The first-ever 12-team playoff game features a clash between Notre Dame's powerful running game and Indiana's stingy rush defense.
This Friday night, Notre Dame will face Indiana inside Notre Dame Stadium in a showdown for the state of Indiana . But this game is about more than just bragging rights. It’s a crucial battle to determine which team will advance in the first-ever 12-team playoff game, with the added significance of being the first-ever playoff game played on a team’s home field.
While the overarching storyline focuses on the playoff implications, an underlying narrative that will shape the game is the clash between Notre Dame’s powerful running game and Indiana’s stifling rush defense. Indiana has yet to allow a team to rush for more than 140 yards in a game this season. The most coming in a blowout win vs. Charlotte (137 yards on 4.2 yards per carry). The only other times they've allowed over 100 yards on the ground were against Maryland, Washington, and Ohio State. Overall, Indiana finished as the No. 1 rush defense in the country, allowing 76.2 yards per game. Notre Dame on the other hand has surpassed 100 yards rushing in every game this season, averages 225 yards rushing per game, and has now gone for 200-plus in five straight games (eight total). This is where the game will be won or lost. Can Indiana keep the dynamic Notre Dame running game at bay? Or can the Irish offense move the ball consistently on the ground against one of the best rush defenses in the country
Notre Dame Indiana College Football Playoff Running Game Rush Defense
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