The Anti-Preview: Notre Dame Fighting Irish VS Wake Forest Demon Deacons

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are all set to play their first road game of the season as they travel deep into ACC country to take on the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. This game represents the most #goacc opponent on Notre Dame’s schedule this year (the second most, of course, was Vanderbilt).

So what’s that mean? Well, it obviously means a much more sophisticated and cultured afternoon whereas the game is secondary to the candlelit picnics with colleagues, brilliant exchanges of data, and the ability to still have time to give a guest lecture on “lessons from the industrial revolution that the internet age has failed to use, and caused an unreliable future.”

I mean... these aren’t the North Carolina Tar Heels that the Irish are playing.

It’s a NOON game y’all, and that means we will find out quickly if the Irish were able to survive the Dexter Williams suspension with a 4-0 record. It has become more and more apparent that there is a lack of offensive explosion — and that ain’t Brandon Wimbush’s fault.

ON TO THE ANTI-PREVIEW...

WHAT SHOULD YOU BE DRINKING

Last week we got our vegetables with the Bloody Molly (btw — I used Elijah Craig and skipped the sherry — it was wonderful). This week there’s an earlier start time, and it’s time to put some class in that ass.

Mimosas

Look, you’re in academia, so poppin’ a bottle of Ace would be too ostentatious. Instead, grab some Veuve Clicquot Champagne. It’s about ¹⁄₄ of the price — and still fantastic. Mix with your favorite OJ and enjoy!

WHAT SHOULD YOU BE EATING?

The biscuits and gravy hit the spot last week, but this week requires a little more sophisticated sophistication for #goacc action...

Shrimp And Grits

WHAT SHOULD YOU BE WEARING?

You got woke to some bubbly grapes, and ate like Uncle Pooh would want you to, but now you gotta look good — you gotta look the part.

You need a straw hat today son.

KEY(S) TO THE GAME

It’s no secret that the Irish have let their opponent hang around so much that you start to hear Teddy KGB talking about alligator blood in your sleep. With that in mind:

• #RTDB. More so than at any point this season, Notre Dame will have to control the line of scrimmage and run the ball, run some clock, and keep their defense off the field as much as possible. Looking at you Tony Jones Jr. and Jafar Armstrong.
• Let Brandon be Brandon. Forget the whole Ian Book vs Brandon Wimbush thing — or even this bizarre “blue zone” thing. Wimbush is the starter and will play the whole game. Chip Long has to let him do his thing.
• Notre Dame’s defense isn’t exactly “bend but don’t break” but it has those tendencies. With an uptempo team like Wake Forest, they will really have to make sure they keep everything in front of them and have top-notch communication as offensive players move through zones.

AT THE END OF THE DAY...

Road trips can be a great thing for teams that are struggling. It gives them a chance to block everything out and minimize distractions to focus at the task at hand. The Irish may be 3-0, but we all know that it has been a struggle — and one they have made themselves. I think the Irish find a groove in Winston-Salem, and much like the Boston College game last year, they start turning things around offensively to be the team they need to be for the season.

Notre Dame 38 - Wake Forest 17