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Over the last six games, the Notre Dame defense has played at an elite level. In their last outing against the then-ranked No. 22 Pitt Panthers, the starting defense kept Pitt out of the end zone and held them to under 200 total yards of offense. The Panthers didn't find the end zone offensively until their final play of the game. Defensive coordinator Chris Ash and his staff have this unit playing at an exceptionally high level. 

They now rank No. 17 in the country in points allowed, No. 13 in the country in rush yards allowed, No. 3 in the country in interceptions and No. 15 in the country in sacks per game. They'll be going against a Syracuse offense that ranks No. 106 in points per game, No. 104 in yards per play, No. 113 in rush yards per game and No. 111 in red zone offense. With that being said, the Orange still have some talent on the offensive side of the ball and it starts with one of their running backs out of the backfield. 

Running Back #24 Will Nixon 

Over the last couple of games, Will Nixon has had more touches than fellow running back Yasin Willis. Nixon also started in their last outing against Miami. The Syracuse rushing offense is nothing to write home about. They rank No. 122 in yards per carry, No. 109 in total touchdowns and only have eight runs of 20 yards or more on the entire season; that ranks 100th in the nation. Nixon, however, is also a threat out of the backfield as a receiver. He's No. 5 on the team in yards and No. 4 on the team in receptions. He's yet to score a touchdown as a pass catcher, but he's a player that can move the sticks on 3rd down when given the ball in space.  

Matchup To Watch: Notre Dame's defense has struggled this season allowing too many running backs out of the backfield to pick up chunks of yards in the pass game. In their last game against Pitt, running back Desmond Reid ended as the Panther's leading receiver. Now, Nixon is no Reid from a playmaking standpoint, but this defense can't allow Syracuse to get into favorable down and distance situations because they allowed Nixon to pick up seven to nine yards on second or third and long. 

Wide Receiver #2 Johntay Cook 

Former five-star recruit Johntay Cook has become the go-to receiver in this offense. Cook leads the team in receptions and yards and does most of his work out of the slot. His 41 receptions and 518 yards both lead the team and he's a chain mover in key situations for this offense. The Texas native had a quiet performance against Miami, but had five games in a row of over 45 yards or more. Cook also averaged 22.5 yards per catch against Georgia Tech and 18.8 yards per catch against Clemson. He's a shift runner with the ball in his hands and can make people miss at the point of attack. 

Matchup To Watch: Alabama transfer DeVonta Smith has been a game-changer for the Irish at nickel, when he's healthy. The last three games have been the healthiest stretch for the Ohio native and it's been reflective on the field. Last week, the secondary as a whole had their most complete game as a unit, Smith playing a big role in that. This week, he'll be matched up routinely with Syracuse's No. 1 receiver. He'll have to be at the top of his game this Saturday on Senior Day. 

Wide Receiver #15 Darrell Gill Jr.

Darrell Gill Jr. had the most returning production in this receiving corps from last season especially after Trebor Pena transferred to Penn State. Gill is the team's third leading receiver in receptions, second leading receiver in yards and leads the team in touchdown receptions and yards per catch of any receiver who has over five catches. He's had back to back quiet performances against Miami and North Carolina but had five catches for 79 yards and a touchdown against Georgia Tech a few weeks back. The 6-3, 190-pound pass catcher can hurt you down field and in the red zone. 

Matchup To Watch: Both Leonard Moore and Christian Gray will have their opportunities against Gill. Gray is coming off of his best performance of the season against Pitt now that he's healthy and Moore, outside of a few plays against Miami, has been the best cover corner in the country. They'll both have their opportunities against one of Syracuse's biggest receivers in the rotation. Neither corner has been tested that much down in the red zone; if the Orange make it inside the 20-yard lines, Gill will have to be identified on every snap. 

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