Notre Dame football looks for first ACC victory over beatable Duke

With the college football season finally here for Notre Dame football fans, here’s a preview for the season opener vs. Duke.

While things were shaky there for a while, the Irish have weathered the storm (so far) and are ready to play in their first regular season game. While it’ll take some time to get used to seeing an ACC patch on our jerseys, a conference-only schedule sure beats the alternative.

Notre Dame opens its season at home versus the Duke Blue Devils, a matchup that will have its fair share of appeal simply due to the fact that the Irish will be taking the field for the first time since last December. The atmosphere is sure to be a little different with limited in-person attendance, but seeing those gold helmets finally take the field should make everything else an afterthought.

With a long season ahead, Duke stands as the first in line. Here’s how to watch the Irish take the field against the Blue Devils and what to expect when they do.

Date: Saturday, Sept. 12
Time: 2:30 p.m. ET
Location: South Bend, Ind.
Venue: Notre Dame Stadium
TV: NBC
Live Stream: NBC Sports

Keys to Victory

Duke will be well served to take advantage of the lack of fans at typically vibrant Notre Dame Stadium. Of course, the Irish themselves will ultimately dictate the stadium’s energy based on how well their preparation translates to the field. In terms of Duke’s on-the-field product, this is a team that will need to significantly improve their care of the football after leading the nation in turnovers per game last season.

Perhaps the most intriguing battle in this matchup will be how the Irish receiving corps fares against a Duke secondary that limited opponents to under 200 passing yards per game in 2019.

The Irish, whose latest depth chart reflected a preference for experience over speed at the position, will be hard-pressed to make a strong impression in that aspect of the game. While it may not determine the outcome, a struggling wide receiver unit would make life particularly difficult for the Irish in their season opener and beyond.

Betting Odds

Odds provided by The Action Network

Point Spread: Notre Dame -20
Over/Under: 54

Prediction

This is a Notre Dame team that has a lot of replacing to do after losing some serious talent in the offseason. While they are more than equipped to do so, there are bound to be some growing pains before everything begins to fit together. The talent gap is wide, but the final score might not reflect it as much as one might think. I expect the Irish to take this one, but a slow first half might be in store before they finally pull away.

Final Score: Duke 13, Notre Dame 27