North Carolina Football: Game-by-game predictions for 2017
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish had an interesting 2016 season. They went 4-8 in a season they ranked 53rd in the FBS in points per game (30.9) on offense and 62nd in scoring defense (27.8). With new faces at offensive and defensive coordinator, a turnaround for head coach Brian Kelly’s squad is expected.
New defensive coordinator Mike Elko inherits a defense that allowed just 196.4 passing yards per games but 182.4 rushing yards per game. The Fighting Irish defense returns seven of those starters with the defensive line being the biggest concern.
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34-year-old offensive coordinator Chip Long will have to bring along a new quarterback. Former start DeShone Kizer was impressive despite the environment around him. He finished the season with 2,925 passing yards, 26 passing yards and nine interceptions. He also had 472 rushing yards and eight touchdowns.
Notre Dame will have some new faces on the field but also some familiar players. Running back Josh Adams (933 rushing yards, five touchdowns) is sure to get his share of carries out of the backfield. Wide receiver Equanimeous St. Brown is also set to get more catches in the passing attack. He caught a team-high 58 receptions for 961 receiving yards and nine touchdowns in 2016.
The North Carolina Tar Heels face a daunting task in the Fighting Irish. Granted they lost eight games, one of those being the NC Sate Wolfpack, so did the Tar Heels. The Tar Heels could have home-field advantage, but they’re 2-17 all-time against the Fighting Irish. Expect a two possession victory here.
Final: Notre Dame 45, North Carolina 35 (4-2, 2-1 ACC)