Notre Dame Football: Preview, prediction, live stream vs. Miami

Notre Dame football will face arguably their toughest test of the season against Miami this Saturday. Here’s what to look for as both teams battle it out for their playoff lives.

The Irish have done the improbable this year, turning what many expected to be a slow rebuild into a full sprint to the College Football Playoff. The 8-1 Irish will take on the undefeated Hurricanes in one of this weekend’s marquee matchups.

While Notre Dame has dominated the last few outings, Saturday’s matchup will nonetheless be part of one of the most storied rivalries in college football. The Irish currently hold a 17-7-1 lead in the series, a slate including games from Texas to Tokyo. However, the past means little considering the ramifications of this week’s matchup.

Both Notre Dame and Miami boast their own refined strengths and skills, but everything leads to this matchup being a battle of grit. While the “Catholics vs. Convicts” tag has lessened over the last few years, Notre Dame vs. Miami will always serve as one of those “no love lost” contests. Here is everything you need to know for this year’s matchup between these two storied programs.

Date: Saturday, Nov. 11
Time: 8:00 p.m. ET
Location: Miami Gardens, FL
Venue: Hard Rock Stadium
TV: ABC
Live Stream: ABC or WatchESPN

Keys to Victory

The Irish have excelled in the run game this season, leaving little reason to change things up against the Hurricanes. However, Heisman candidate Josh Adams received only five carries last week against Wake Forest, likely due to a combination of injury and what head coach Brian Kelly considered to be a “distracting” week in terms of academics.

Miami’s defense has been fairly average against the run, allowing four yards per carry on the season. With the Irish only two weeks removed from a 318 yard rushing outing against the nation’s sixth ranked rush defense in NC State, don’t expect offensive coordinator Chip Long to deviate too far from his typical game plan.

It could be a long day for the Hurricanes if the Irish are able to get what they want to on the ground. However, if Miami is able to limit Notre Dame on the ground like they did Virginia Tech this past week, their top 35 pass defense has a good shot at shutting down quarterback Brandon Wimbush as well.

Prediction

As previously mentioned, this will be Notre Dame’s toughest test of the season. Miami has a decent defense, but it’s their top 25 passing offense that poses the biggest threat to an Irish secondary that has struggled at times. However, an effective rushing attack from the Irish would limit Malik Rosier‘s offense substantially.

Next: Latest 2018 NFL Mock Draft entering Week 11

The Irish have a lot going for them in this contest, but home field advantage isn’t one of them. Miami will have the house packed for their biggest game of the year, a tough task for an Irish team whose toughest road game came against Michigan State. Nevertheless, look for the Irish to claim victory thanks to a hungry defense in the wake of last week’s uncharacteristic performance.

Final Score: Notre Dame 30, Miami 24