Across the Beat: Getting to know Notre Dame

Duke started the month with a win against a national program and now tries to the end the month with one.

The No. 17 Blue Devils play host to No. 11 Notre Dame on Saturday night for another primetime showing (7:30 p.m. on ABC).

To get you prepared for Duke’s opponent on the big stage, we’re enlisting the help of Tyler James, co-publisher of Inside ND Sports on the Rivals network.

Here is our five-part Q&A:

1. I like to start these with a simple vibe check — moving past the first loss of the season, how are things for Notre Dame this week?

Answer: Buried underneath the heartbreak and embarrassment that came with the way Notre Dame lost to Ohio State at the end of the game, there's a confidence still coming from within the program. Both players and coaches have owned their mistakes and the second-guessing that's followed. But it's clear there's an understanding that Notre Dame was good enough to beat Ohio State and that shouldn't be taken for granted.

Last year, Notre Dame struggled to rebound from its loss to Ohio State last year and the disastrous loss to Marshall followed the next week. The Irish believe this year it will be different because of the confidence in what this team's capability is through five games but also an understanding of the challenge Duke presents.

2. Granted there’s no such thing as an easy loss, losing on the final play seems particularly tough to digest. What will you be looking for Saturday night as far as a rebound from the loss to Ohio State?

Answer: I'll be looking for a team that's not playing hesitantly and a coaching staff that's not making conservative play calls. If Notre Dame's going to come out of the Ohio State game with a mindset of improving, it can't go to Duke being afraid to lose.

On offense, that will look like an offense that's willing to take shots down the field but also run into a crowded box. On defense, that will look like a defense trying to make big plays and not just prevent them.

Notre Dame may have sacrificed some of that to make sure it stayed in the game with Ohio State. I don't think it would be in the best interest of the Irish to have that same mindset at Duke.

3. Notre Dame’s quarterback seems familiar, where’d he come from? In all seriousness and from afar, Sam Hartman seems to have exceeded even the highest of expectations. What has been the most impressive aspect of his season so far?

Answer: Hartman's arrival in South Bend came with two worthy questions. Can he protect the football better in a different offensive scheme that doesn't require him to throw 40-plus times per game? Can he be productive for an Irish offense that's lacking wide receiver talent/experience? The answers to both have been yes.

Hartman has yet to throw an interception this season. No quarterback in program history started a season with more touchdown passes than nine without throwing an interception. Hartman has 14. His two turnovers so far came on fumbles at N.C. State.

Hartman has shown an ability to spread the ball around in Notre Dame's offense without a true go-to receiver. The Irish might not have a singular player that Hartman can have total trust in making a play down the field for him, but he certainly hasn't shown that in his play. Seven offensive players have accumulated 100-plus receiving yards through five games. Eight have caught touchdown passes from Hartman.

4. Both of these teams’ defenses rank in the top 10 in fewest passing yards allowed per game. For all of the QB talk, does this feel like another grind-it-out, 17-14-type of game like the one Notre Dame just played?

Answer: If that's the case, Notre Dame's running game will have to really struggle against a somewhat susceptible Duke rush defense. Or Notre Dame will have multiple drives stall out with failed field goals and fourth-down conversions like it had against Ohio State.

Maybe Duke sells out to stop the run and is still able to be successful as defending Hartman and the passing game. But offensive coordinator Gerad Parker has shown good counter-punches against N.C. State and Ohio State for the offense to find more success after slower starts.

Another low-scoring game may be tempting fate for the Irish on the road.

5. What does a successful second half of the season look like for Notre Dame and is that completely reliant on beating Duke?

Answer: Absolutely. If Notre Dame loses to Duke, it's completely out of the College Football Playoff picture before October, a four-loss regular season for the second straight year becomes more likely and the conversations about the program start to drift toward next season.

The Irish have to get to their home game with USC on Oct. 14 with a shot at the playoff still within reach. But if Notre Dame loses to Duke, the opportunities for special moments against USC and Clemson will start to feel a bit empty, especially with a one-year rental playing quarterback.