SOUTH BEND, Ind. — It’s been more than 40 years since Todd Blackledge set foot inside Notre Dame Stadium — as an opposing quarterback, no less — and even longer since contemplating whether South Bend should be home.
Irish legend Joe Montana had just completed his college eligibility at ND in the fall and was on his way out, when the North Canton (Ohio) Hoover High standout came to ND for a recruiting visit in the 1979 cycle to check out campus and head coach Dan Devine, less than two years removed from a national championship.
Blackledge ended up choosing Penn State, and had two wins against the Irish in his 31-5 record as a three-year starter for the Nittany Lions, including a 24-14 victory at Notre Dame Stadium in 1982 on the way to a national title. Blackledge was the seventh pick in the star-QB-laden first round of the NFL Draft the following spring.
“I didn’t get to meet Joe Montana on my visit, and I don't even remember who would have been my host,” Blackledge said. “Two things I do remember about my visit. No. 1, I came out here from Canton, Ohio, flew out with a guy who went to [Canton] Central Catholic, a linebacker and center named Mark Fischer. And Mark ended up coming to Notre Dame, and I think he was a captain and did really well for himself.
“And then the other thing I remember was my favorite part of the trip, I was a big basketball fan. I always loved to go to basketball games on recruiting visits. And I was there for a UCLA-Notre Dame basketball game, which was quite a treat. So, those are the two things that I remember most about my trip to Notre Dame.”
On Saturday night, he gets a chance to collect some more memories in South Bend and perhaps help create some for others, as Blackledge will be part of the NBC broadcast team for No. 9 Notre Dame’s showdown with No. 6 Ohio State (7:30 EDT;NBC/Peacock).
In his 30th season as a network college football analyst, the former Kansas City Chief and Pittsburgh Steeler will be joined by his NBC Big Ten Saturday Night partners Noah Eagle (play-by-play) and Kathryn Tappen (sideline).
Blackledge shared his thoughts on the matchup, and the key figures involved, with Inside ND Sports.
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Q: What do you look most forward to in this matchup, to finding out about these two teams?
TB: “I think both teams are off to really good starts. They each have a Power 5 win under their belt. Both were on the road. So, I think they're both still trying to figure out exactly what they have. But this will be a great measuring stick for both teams and really two programs that I think, legitimately, have their eyes on the possibility of being a College Football Playoff team. So, it's a very, very significant matchup here early in the season that will probably have ramifications for the entire season.”
Q: Last year, ND coach Marcus Freeman talked so much about wanting to be an offensive line/defensive line-driven program. And yet, in the 21-10 Irish loss at Ohio State to open the 2022 season, the Buckeyes really dominated both those lines of scrimmage. As you study the teams this year, do you feel like there's more of an even matchup there? Or are you still seeing a heavy advantage for the Buckeyes on both lines of scrimmage?
TB: “I think it's probably a little bit more of an even matchup and — make no mistake — as many star skill players as there will be on display, the game is still going to be determined by who wins the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. In a matchup like this, that's where the game is going to be won or lost. And so, you know the difference between this year and last year is the presence of Sam Hartman. And his ability, and the ability of the Notre Dame passing game, makes it a little more challenging for Ohio State and their defense to kind of respect both the run in the pass.
“And I think last year, particularly in the second half, they were able to just really concentrate on clamping down on the run game. And Notre Dame was more one-dimensional. I think they have the ability to potentially be more two-dimensional this year. And so, that will help to play at the line of scrimmage as well.”
Q: What are your impressions of Sam Hartman? Let's first talk about him as a college player. What are your impressions of him as a sixth-year college player?
TB: “Well, I like Sam. I mean, I've covered a number of his games. In fact, I can remember one of the first games — maybe the first game I ever saw him — I did the Wake Forest-Notre Dame game in Winston-Salem [in 2018], and he had to play probably before he was ready to play, but because of injuries he was playing. And I think he looked like he weighed maybe 175-180 pounds at that time. And Notre Dame kind of threw him around like a ragdoll. They knocked him all over the place. So, to see him and his growth and development — not just physically, but as a player — has been kind of fun to watch.
“And I've done a couple of games when he's really lit it up as well. And so, I think he's playing really well right now. I think more than anything for that team its not just his skill set, but his presence and his maturity. I think it's having a similar kind of impact in the huddle, in the locker room, on the sideline like a Stetson Bennett did the last two years at Georgia. An older guy, who's just got a maturity about him and a swagger and a confidence about him that really affects the rest of the team.”
Q: And then as a pro prospect, do you think he could improve his standing with what the NFL people think or is just size and some of the other things just working against him?
TB: “Maybe he doesn't have some of the measurables that they look for right off the bat. But at the end of the day, if you can play, you can play. And games like this — you play well in a game like this or in other big games down the road, that matters a lot to NFL people. How guys play in big games against quality defense, quality opponents, people will pay attention to that film. And so, he has a great opportunity in that regard for himself personally, looking down the road with this game coming up.”
Q: In the games that Notre Dame and Ohio State have played against each other — and this is the fifth straight game they both have been in the top 10 — you look at the Ohio State quarterback, and it's been like Troy Smith, J.T. Barrett. Last year, it was C.J. Stroud. What do you know about Kyle McCord and maybe how could Notre Dame's defense exploit his inexperience?
TB: “I think that's the biggest thing. I mean, he is in just his first year as a starter. He's been in the program, so he knows the system. But there's a big difference between seeing it in the classroom on the practice field, and doing it in live reps in the game. And I think he's gotten better from game 1 to game 3. I think he still has a ways to go in terms of just being consistent, particularly with his downfield accuracy — mid-range-to-downfield accuracy. Really, the last two years, that’s what has made Ohio State's passing game so prolific, the accuracy of C.J. Stroud. And I think McCord is still working towards that.
“Obviously, they've got dynamic playmakers around him that he just needs to find ways to consistently get them the football. But I think where Notre Dame can create some problems for him is with pressure. They're doing a really nice job bringing linebacker pressure and some creative pressures, and it's not full-out blitz, where they're playing zero coverage or just bringing maybe five rushers. But they’re bringing it in from different spots and they're able to affect the quarterback.
“Even though they have a small number of sacks — and I think both these teams have low numbers of sacks — but their percentage of snaps where they are pressuring the quarterback is pretty high. And that's ultimately what you want to do, is affect the quarterback. So, I think Notre Dame can affect the quarterback by bringing different pressures, by changing and disguising coverages, because again, this is a young guy who's seeing things for the first time. And he did play on the road in Bloomington [against Indiana] in week 1, but this will be a much different atmosphere that he faces on Saturday night.”
Q: I don't know how closely you would have followed Marcus Freeman's evolution as a head coach, so maybe let's just look at the snapshot of him. Going into game 5 of his second season, what are you seeing from Marcus Freeman?
TB: “What I've seen, I've just been seeing from afar. [Blackledge was scheduled to watch practice and meet with Freeman later in the day and on Friday] But what I've seen from afar is I just think he's more comfortable in his own shoes, more comfortable in this job. He's more mature. And I was talking on my podcast [Wednesday] about this, that it's still him going against his alma mater. But this year will be so different, because, No. 1, he's not going back to Columbus to do it. And, No. 2, it's not his first game or his team's first game. He's got four wins under his belt this year going into this matchup, and plus what he has from all last season. So, it's a much different situation for him, and I think he has just kind of grown into the job very well.”
Q: Is there anybody on the Notre Dame defense who really intrigues you, who you kind of can't wait to see how they match up in this game?
TB: “In watching film, a couple of guys. First of all, [Benjamin] Morrison. I’m intrigued at how Notre Dame just schematically is going to try to deal with Marvin Harrison Jr., because he's as good as I've ever seen at the college level as a receiver. So, how they decide to defend him, and how Morrison plays into that, because he's a confident guy that is a great technique corner and playing very well, at a high level. Obviously, [defensive end and OSU transfer] Javontae Jean-Baptiste, going against his old mates and going against guys he probably went against in practice when he was a Buckeye, just how he handles all of that. And, then the guy that when I watched film that jumps off the tape is No. 8 [linebacker Marist Liufau]. I mean, I just think he is a dynamic, explosive player, whether he's rushing the passer, chasing down a runner, covering a guy coming out of the backfield, he is really dynamic. And I know he's been in the program for a few years, but he's playing at a very high level here so far in the first four games.”
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