With only a third of the regular season remaining, Notre Dame football looks to keep its New Year’s Six hopes alive with a win over Duke.
Despite the final score, last week’s victory over Virginia Tech didn’t feel like much of a win. The defense let Virginia Tech drive down the field a few times and play keep-away while quarterback Ian Book and the offense made a few critical mistakes of their own. They say all is well that ends well, but the truth is that the Irish’s performance last week was quite concerning.
However, a matchup with Duke provides the opportunity to adjust the narrative, something that has the potential to be beneficial for Book as the fan base shows signs of turning. This weekend will mark the sixth ever meeting between these two programs, the second in the last decade.
Despite the disparity in record, there’s still much to play for for both of these teams. Here’s how to watch them battle it out this Saturday.
Date: Saturday, Nov. 9
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Location: Durham, N.C.
Venue: Brooks Field at Wallace Wade Stadium
TV: ACC Network
Live Stream: WatchESPN
Keys to Victory
If you’re Notre Dame, there’s really no reason why you should be in any danger of losing this game. After back-to-back poor performances against Michigan and Virginia Tech, another contest of such variety would be unacceptable. With that said, the Irish will have to play well in a few areas to ensure a win.
First, the offense can’t rely on the defense to win games. While they weren’t perfect last week, the defense held their own considering the position the offense put them in. Another important key to victory for the Irish will be the play of their offensive line without the services of Tommy Kraemer or Robert Hainsey. If Book is gonna put things together, he needs to stay upright.
Betting Odds
Odds provided by The Action Network
Point Spread: Notre Dame -8
Over/Under: 51
Prediction
This game is going to be very telling for the Irish. Do they come out determined to exhibit their dominance over an inferior opponent or do they play down to Duke’s level on the road? I would put my money on the former after their previous two uninspiring efforts, but there’s really no telling what will happen for sure.
Final Score: Notre Dame 30, Duke 17