Brennan Armstrong breaks down what he expects from Notre Dame defense
Notre Dame is headed on the road to face off against NC State on Saturday, and Wolfpack quarterback Brennan Armstrong isn’t taking the Fighting Irish lightly.
While Notre Dame’s offense, led by Sam Hartman, has been phenomenal, Armstrong had some praise for their defense ahead of the showdown. Speaking with the media, the freshly-minted Wolfpack signal caller explained what he’s expecting from the Fighting Irish.
“Their front seven is really tough,” started the NC State quarterback. “So we’ve just got to control the trenches. We’ve got to make sure we establish ourselves. A lot of man coverage. Cover-one stuff. Guys are going to have to win on the outside. We’re going to have to make plays.
“I think they kind of saw what I can do with my feet. They’ll probably get a guy spying on me. Not trying to let me get out of the pocket too much. But yeah, they’re all around a good defense. A solid defense.”
In his first game with the Wolfpack, Armstrong led NC State to a 24-14 victory over Connecticut, passing for 155 yards, but making a real impact with his legs, carrying the football 19 times for 96 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
Some believe Brennan Armstrong and NC State have a chance at pulling an upset on Saturday, but it won’t come easy. The quarterback will need to have a signature game, and we’re not going to put the possibility past him.
Joel Klatt makes prediction for Notre Dame vs. NC State
Meanwhile, Joel Klatt of FOX Sports examined who could emerge victorious this afternoon. To start, he pointed out the high-quality play of QB Sam Hartman through Notre Dame’s 2-0 start, albeit against lower-level competition, and how his fit has seemed seamless in South Bend after transferring in.
“These stats and what I’m about to say? Grain of salt here. But Hartman has been lights out for the Irish,” said Klatt. “He has completed over 80% of his passes for 11 yards per attempt, six touchdowns, and no interceptions through two games.”
As far as a prediction, Klatt did lean in the direction of the tenth-ranked Fighting Irish in this consistent. To him, the Hartman effect on Notre Dame’s offense will be too much for NC State to overcome as he has Marcus Freeman’s squad picking up their third win, as a cover as well, in their first true road game of their campaign.
“I actually think that is more real than it is hype (with Notre Dame), even though their level of competition has been not great to say the least. I think they go in there and cover this -7.5,” Klatt said. “Love their offensive line, like their ability to run. And what Hartman gives them is the ability to feature what has largely been an overlooked skill position group.
“They’ve got size and speed on the outside and now they can go out there and accentuate that.”
On3’s Sam Gillenwater contributed to this article.