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| Brandon Wimbush gives Notre Dame a dual threat at quarterback |
The last (and only) time Notre Dame and Georgia faced off in a football game, Ronald Reagan was president, Charles and Diana has just gotten married and Raiders of the Lost Ark was riding high at the box office.
The Bulldogs were coming off of the 1980 national championship (beating the Irish in the Sugar Bowl), and Notre Dame was beginning one of its darkest eras, a five year stretch with Gerry Faust as head coach. He would go 30-26-1, and amass the lowest winning percentage of any ND coach who spent at least five years in charge. Both programs were relevant back then, though their fan bases will tell you that both are still relevant today -- which is debatable.
What isn't debatable is that this is an intriguing contest between two ranked teams, currently a bit under the radar but with talent and expectations to make an ascent in the rankings.
Georgia coach Kirby Smart likes the attention the game brings, though he admitted to not seeing very much of the Irish in the last couple of seasons.
"I think these kinds of games in college football are really cool because you get to go play somebody that you don't normally play," Smart said. "It's just weird for me because you're familiar with your conference players."
Both squads have new quarterbacks, the Irish by plan and the Bulldogs by injury.
Notre Dame's Brandon Wimbush was a standout in the Irish victory over Temple, throwing for 184 and two touchdowns and rushing for 106 yards and another score. While Irish coach Brian Kelly doesn't necessarily look for dual threat quarterbacks, he said he does like the idea of having a player who can put pressure on a defense a variety of ways.
Smart noticed Wimbush's performances and knows that his defense will have to be on point to slow him down.
"Brandon Wimbush is an explosive athlete," Smart said. "He looks as fast as any player on their team. They do a very good job of the RPO system. They run downhill at you, and they are as good looking an offensive line as you will ever play."
Wimbush wasn't the only player causing headaches against Temple, though.
Running back Josh Adams exploded for 161 yards and two scores, and 6-5 wideout Equanimeous St. Brown had four grabs for 80 yards and a touchdown. He is a freakish athlete, one who gives the 24th-ranked Irish a deep threat and gives opposing defenses headaches.
Notre Dame notched 11 tackles for loss against the Owls, and got some push from its defensive line, which is a change from years past. Mike Elko has changed the attitude and technique of the front, and they are now more aggressive at firing off the ball instead of merely occupying blockers and allowing the linebackers to clean things up.
Kelly knows the Irish play a grueling schedule every season, but having not faced Georgia before personally, and the school only playing them once, makes for an exciting evening.
"This the great part about being an independent football team in that you get these kinds of games, getting a chance to play against a team that's regarded as one of the very best in the SEC," Kelly said. "So our guys are excited about the challenge and looking forward to Saturday night."
Kelly would love for his team to control the line of scrimmage the way it did against Temple, but knows that could be a tougher task as No. 15 Georgia's athletes are a notch or two above what the Owls have. But it isn't just the talent that Kelly notices.
"They like to play the four I defense, which causes some problems with your schemes and combinations," Kelly said. "Two gap noses. They like to move the fronts around, which causes some problems up front. So it frees up linebackers to run and hit. So what it is about his defense is that when you have four linebackers, you've got guys running off the edges. They can get to you off the edge as well as moving the front around. When you're in three down you can easily play three down and four down from week to week. There is that ability to morph into what you want to be. That in itself allows him a lot of creativity."
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| Georgia freshman Jake Fromm will be under the microscope against Notre Dame |
While he possesses a big arm, Fromm may not be asked to do too much.
And why would he, when he has possibly the best 1-2 backfield punch in America?
"Sony Michel and Nick Chubb, they are elite backs," Kelly said. "I mean, you're going to see two guys that will be NFL players and have great careers. So two elite backs."
Chubb had 96 and two touchdowns and Michel added 87 yards and a score of his own.
Georgia is talented but young, and that would normally be a concern for Smart, especially in an environment such as Notre Dame Stadium. But kids today are cut from a different cloth, and aren't usually flustered by big moments.
"Kids nowadays are different," Smart said. "If it was my freshman year and we were going there I think it would have been more intimidating. To be honest with you, these kids know Notre Dame's players. A long time ago you didn't know Notre Dame's players unless you saw them on TV because you didn't get recruited with them. These kids have gone to all-star games with those guys. They know those players.
"Certainly, when you go on the road the environment changes. You have to try to simulate that environment, make sure they are calm and that they play well."
The Irish are looking for their third 2-0 start in the last five seasons, and have won 40 games at home in Kelly's tenure, including 12 the last three seasons.
Georgia has been a good road team in recent seasons, compiling an 18-7 record away from home since 2011. The Bulldogs have been money in non-conference games, going 13-2 the last three seasons, with wins over North Carolina and Clemson.
Fans may not be ready to embrace either team as legitimate yet, simply because it's early in the season and there have been too many disappointments to truly get hopes up. Kelly plays off the must-win talk, preferring to focus on his team improving and showing that last year's 4-8 mark was an aberration.
Smart realizes what's at stake for his team, that people might actually buy in if the Bulldogs come away with a victory. And though his memories of Notre Dame aren't many, he knows that a win over the Irish will be a feather for the program.
"My memories of Notre Dame are more Rocket Ismail, Tim Brown (who was, interestingly enough, recruited by Faust), around that time," Smart said. "I was really too young to remember the national championship game, and I was not actually in the state of Georgia yet. It's a special place, I know that. It's just a resume that speaks for itself."
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