The fifth-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish head into Hard Rock Stadium to play the sixth-ranked undefeated Miami Hurricanes this weekend. The non-conference match-up between these two old adversaries will begin on Saturday, November 11th at 8 p.m. EST. The intriguing match-up with College Football Playoff implications can be seen on ABC. The contest’s total currently is sitting at 57.5 points. As of this article, the Fighting Irish are a -3 field goal favorite on the road.
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish ended up winning an eventual shootout against Wake Forest. Even so, the Demon Deacons didn’t really have a chance to win the game. They were down 24 points by the start of the second half and the lion share of their points came in the fourth-quarter. As a result, Notre Dame moved to 8-1 on the season and kept their playoff hopes alive.
The Miami Hurricanes put a lot of peoples opinions to rest about whether they could compete with one of the country’s top teams. Last week, Miami stunned the Virginia Tech Hokies with a superb defensive performance and won the game 28-10. Once again, they will set out to prove they belong as they are field goal underdogs at home for this match-up.
These two storied programs met up in South Bend last year. In that game, the Fighting Irish jumped out to a sizeable first-half lead then held on to capture a 30-27 victory. Since 1985, Notre Dame has won seven of the 10 games they have played against each other.
(5) Notre Dame Fighting Irish (8-1)
Quarterback Brandon Wimbush has been a pleasant surprise for the fans of the Fighting Irish. The dual-threat signal-caller has been doing it with his arms as well as his legs. Wimbush has completed 103 of his 200 passes for 1,286 yards with 11 touchdowns and two picks. He also keeps opposing defenses honest by running the ball for another 639 yards and 13 more touchdowns.
Quietly, running back Josh Adams has become one of the nation’s best out of the backfield. The talented tailback has toted the rock 137 times for 1,191 yards. He also is averaging nine yards a touch and has reached the end zone eight times. Combined with Brandon Wimbush, the two have the Irish ranked 5th in the nation with 324 rushing yards a game.
The weak spot on this club is at the wide receiver position. Obviously, they will be looking to have a big game against the Trojan’s questionable secondary. Three wideouts have tallied almost 900 yards receiving and six touchdowns. Chase Claypool leads this group with 354 yards and two scores. Equanimeous St. Brown has 22 catches that are good for another 289 yards and three scores.
The Fighting Irish’s defense is a lot like the Miami Hurricanes. They are stout against the run and have difficulty stopping schools when they take to the air on them. Their front seven is 30th in the country, holding teams to 130 yards a contest. Their secondary also struggles, allowing quarterbacks to throw for 245 yards a game (91st). They do stiffen in the red zone and only are surrendering 18 points a match (17th).
(6) Miami Hurricanes (8-0)
The Hurricanes’ mediocre schedule hasn’t made them a real contender even with an undefeated record. That changed a bit last weekend when they beat the Virginia Tech Hokies at home 28-10. At first, it looked like the Hokies were going to come back early in the third quarter to make it a 14-10 deficit. Instead, Miami scored the last two touchdowns of the game.
Offensively, it has been somewhat of a challenge for the hurricanes to find some consistency on the season. Especially, after they lost there starting running back to a season-ending injury a few weeks back. Still, quarterback Malik Rosier keeps finding ways to put up enough points to win games. In all, Rosier has completed 56 percent of his passes in 2017. Rozier also has thrown for 19 touchdowns with only seven interceptions.
Running back Travis Homer took over the reigns when tailback Mark Walton went down. Apparently, the Hurricanes really haven’t missed a beat. The outstanding back uses speed and agility along with a downhill running style to help move the offense. Since he has taken over, he has toted the rock 95 times for 615 yards and six scores. He also has caught 15 passes for 193 yards and one more trip to the end zone.
One receiver stands out when you talk to the coaches at Coral Gables. That person is Braxton Berrios and he’s quarterback Mike Rosier’s favorite target. He has reeled in 35 passes for 465 yards with seven trips to the promised land. Furthermore, the shifty wideout continues to move the chains, converting key third downs for the Miami offense. Two other pass catchers have combined for another 49 catches for over 700 yards and five more scores.
The Hurricanes’ pass defense has especially been very sharp but will be tested by David Wimbush this weekend. Overall, Miami is looking good, winning seven straight to start the season and are now 5-0 in ACC play. The back half ranks 35th in the country, limiting opposing receivers to 197 yards a game. They do struggle against the run, surrendering 172 yards a game which is 69th in the country. This will be their biggest test of the season as the Fighting Irish can run the ball as good as anyone in the nation.
Prediction
Line setters clearly think this game is going to come down to the wire. The three-point spread in favor of Notre Dame is a testament to that. That might bode well for a Hurricane team that has found a way to win a lot of close games in 2017. One reason that Notre Dame is a favorite is that they have one of the best running games in college football. Also, the weakness of the Miami defense is their front seven.
Those two combinations are enough for me to suggest to my readers that the Fighting Irish will win this contest and keep their College Football Playoff hopes alive. With that being said, I also thought the Hokies had enough firepower to get the job done and flat out didn’t happen. The big difference in this game is the strength of the Irish in the trenches. Take Notre Dame to win by a touchdown late in the fourth-quarter and end the Canes’ hopes of a title run. #moneytreesgrow @EriktheHun
To make a wager on this game, go to BetDSI Sportsbook and get it done.
Trends
The Fighting Irish are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 non-conference games.
The Over is 8-3 in the Fighting Irish last 11 games overall.
The Hurricanes are 9-4 ATS in their last 13 games overall.
The Under is 5-1 in the Hurricanes last 6 home games.
