Notre Dame Football: Offense’s search for answers continues against Wake Forest

It’s now or never for Notre Dame football as they look to use a Week 4 matchup with Wake Forest to springboard them into the coming weeks.

Let’s not sugarcoat it. Notre Dame’s offense has been lackluster, at best, over the past few games. Despite playing against competition such as Ball State and Vanderbilt, Notre Dame’s offense has fallen flat time and time again following scores on opening drives.

There will be a sense of familiarity against Wake Forest, and perhaps that’s exactly what quarterback Brandon Wimbush needs at this point in his career. The two programs have only met four times in the past, but last year’s meeting was a much-needed wake-up call for a Notre Dame team that ended up pulling out a 48-37 win.

Whether that warning call did them much good, you be the judge. Either way, Notre Dame marches into Week 4 with one of the worst 3-0 records one could find. Here’s how to watch the Irish as they head to the road for the first time this season.

Date: Saturday, Sep. 22
Time: 12:00 p.m. ET
Location: Winston-Salem, NC
Venue: BB&T Field
TV: ABC
Live Stream: ABC Go, WatchESPN, or FuboTV

Keys to Victory

While Wimbush has to be more efficient in the run game if he wants to return to form, this game may end up testing his arm more than others. Wake Forest has proven that they are susceptible in the passing game, most recently giving up five touchdowns through the air to Boston College. Notre Dame’s best bet is to get Wimbush going aerially while limiting Wake’s running back duo.

Wake Forest has displayed a natural propensity for offense this season, and will put the Irish defense to the test if Wimbush continues to falter. In terms of defense, the Demon Deacons must lock down the passing game as the Irish haven’t shown the same ability as last year to run the ball down opponents’ throats at will.

Betting Odds

Odds provided by Odds Shark

Point Spread: Notre Dame -7
Over/Under: 60.5

Prediction

The common consensus is that this one may turn into a fairly high-scoring affair. That’s certainly not the way that the Irish defense would like to see it go down, but a boost in Wimbush’s confidence could pay dividends. At the end of the day, look for the Notre Dame offense to see somewhat of a revival while the defense continues to do its thing despite playing on the road.

Final Score: Notre Dame 31, Wake Forest 20