Tim Prister

At 6.30 yards per rushing attack, Notre Dame believes it can run the football against anybody. Indiana isn't just anybody. The Hoosiers have limited their 12 opponents to 2.46 yards per rushing attempt. That's a four-yard disparity between Notre Dame's offense and Indiana's defense.

The veteran quarterback figures to challenge the Notre Dame defense in ways that Louisville's Tyler Shough and USC's Jayden Maiava did. They combined for six of the nine touchdown passes allowed by the Irish. They also were intercepted three times, including two pick sixes in Los Angeles.

First-year Notre Dame Director of Athletics Pete Bevacqua impressed the Notre Dame masses earlier this week with his proclamation of a “maniacal obsession” with winning a national championship in football. Those words are music to Notre Dame football followers’ ears.

It will be a whole bunch of strength vs. strength matchups when the Irish and Hoosiers meet for the first time in 33 seasons in Notre Dame Stadium Friday night. Notre Dame will lean heavily on its powerful rushing attack while Indiana will count on one of the nation’s more well-distributed offenses.

The Irish have scored at least 30 points in their last eight games. That's the most since Charlie Weis' first Notre Dame squad in 2005 tallied at least 30 points in nine straight. The Irish will be shooting for their fifth victory in as many tries versus ranked opponents in 2024.

Indiana's stout defensive line was a handful. Outside of Jeremiyah Love's 98-yard touchdown run, it was tough sledding. But the Irish still managed to convert 7-of-13 on third down and stifled the Indiana rushing attack while keeping accurate QB-Kurtis Rourke in check.

Notre Dame once again leaned heavily on the brilliance of Jeremiyah Love and a defense that held Indiana to just eight first downs through the first three quarters before some late-game window dressing made the game much closer than it really was.

The Irish held Indiana to 26 points and 160 yards under the Hoosiers' regular-season averages. Kurtis Rourke's accuracy numbers were well under his mark through the first 12 games. Notre Dame dominated the first 55 minutes before some window-dressing scores made it a 10-point game.

Fields is not a burner per se. But he was listed as an athlete coming out of Charlottesville, Va. With the Cavaliers, he consistently averaged 14-plus yards per catch. He can stretch the field and high-point deep balls. He's particularly adept with his sharp cuts on the comeback route.

Pauling is at his best moving the chains for his offense. He's effective finding holes in zone defenses. He can be a high-volume pass-catcher averaging 9-to-11 yards per reception. He doesn't break a lot of tackles or offer an abundance of yards after the catch, but he makes himself available in the passing game.