North Carolina is heading to South Bend, Indiana, to take on No. 11 Notre Dame this Saturday at 7:30 PM central time. Notre Dame is six and one and is coming off a huge win against USC. North Carolina is four and three and is coming off a close win against Miami. This game marks their 24th meeting, and Notre Dame leads 19 to 2.
Key Match-Up
Both of the team’s defenses against their offenses will be the key to this game. Notre Dame’s defense is going against one of the best offenses in the country. North Carolina’s offense scores an average of 36.9 points per game and 471.3 yards per game. North Carolina’s defense is going to have to stop a hot offense. They allow 28.9 points per game and 378.6 yards per game. It will be a battle of defenses and who will create turnovers and stop the ball.
What’s At Stake?
North Carolina is still pushing for the ACC championship and will need to win out the rest of the season to do that. Also, if they win this game, they will be eligible for a bowl game. North Dame has more at stack with this game. They are still pushing to be in the College Football Playoffs and need to win out and have a couple of big losses for that to happen. This game is the first step for either team to make a push for the College Football Playoffs or the Conference championship.
Players to Watch
Notre Dame has two players that will be looked at to have a big game. Jack Coan and Kyren Williams will have to play like they did last week. Coan is coming off a 189 passing yard game against USC and had one touchdown. Williams is looking to continue his great performance last week, where he had 138 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
North Carolina needs Sam Howell to play his best game this season. He is coming off his worst game of the season but has 1,851 passing yards and 18 touchdowns. Howell needs to be able to control this game and make Notre Dame’s defense mess up.
Final Thoughts
This game will come down to how both defenses play. Notre Dame is missing their star player in Kyle Hamilton, which means players will have to step up in this game. North Carolina has a great offense but allows many points, but if their defense can step up and have a great game they will have a chance.
Prediction: Notre Dame 42 to 35
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