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What the Louisville football team can expect from Notre Dame

The Louisville football team has perhaps the biggest challenge of their season coming up this weekend. Here's what they can expect from Notre Dame.

By Ryan Stano

Sep 21, 2024; Louisville, Kentucky, USA; Louisville Cardinals quarterback Tyler Shough (9) looks to pass against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets during the second half at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium. Louisville defeated Georgia Tech 31-19. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images
Sep 21, 2024; Louisville, Kentucky, USA; Louisville Cardinals quarterback Tyler Shough (9) looks to pass against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets during the second half at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium. Louisville defeated Georgia Tech 31-19. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images / Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images
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The Louisville football team played in the ACC Championship game last year. This season shouldn't be a surprise based on that fact. Yet, it is. With all of the talent they had to replace on the offensive side of the ball, they weren't even expected to finish in the top four of the conference.

That seems laughable now. The Cardinals are clearly one of the two best teams in the ACC. Florida State is an abject disaster. Clemson looked bad against Georgia and a bad NC State team. Only Miami looks like a clear contender for the College Football Playoff from the ACC other than Louisville.

This week, the Louisville Cardinals take on Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish's season is on life support. They lost to Northern Illinois at home and struggled to put away Miami of Ohio. They did beat Texas A&M in the season opener, but that win looks a lot less impressive now.

What the Louisville football team can expect from the Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Notre Dame goes as far as Riley Leonard is able to take them. He ran for 143 yards and two touchdowns against Miami OH. He threw it for 154 yards and a score. The Cardinals have to keep him in the pocket and prevent his legs from being a weapon. They need to force him to be a passer.

Leonard's passing numbers are just plain bad. He only has 587 yards passing this year. He has two interceptions and just threw his first touchdown this past week. If the Cardinals force him to beat them with his arm instead of his legs, they have a real shot to win this game.

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Notre Dame's defense is the best Louisville has faced so far. The most points they've given up is 16 to Northern Illinois. If the Louisville Cardinals can use their newfound offensive diversity, they can walk out of South Bend with a win.

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