Two of the most storied programs in the history of college football will be meeting in South Bend, Ind., as the Notre Dame Fighting Irish host the Oklahoma Sooners.
Last year the two met in Norman, Okla., and the Irish put down the hammer late in the game to win 30-13. Don't let the score fool you, the game was far from a rout considering it was tied at 13 with nine minutes remaining in the game. A long Irish drive followed by an amazingly acrobatic pick by star linebacker Manti Te'o quickly turned the tide as Notre Dame remained undefeated.
No. 14 Oklahoma has yet to leave Norman this season, what better way to kick off the road schedule than to go into Notre Dame Stadium and avenge last season's heartbreaker?
If Oklahoma is going to get the revenge they are looking for it will be because of their stifling defense. Through three games the Sooners have held opponents to a meager 9 points per game; they'll have their toughest test to date trying to keep Tommy Rees and the Notre Dame offense in check.
After losing his job last year Rees has looked far more confident behind center this season throwing for 8 TDs with only 2 picks, although he had a tough game last week against the Michigan State Spartans. Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly has indicated that he wants to get more out of the running game going forward this season, according to ESPN.
"I think in the run game, we need to continue to evolve," Kelly said. "We're getting so many different looks where at times we have to be able to identify different backers, who to work to."
Oklahoma believes that if Rees is forced to throw the ball all day long that his defense will eventually be able to create a turnover.
"They're going to put it up in every game a good number of times," Stoops told ESPN. "[Rees] throws an excellent ball, and they have confidence in their receivers going up and getting it. That's definitely something we're aware of and something we need to be able to defend."
The action starts at 3:30 p.m. ET and a live stream of the game can be seen at this link.
