Notre Dame Football: 5 reasons the Irish will beat Michigan in Week 1

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SOUTH BEND, IN – SEPTEMBER 02: Head coach Brian Kelly of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish leaves the field after a game against the Temple Owls at Notre Dame Stadium on September 2, 2017 in South Bend, Indiana. The Irish won 49-16. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

1. Fighting Irish have won six straight home openers

Teams change from year to year with the inclusion of recruits, transfers and updating the playbook, but Notre Dame has been very consistent in their home openers.

The last time they lost the home opener was in 2011 by a score of 23-20 lost against South Florida.

One advantage the Fighting Irish will have in this game is the matchup against Shea Patterson. Yes, he is very talented and was a highly decorated recruit out of high school but it generally takes a few games for a quarterback to become comfortable in a new system.

On the offensive side of the ball, Notre Dame will be smart to use Dexter Williams and Winbush as a tandem in the red zone.

Williams was not a focal point of the offense last year but he did average over nine yards per carry. If Coach Kelly decides to have him be the workhorse that Josh Adams was last year he could be a difference maker all season long. Look for Williams to run for over 100 yards and a score as the Michigan defense will get tired in the fourth quarter and run out of gas.

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So those are my five reasons why Notre Dame will come out with the victory over the Wolverines. Let me know what you think by commenting below.

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