North Carolina Football: Notre Dame Scouting Report

Tomorrow, UNC faces the 6^th ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish. The Irish are coming off of a thrilling last-second victory against Stanford last weekend, so they have to be feeling pretty good about themselves.

The Heels, on the other hand, have lost their last three games, none of which were particularly close. They have two more games before they are done with the “hard” stretch of their schedule, but there really are no more easy games left for UNC. These last couple weeks have been relentless for the Heels, playing good opponent after good opponent, and, to be honest, Carolina hasn’t been good enough to keep up.

And, unfortunately, on paper, it doesn’t look like the Heels will be able to keep up with Notre Dame either. Luckily, the game isn’t played on paper. That being said, I will still compare the teams, and see how they stack up.

Offense

Oct 4, 2014; South Bend, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Everett Golson (5) carries the ball in the second quarter against the Stanford Cardinal at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports

Notre Dame’s offense is deceptively good. They have averaged close to 430 yards per game, and have scored more than 30 points per game. The Irish have a very balanced attack, and have actually run the ball more times than they have thrown it this weekend. They also have a stellar quarterback in Everett Golson, a legitimate Heisman Trophy contender. No offense to Shane Carden, but Golson is better than any of the quarterbacks that Carolina has faced this year—he has accounted for 17 touchdowns and over 1500 yards of offense already this season. This is scary, considering how easy it was for Carden and Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson to pick the Carolina defense apart.

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Carolina’s offense has also been pretty good this year. They have scored over 35 points and gained about 415 yards per game so far this year. Last week, however, the Heels had a dismal offensive showing against Virginia Tech, and weren’t able to keep the team in the game despite a solid defensive performance. The Heels have struggled with turnovers, giving the ball up two times per game. They have also struggled generating the big play so far this year, and the Heels haven’t been able to get the ball into the hands of their play-makers Quinshad Davis and Ryan Switzer. If the Heels are going to win on Saturday, that needs to change.

Edge: Notre Dame

Defense

Oct 4, 2014; Chapel Hill, NC, USA;Despite severe struggles this season, Carolina’s defense played pretty well last week against Virginia Tech. Hopefully they can build on it against Notre Dame. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports

I hate to say it, but there really is no contest in this department. Notre Dame’s offense has been among the best in the FBS this season, Carolina’s among the worst. North Carolina has allowed the 9^th most yards in the FBS, and the 4^th most points. Notre Dame on the other hand, has the third best defense in terms of points allowed, and 21^st best in terms of yards allowed. Last week, Stanford gained just 205 total yards against the Irish. When UNC played ECU, the Pirates gained 226 yards on their first five drives.

Edge: Notre Dame

Intangibles

Oct 4, 2014; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Having to play the game on the road, away from their loyal supporters, could hurt the Tar Heels. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports

For Notre Dame, this could be a trap game. They are coming off an emotional victory against Stanford, and will face #1 ranked Florida State next weekend. It would be easy for them to look past Carolina, which has played pretty poorly so far this season.

Carolina, though, will be anxious to prove themselves on national television against a top ten opponent. The last few weeks, the Heels have talked about proving that they are better than they have played thus far. This is the game to prove it.

Edge: North Carolina

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