In its final home game of the season, No. 19 Notre Dame football (7-3) welcomes Wake Forest (4-6) to Notre Dame Stadium for the first time since 2017.
The Irish can achieve a nine-win regular season by defeating Wake Forest and Stanford next Saturday. It would be a one-game improvement from head coach Marcus Freeman's first season.
Wake Forest can't afford to lose another game or the Demon Deacons will miss bowl eligibility by failing to get six wins.
Inside ND Sports highlights two players from each team who should play an important role in how the game is decided. Kickoff is at 3:30 p.m. EST on NBC/Peacock.
Notre Dame quarterback Sam Hartman
Offensive guard Billy Schrauth received consideration but Hartman's turnovers have mounted as the season's gone on and proved costly at Clemson. In Hartman's first matchup against his former school, the Irish signal caller needs to get in rhythm early and not turn the ball over.
Hartman's main target, junior tight end Mitchell Evans, is out for the remainder of the season. In his first game without Evans since September, Hartman had his lowest completion percentage of the season, 43.3%, at Clemson. After a bye week, Wake Forest provides an opportunity for Hartman to show off improved timing and chemistry with the three freshman wide receiver contributors — Rico Flores Jr., Jaden Greathouse and Jordan Faison.
With Audric Estimé in the backfield, the Irish may develop the run, which could open up shots downfield that Freeman and offensive coordinator/tight ends coach Gerad Parker have discussed wanting to accomplish more of. This is where Hartman can hit the big plays to Chris Tyree or Tobias Merriweather that were nowhere to be found at Clemson.
Notre Dame linebacker JD Bertrand
On Senior Day, Bertrand has the perfect opportunity to man the middle of the defense and shut down any thoughts Wake Forest has of running the ball against the Irish. Bertrand leads the Irish with 63 tackles this season and even got involved in pass coverage against Clemson as he was credited with a career-best two pass breakups.
In its last outing, Notre Dame's run defense allowed Clemson running back Phil Mafah to have a career day. The Demon Deacons have lost six of their last seven games and have a committee in the backfield made up of Demond Claiborne and Justice Ellison.
Wake Forest quarterback Michael Kern is making his first career start. In addition to stuffing the run, Bertrand can be effective as a blitzer. Defensive coordinator Al Golden sent Bertrand, Marist Liufau and Jaylen Sneed on blitzes against USC that rattled quarterback Caleb Williams last month. A similar game plan can be used against the inexperienced Kern, which could lead to turnovers via interceptions or strip sacks.
Wake Forest wide receiver Wesley Grimes
After losing wide receiver A.T. Perry to the 2023 NFL Draft, Wake Forest's wide receiver room isn't nearly as productive as it was a season ago for Hartman.
Grimes, a 6-foot-2, 187-pound sophomore, is one of the Demon Deacons' biggest threats to make a play on the outside. He's fourth on Wake Forest in receiving yards with 308 but averages the most yards-per-catch of any starter at slightly over 18 yards.
Notre Dame's cornerback tandem of Benjamin Morrison and Cam Hart has posed challenges for opposing wide receivers. The pair haven't allowed many big gains and don't get called for pass interference often. After the catch, Grimes could expose the tackling of Morrison which has been up and down this season. Head coach Dave Clawson may have a few plays dialed up for Grimes underneath on drag routes that are easy for Kern to hit and more yards-after-catch oriented.
Wake Forest defensive end Jasheen Davis
Notre Dame offensive tackles Joe Alt and Blake Fisher must have a plan to slow down Davis, who has recorded one sack in three consecutive games.
Davis also has a team-high 15 tackles for loss. He's the biggest threat to break through Notre Dame's offensive line and stop Estimé or any other Irish running back behind the line.
In their seven wins, the Irish offense has averaged 180 rushing yards in those matchups. In the three games in which Notre Dame has lost — Ohio State, Louisville and Clemson — the offense dips to an 134-yard rushing average.
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