Notre Dame football aims to finish up-and-down year strong vs. Iowa State

While it may not be the marquee matchup everybody hoped for, Notre Dame football will face off against Iowa State in the 2019 Camping World Bowl.

It became pretty clear over the past several weeks that Notre Dame was destined for a spot in this year’s Camping World Bowl. What wasn’t clear, however, was who their opponent would be. It seemed that the common consensus among Notre Dame fans was that a matchup with either Texas or Kansas State was significantly more enticing than one with Iowa State.

History aside, it’s tough to tell which of those three teams would contribute to a more exciting bowl game. Texas has the history, Kansas State has the win over Oklahoma, and Iowa State has the propensity for making any game close. Nevertheless, the Irish have their opponent set and it’s up to them to make the most of who’s in front of them.

Here’s how to watch these two programs as they meet for the first time ever this weekend.

Date: Saturday, Dec. 28
Time: 12:00 p.m. ET
Location: Orlando, Fla.
Venue: Camping World Stadium
TV: ABC
Live Stream: WatchESPN

Keys to Victory

Former Notre Dame quarterback and current quarterbacks coach for the Irish, Tom(my) Rees, will be calling plays for the Irish offense in the wake of former offensive coordinator Chip Long’s departure from the team. Rees has a good relationship with current quarterback Ian Book, so it will be interesting to see how the offense operates under the former’s control.

Iowa State, on the other hand, will have to rely on a solid defense that ranks within the top 50 in both pass and run defense. Notre Dame’s run game has been fairly benign behind an inconsistent offensive line, so there’s a good chance that the battle in the trenches ends up playing a vital role in the final score.

Betting Odds

Odds provided by The Action Network

Point Spread: Notre Dame -3.5
Over/Under: 54.5

Prediction

The Irish have been pretty unimpressive on the road this season, something worth considering as they prepare to take on the Cyclones at a neutral site. That aside, this game could very well come down to how well Rees does as an inexperienced play-caller. Nevertheless, Clark Lea’s defense has been consistent throughout the majority of the season, giving the Irish a slight edge in this one.

Final Score: Notre Dame 27, Iowa State 23