This Friday night, they face the Indiana Hoosiers, who have the No. 2 scoring offense in the country averaging 43.3 points per game. They have the No. 29 ranked offense in the country in passing yards per game, No. 3 in yards per attempt, and No. 1 in quarterback rating. Kurtis Rourke has been a game changer for this offense, and the sixth year Ohio University transfer has changed this Indiana offense for the better. This will be one of the tougher matchups for the Notre Dame secondary, and it’s going to be on the biggest stage they’ve played on in 2024.

Notre Dame Season Review

Defensive backs coach Mike Mickens has led this crew to another outstanding season. After the departure of Cam Hart, who is now starting for the Los Angeles Chargers, there were some questions around the performance of the secondary, and those were heightened after the loss of Morrison. Sophomore Christian Gray and true freshman Leonard Moore stepped up in a big way, and picked up where Morrison and Hart left off. The two have combined for 16 passes defended, four interceptions, and Gray returned one for a touchdown.

Their performance is backed by the excellent safety play from sophomore Adon Shuler and All-American Xavier Watts who have combined for 89 tackles, 11 passes defended, eight interceptions, and two defensive touchdowns. This unit has been nothing short of spectacular for Coach Mickens and defensive coordinator Al Golden.

Indiana Hoosiers Season Review

Indiana’s receiving core has been a major reason for their offensive success, on top of the quarterback play from Rourke. The Hoosiers have four receivers who have eclipsed the 400 yard mark, and they all average over 11.5 yards per catch. The group is led by James Madison transfer Elijah Sarratt who has 49 receptions, 890 yards, and eight receiving touchdowns this season.

One of their most dynamic weapons isn’t even in the starting line up. Omar Cooper Jr. has reeled in 27 receptions, 571 yards, and six receiving touchdowns. He averages the most yards per catch (21.1) of receivers with over 20 receptions. Myles Price, Ke’Shawn Williams, and Miles Cross are shorter speed guys, similar to Jordan Faison for the Irish. The trio has combined for 93 receptions, 1,136 yards, and 11 touchdowns.

Christian Gray vs Elijah Sarratt

Gray is coming off of a rough performance against USC in the final week of the regular season. The highs were high including his 99 yard pick six for a touchdown to seal Notre Dame’s playoff bid, however, the areas where he struggled were apparent. Gray allowed eight receptions on 12 targets, 130 receiving yards, and two touchdowns against the Trojans.

Outside of that performance, he has been really good for the Irish. Outside of that performance he allowed 18 receptions on 35 targets in the 10 other games he started. 130 of the 296 yards he allowed also came against the Trojans. This Friday, his task doesn’t get any easier, as he faces off against the Third Team All-Big Ten selection in Sarratt.

What Sarratt lacks in top end speed, he makes up for in great ball skills and his ability to make contested catches. The 6-2 209 pound junior is hot right now, and has five receiving touchdowns in his last four games including a 165 yard and two touchdown performance against rival Purdue in the final week of the regular season. Sarratt is far and away the go-to target within the Indiana offense, and his matchup against Gray will be one to watch. So far this season, the USC game has been an outlier for the Notre Dame sophomore, can he turn his performance around against one of the best receivers in the Big Ten?

Leonard Moore vs Omar Cooper Jr

Moore has been one the better stories to follow this season for the Irish. The true freshman earned his first start against Louisville when Gray was ruled out a few hours before game time with an injury. He assumed the full time starting role against Georgia Tech and hasn’t looked back. The 6-2 187 pound corner leads the corner back room in tackles with 35, has eight passes defended, two interceptions, and a forced fumble.

His performance has allowed the secondary to not skip a beat with the loss to Morrison, and, opposite of Gray, is coming off of what might be his best performance of the season. Against the Trojans, he was targeted 10 times, allowed two receptions, and had two pass break ups. He will be tested against the Hoosiers most explosive target on offense this Friday night.

Cooper has had a quite yet very productive season for the Hoosiers. The 6-0 sophomore is one of the few players on offense from the 2023 Indiana team, and has made the most of his opportunities. He averages 21.1 yards per catch and has hauled in three touchdowns in his last four outings. Cooper’s best game of the season came against Western Illinois where he hauled in four catches for 131 yards and a score.

While Gray is battling Sarratt on one end of the field, Moore will have his hands full with the big play ability of Cooper. The true freshman has held his own throughout the season, and in his first start, had to battle against Louisville’s Ja’Corey Brooks, arguably the best wide receiver they have faced all season. Despite his young age, Moore is battled tested and ready to performance on the biggest stage of his young career.