The weekend is almost here, which means it is time for some Notre Dame Football bold predictions. The Fighting Irish will “host” the No. 16 BYU Cougars, with this game being played in Las Vegas as part of the Shamrock Series. This should be one of the most interesting games of the week and a nail-biter until the end, and now it's time to make some Notre Dame football predictions for this showdown against BYU.
Notre Dame is coming off a bye week following two important victories over California and North Carolina. After starting the season ranked No. 5 with hopes of a College Football Playoff bid, the team went 0-2 in the first weeks. Now, the Fighting Irish find themselves out of the AP Top 25.
Looking forward to a stronger second half of the season, Notre Dame will face a 4-1 Cougars team that has been climbing the rankings since the season started. Both colleges should face many challenges, and a win could put the Fighting Irish back in the spotlight.
With that being said, here are some bold college football predictions for Notre Dame’s Week 6 game against BYU.
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3. Notre Dame gets at least three sacks
Despite the 2-2 record, there are some aspects of Notre Dame's game that deserve some praise. Since the losses, the defensive unit has been improving and playing an important role in the team's resurgence.
Against the Tar Heels, the Fighting Irish's defense limited their offense to just 66 rushing yards. Additionally, Notre Dame had seven tackles for loss and three sacks, showing the impact of the strong defensive line.
Notre Dame is currently No. 12 in the country with 13 sacks. However, it is worth noting that all but one of the teams ahead of the Fighting Irish played five games, one more than them. The team is led by junior defensive lineman Isaiah Foskey with three sacks. A total of nine players have recorded at least half a sack, revealing how they pressure the opponent's quarterback from many directions.
BYU quarterback Jaren Hall has been sacked a total of seven times across five games. Although that is an average of just 1.4 sacks per game, Notre Dame can get to the quarterback in this game. The bold prediction is that the Fighting Irish will get at least three sacks, limiting Hall's presence in the game.
2. Drew Pyne throws for 250+ yards, two touchdowns
After starting quarterback Tyler Buchner suffered a significant shoulder injury, there were many questions surrounding what would happen with Notre Dame football. The 0-2 start plus being without its main quarterback could simply mean the end of the season.
Luckily for the Fighting Irish, backup quarterback Drew Pyne stepped up and turned things around. Notre Dame is undefeated with Pyne as a starter, going 2-0 in that span. In those two games, he completed 41 of his 57 pass attempts, a completion rate of 72%, for 439 yards. He threw for five touchdowns against no picks.
Versus North Carolina, Pyne had his best game. He went 24-of-34 for 289 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions.
On Saturday, he will have his biggest challenge so far. BYU is ranked in the top 20 in the nation in passing defense. The Cougars allow just 175.6 passing yards per game with a total of seven scores. But now that Pyne comes from two games as a starter with two wins, he should have more confidence in his game. Additionally, Notre Dame's offense should be more comfortable with him under center.
If Pyne plays similar to what he did against the Tar Heels, he could likely throw for at least 250 yards and two touchdowns.
1. Notre Dame football upsets BYU, returns to Top 25
While BYU is having a solid season overall, including a big double-overtime win versus then-No. 9 Baylor, Notre Dame is just now finding its identity. Looking just at their records, the Cougars would be the apparent favorite for the matchup on Saturday.
However, this is far from reality. As of Frida, FanDuel has the Fighting Irish as the favorite the win, but the spread is just -3.5. This means it should be a tough and close game, likely decided in the final minutes.
This is perhaps the biggest chance Notre Dame has to return to the top 25 rankings. A victory against No. 16 BYU could certainly put the team back on the map of college football.
All things considered, the bold prediction is that the Fighting Irish will win the game, but it should be very close. With that result, they will be back in the top 25 rankings and will compete for a major bowl selection.
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