Notre Dame closes out the home portion of its 2024 schedule with a Senior Day clash against the Virginia Cavaliers. The two schools have only met four previous times, with the Irish emerging victorious each time. The 5-4 Cavaliers are coming off an upset win over the Pitt Panthers and will be looking to deliver a much larger shocker in this matchup.
The Irish ran roughshod over the Florida State Seminoles in a 52-3 rout on Saturday night to improve to 8-1 on the year. The win took some time to develop, as do many of Notre Dame’s home games. However, both the team’s offense and defense appear to be in sync as all teams get closer to a potential postseason playoff berth.
Below are some of the key matchups to watch on Saturday:
QB Riley Leonard vs. Virginia Defense
Leonard is coming off his third 200-yard passing game in the last four contests. That number doesn’t particularly stand out but when combined with his outstanding running skills, it’s been more than effective. Leonard got the scoring going on Saturday with a dazzling 34-yard scoring run and continues to avoid making mistakes. Since the Northern Illinois loss, he’s had 163 pass attempts with just one interception.
The Cavalier defense is allowing nearly 27 points per game, a number skewed by their two games before the Pitt contest. In those games, they allowed a combined 89 points but against the Panthers, they made a late stop on a potential game-winning drive. Virginia has been vulnerable against both the pass and run against quality teams, a flaw that Leonard will seek to exploit
QB Anthony Colandrea vs. Notre Dame Defense
Colandrea has thrown for nearly 2,000 yards this season, with 12 touchdown passes and eight interceptions. Half of those picks have come in the past two games, so he needs to be careful when going to the air against a big-play unit like the Irish. He’s got the ability to move out of the backfield, with 259 yards rushing this year. and may be forced to take off. if his line has problems protecting him.
Irish defenders allowed a field goal on Florida State’s first drive and then put a tight clamp on their offense. That sort of effort has become routine in the past few games and has allowed Marcus Freeman to have more confidence in taking chances on offense. One notable absence on Saturday will be tackle Howard Cross, who’ll sit out with a sprained ankle. That hole will again test the defensive depth that’s suffered multiple key injuries.
RB Jeremiyah Love/Jadarian Price vs. MLB Kam Robinson
Love and Price offer a one-two punch that few schools can match. Both are capable of breaking off long runs, with Price’s 65-yard scoring jaunt against Florida State providing the latest evidence. That’s resulted in an average of 6.45 yards per carry each time they’re given a handoff, with Love scoring 10 of the 14 rushing touchdowns between them.
Robinson is second on the Cavaliers for tackles with 49 and knows how to navigate his way into opposing backfields. He leads Virginia with four sacks on the year, which makes the blocking skills of any of the Irish running backs key to neutralizing him. An athletic player who missed only one game after spraining his knee in the season opener.
CB Leonard Moore vs WR Malachi Fields
Moore continues to play an effective role as a freshman replacement for the injured Benjamin Morrison. He’s had a pair of seven-tackle games, forced a fumble, picked off a pass and knocked away a pair of passes for the season. He’s laying the groundwork to be the odds-on favorite to potentially replace Morrison, who could leave for the NFL after the season.
Fields is a veteran who’s been offering up a big (6-4, 220) target for the past four seasons to Cavalier quarterbacks. He offers a stiff challenge on the 50-50 balls, especially because he has outstanding hands. One drawback is that he doesn’t have a lot of speed but he leads Virginia this season with 45 receptions for 665 yards and four touchdowns.
WR Jaden Greathouse vs. FS Jonas Sanker
Greathouse is coming off arguably the best game of his Notre Dame career after catching five passes for 66 yards against Florida State. That matched his receiving output in the Northern Illinois loss and boosted his season reception total to 23 grabs. He’s only found the end zone once this season, compared to five times last year, but he and Jordan Faison offer a strong slot tandem.
Sanker serves as the focal point of the Cavalier defense, leading the team in tackles with 69 stops, including seven behind the line. He’s seemingly all over the field and has been a key factor when Virginia has forced a turnover this season, with one interception return of 45 yards and a 40-yard fumble return for a touchdown. His name should be heard frequently on Saturday.
