 211 yards, 4.6 yards per carry, two rushing touchdowns; 11 receptions, 155 yards, two receiving touchdowns
*Running back Chris Tyree: 25 receptions, 72 yards, one touchdown; 10 receptions, 103 yards, one touchdown
*Tight end Michael Mayer: 17 receptions, 206 yards, three touchdowns
*Wide receiver Avery Davis: Eight receptions, 149 yards, one touchdown
*Wide receiver Kevin Austin: Eight receptions, 154 yards, one touchdown
PLAYERS TO KNOW: DEFENSE
*Safety Kyle Hamilton: 22 tackles, two tackles for loss, three interceptions, two pass breakups
*Linebacker J.D. Bertrand: 35 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, two quarterback hurries
*Cornerback Cam Hart: 18 tackles, two tackles for loss, three pass breakups
*Defensive lineman Isaiah Foskey: 15 tackles, 3.5 sacks, one pass breakup, two quarterback hurries
*Defensive lineman Jayson Ademilola: 14 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks, two pass breakups, two quarterback hurries
*Defensive lineman Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa: Eight tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, three quarterback hurries, one forced fumble
1) Notre Dame is a top 15 team with a 3-0 record heading into Saturday's matchup, but they also came close to being 1-2. Do you have a sense of what type of identity this program believes it has on both sides of the ball heading into the Soldier Field showdown?
Let’s start with the offense, which is pretty much the antithesis of the 2020 attack that hammered opponents on the ground but didn’t try to burst past them downfield.
Notre Dame looks for downfield shots and has leaned on its passing operation when it needs a first down or a big play. It has stubbornly remained committed to running the ball, even though room to run has been fleeting.
Notre Dame has the skill talent to be a good downfield passing team. Jack Coan seeks out shot chances. Receivers Kevin Austin Jr. and Braden Lenzy can separate vertically and run after the catch. Tight end Michael Mayer feasts on single coverage. In that regard, the verticality component isn’t a surprise.
But I don’t think anyone – those inside the program included – imagined the rushing offense and the run blocking being this unreliable. Freshman quarterback Tyler Buchner, a skilled runner, has been the run-game crutch no one envisioned or thought Notre Dame would need. The quarterback rotation isn’t based in controversy, but necessity. Buchner’s presence opens the run game and rushing playbook in ways Coan can’t.
On defense, the Irish want to create havoc. They have generated pressure at a high level. They’re fifth nationally in sacks per game. They’ll blitz from all over and disguise pressure. They’ll mix three-man fronts into a primarily four-down defense. The defensive line rotates nine players.
The havoc plays have been consistent, but in the first two weeks, those came with a few too many big plays allowed. Notre Dame gave up a pair of 60-yard plays in each of its first two games. But it allowed just one gain of 10-plus yards in the first half last week vs. Purdue, a nod to improved tackling and angles.
