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Notre Dame Football should dominate the Miami (OH) offense, and there are no excuses otherwise

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Ryan Roberts | Last updated Sep 17, 2024 12:40 PM ET

Notre Dame football is hoping to continue their momentum, following a 66-7 victory over the Purdue Boilermakers this past weekend. They will now welcome Miami (OH) to Notre Dame Stadium this Saturday, including head coach Chuck Martin returning to South Bend. The RedHawks are coming off of a MAC Championship last season.

On paper, the Irish defense has a huge advantage against the Miami (OH) offense. There are some key players to know, and Notre Dame will need to if they plan on dominating. This is a battle that the Irish must win, and convincingly.

QB Brett Gabbert

This RedHawks offense is off to an extremely slow start this season, averaging just 11 points per game so far in 2024. A big reason for the inconsistencies is the passing attack. Gabbert, who is the younger brother of former first round selection Blaine Gabbert, has played a lot of football for Miami (OH) over the years. During his career, he has thrown for 8,459 yards and 61 touchdowns.

So far this season, Gabbert has not been very good. He has thrown more interceptions (3) than touchdowns (2) so far. Listed at just 6-0 and 205 pounds, Gabbert isn’t going to overly impress anyone physically. The offense functions best when you get the football out of his hands quickly.

RB Keyon Mozee

The biggest hindrance to the RedHawk offense so far is their inability to run the football with any level of consistency. Mozee is the team’s top runner, although his production doesn’t back it up right now. He’s averaging less than two yards per carry this season so far, and he’s been frustrating to watch. The former Kansas State transfer is small at 5-7 and 179 pounds, but extremely quick. If Notre Dame doesn’t remain gap sound, he has enough burst to find the edge at times.

WR Cade McDonald

Littered amongst a very average wide receiver room, McDonald is the best of the ground. Miami (OH) does their best to get the senior the football in multiple ways, including in the screen game. Through two games, McDonald has hauled in 16 receptions for 240 yards and a touchdown. The Irish will need to know where No. 15 is on the field at all times. There isn’t anything overly flashy about McDonald but he’s dependable, smooth, and has a propensity to make plays.

Offensive tackle duo

The interior of the RedHawk offensive line is well below average. By far the two best players up front are left tackle Will Jados and right tackle Reid Holskey. The latter is probably one of the better overall players on the team in general. Each of them look the part, standing at 6-8 and 307 pounds, and 6-6 and 306 pounds respectively. Neither is flashy but both tend to get the job done.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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