Even though Notre Dame’s offense has faced some tough defenses lately, it still has looked decent. The success it had during its first four games still is being reflected by the high national rankings it still possesses in several key statistical categories. If the past couple of games are any indication, those ranking will continue to drop. All that matters though is whether the Irish are ahead on the scoreboard at the end.
While Louisville doesn’t boast the defensive numbers Ohio State and Duke had before they faced the Irish, you don’t win your first five games of the season without a decent unit. The Cardinals are better at stopping the run than the pass, which could free up [autotag]Sam Hartman[/autotag] more in case [autotag]Audric Estime[/autotag] gets stymied.
The way Estime scored the winning touchdown for the Irish in their last game, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Cardinals base much of their defensive game plan around him. In some respects, he might be more valuable than Hartman. At the very least, he has to be more dangerous right now.
Here’s a look at how the Irish’s offense matches up with the Cardinals’ defense: