Notre Dame Must Disrupt Jameis Winston In Pocket To Pull Off Upset

Jameis Winston has had a bumpy road off the field this season, and he’s going to get his stiffest test on the field Saturday night.

Winston and No. 2 Florida State have had a relatively light schedule this season, but that will change when No. 5 Notre Dame invades Doak Campbell Stadium.

Winston doesn’t look nearly as invincible as he did last season in his Heisman Trophy season, but he still has plenty of potential. The Fighting Irish’s defensive game plan should center around trying to stop him from getting going on Saturday night.

“The Irish must make Winston uncomfortable in the pocket while making sure they don’t allow holes to open up where he can create conversion opportunities with his legs, which is what he does best,” former Notre Dame linebacker Rocky Boiman wrote on FootballByFootball.com. Winston has just 39 net yards for the season on the ground, so rushing for big gains is less the concern than Winston resetting the pocket through these escape lanes and making big down field throws.”