Notre Dame Football: 5 reasons the Irish will beat North Carolina

1. The Irish overwhelm the battle up front

As they say, battles are won in the trenches. This will again be the case in Saturday’s contest between a pristine Irish offensive line and a bruised and battered UNC front. Notre Dame should enter this game injury-free in regard to their offensive line, while North Carolina faces a slew of injuries. Expect the Irish to take advantage of UNC’s depleted line early and often come Saturday.

North Carolina will head into Week 6 with three injuries on their defensive front. Linebacker Andre Smith is expected to be out for the season with a knee injury, lineman Tyler Powell is questionable with a knee injury that kept him out of last week’s loss, and defensive tackle Jalen Dalton is also in jeopardy of missing this week’s contest due to a leg injury.

This was going to be a tough test for the Tar Heels regardless, but injuries to both starters and backups alike make this almost unfair. Don’t expect Brian Kelly to have any sympathy in what many have deemed his “revenge year”. Notre Dame’s push on the offensive side of the ball is one of their greatest assets, and Kelly may have found a crucial pressure point.

Every inch is going to be hard-fought regardless of who lines up for the Tar Heels in Saturday’s contest, and Kelly has always loved using his experienced offensive line in times of trouble. Look for the Irish to pound the ground until a scrambling defensive front finally breaks. Fedora will likely get the best out of his group come Saturday, but someone’s “best” always falls short in games like this.

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Conclusion

Notre Dame knows very well heading into this game that they are the favorites. While last year they wouldn’t act as such, this team takes advantage of the fear they strike in opponents. Look for this to potentially be a turnover-heavy game, mostly from one side. Fedora would be wise to keep Harris on the bench come Saturday, but we’ve learned that assumptions are rarely safe in football.

Whether it’s Brandon Wimbush or Ian Book who takes the reins for the Irish this weekend, the ground game is going to remain busy. And while the Tar Heels know this, there is likely little they can do to stop it. Look for this game’s score to increase exponentially as North Carolina wears out as the game goes on.