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Vanderbilt Football: Notre Dame Fighting Irish Preview

By Stetson Marlin

NASHVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 08: Teammates Khari Blasingame #23, Charles Wright #11, Jared Pinkney #80, and Jamauri Wakefield #32 congratulate teammate Josh Crawford #6 after scoring his first career touchdown as a Commodore against the Nevada Wolf Packd uring the second half at Vanderbilt Stadium on September 8, 2018 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Frederick Breedon/Getty Images)
NASHVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 08: Teammates Khari Blasingame #23, Charles Wright #11, Jared Pinkney #80, and Jamauri Wakefield #32 congratulate teammate Josh Crawford #6 after scoring his first career touchdown as a Commodore against the Nevada Wolf Packd uring the second half at Vanderbilt Stadium on September 8, 2018 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Frederick Breedon/Getty Images) /
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The Vanderbilt Commodores will have one of their toughest tests of the season this season on Saturday, as they head to South Bend to take on Notre Dame.

The Vanderbilt Commodores have a tough challenge on Saturday when they face off against the No. 8 ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

Both teams head into this game with a 2-0 record. The Commodores have handled both of their opponents, winning 35-7 against MTSU and 41-10 against Nevada, while Notre Dame has won close games against Michigan, 24-17, and Ball State, 24-16.

Offense

The Fighting Irish have an offense that has averaged 357 total yards a game, including 233 from the air.

Brandon Wimbush, the Fighting Irish quarterback, had a good game against Michigan in Week One but struggled last Saturday. He went 17-31 for 297 yards but had zero

SOUTH BEND, IN – SEPTEMBER 08: Brandon Wimbush #7 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irishpasses against the Ball State Cardinals at Notre Dame Stadium on September 8, 2018 in South Bend, Indiana. Notre Dame defeated Ball State 24-16. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
SOUTH BEND, IN – SEPTEMBER 08: Brandon Wimbush #7 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irishpasses against the Ball State Cardinals at Notre Dame Stadium on September 8, 2018 in South Bend, Indiana. Notre Dame defeated Ball State 24-16. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /

touchdowns and three picks on the day. The Commodores also have to account for Wimbush on the ground, as he has rushed the ball 30 times already this season for 53 yards.

The Fighting Irish running backs have shared snaps so far this season. Tony Jones Jr. leads the team with 106 rushing yards on 22 carries and two touchdowns. Jafar Armstrong is the other back for Notre Dame. He has rushed the ball 28 times for 101 yards and three touchdowns.

Miles Boykin has been Wimbush’s favorite target so far. Boykin has seven receptions for 147 yards through just two games. Chris Finke has the lone receiving touchdown for the Fighting Irish, as he has five receptions for 95 yards.

Defense

The Notre Dame defense has looked decent so far this season. They held a good Michigan offense to just 17 points, stopping Ole Miss transfer Shea Patterson.

Te’von Coney leads the defense for the Fighting Irish. He has 24 total tackles on the year so far, including 3.5 TFL’s, one sack and one fumble recovery. Alohi Gilman and Drue Tranquill have 16 total tackles so far for the Notre Dame defense.

Jalen Elliot has also shown out defensively, as he is fourth on the team in total tackles with 12. He also has two interceptions through just two games.

Where to Catch the Game

The Notre Dame – Vanderbilt matchup will be broadcasted on NBC this Saturday. Kickoff is set to begin at 1:30 PM CT/2:30 EST. You can also listen to the game on the radio at AM 1510.

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