Matchups: Notre Dame Preps for Northern Illinois’ High-Powered Offense and Defensive Pressure

Following a nerve-wracking road win to start the 2024 season, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish return home to face the Northern Illinois Huskies. Saturday’s game pits the Irish against a foe from the MAC, a conference in which they’re undefeated against after seven previous matchups.

The Huskies are also coming off a win, though the caliber of their opponent doesn’t come remotely close to what they’ll face against Notre Dame. Northern Illinois easily handled in-state rival Western Illinois, 54-15, after a 28-0 surge in the second quarter blew open what had been a tight 6-3 clash.

Below is a look at the key matchups to watch:

QB Riley Leonard vs. Northern Illinois Defense

Leonard accomplished what Marcus Freeman and his staff were expecting when he transferred in from Duke. Against Texas A&M, Leonard completed 18 of 30 passes for 158 yards and no interceptions. In addition, he ran for 63 yards and led the Irish on a clutch 85-yard scoring drive to win it. His task this week isn’t expected to be quite as difficult.

Against Western Illinois, the Huskies’ defense hardly broke a sweat, with 80 percent of the 15 points they allowed coming after they held a 44-point lead. The garbage time aspect of the contest explains how NIU defenders allowed 298 yards, though the huge talent disparity between WIU and Notre Dame should tell a different story on Saturday.

Notre Dame Defense vs. QB Ethan Hampton

After some early glitches against Texas A&M that included some costly offside penalties, the Irish defense put forth another strong effort. They allowed only 100 yards through the air and only 3.8 yards per rushing carry. This unit only managed one sack and frequently brought pressure that paid off in other statistical areas. That included two quarterback hurries, two other stops behind the line, a pair of interceptions as well as three pass breakups.

Hampton was as close to perfect as possible, competing 18 of 20 passes for 328 yards and five scoring tosses. Of course, that came against a very weak Western Illinois squad, though 706 yards of total offense is still a noteworthy number. He’s not much of a threat to run, which means it could be a long day for him if the Irish pass rush is in sync.

MLB Jack Kiser vs. RB Antario Brown

Kiser led Notre Dame in tackles against Texas A&M, and has become something of a fixture with the Irish in his sixth year at the school. He’s been a consistent presence among the team’s linebackers. He knows how to hit and zero in on getting the tackle and his leadership is invaluable this year as Notre Dame seeks to fill the hole left by J.D. Bertrand’s departure.

Brown was one of nine ballcarriers for the Huskies in Saturday’s rout and ended up leading the team in rushing with 72 yards. That status is nothing new for Brown, who was last year’s workhorse who led the team with nearly 1,300 yards on the ground, scoring 10 times. He should be well-rested after just eight carries against Western Illinois, with former Iowa back Gavin Williams also likely to spell him during the contest.

LT Anthonie Knapp vs. RDE Roy Williams

Knapp started his first collegiate contest at A&M as a true freshman in an intense environment. That combination resulted in some inevitable struggles, including getting flagged for a false start and a holding call. Still, he was able to keep Leonard from getting sacked, and the Irish came away with a huge win.

Williams is coming off a game in which he led the Huskies in tackles with six. He’s a threat to get to the quarterback after notching one on Saturday and contributing to four sacks last season. Despite standing six-feet-six, he’s only had one pass deflection during his NIU career but is still a cause for concern coming from Leonard’s blind side.

CB Christian Gray vs. WR Trayvon Rudolph

Gray received high praise from Freeman last week for his work ethic and that approach paid off against Texas A&M. He ended the night with only two tackles, but more importantly, he also contributed two pass breakups. The latter of that pair helped clinch the win. Gray and Benjamin Morrison may also match up against other NIU receivers during the game.

Rudolph picked up where he left off last season, grabbing four passes for 104 yards and scoring on one of those catches. In his previous two seasons, he’s led the Huskies in receptions with 51 grabs each time. Given the foreboding challenge that NIU faces, they may resort to trick plays, with Richardson a threat on end around calls. Against Western Illinois, he was used twice as a runner and gained 67 yards while also reaching the end zone once.