Notre Dame (2-2) has recovered nicely from its rough start to the season and they will look to continue their strong play against the Boise State Broncos (3-1). This is the first ever matchup between the Fighting Irish and the Broncos, and it will be the annual "Irish Wear Green" game. It is also a matchup between a pair of playoff teams from last season.
Location: Notre Dame Stadium (Notre Dame, Ind.)
Date: Saturday, October 4
Time: 3:30 PM ET
Network: NBC/Peacock
Line: Notre Dame -20.5, O/U: 63.5
The Irish Breakdown staff has made predictions for this matchup.
Bryan Driskell, Owner
Prediction: Notre Dame 41, Boise State 20
Notre Dame played its first all-around game against Arkansas, and all three phases of the game (offense, defense, special teams) played a role in the dominant victory. Hopefully this is a step towards this team finally becoming the elite team I thought it would be in the preseason. But so far Notre Dame has only been that team against Arkansas, so it's still the anomaly game. They will get a chance against Boise State to show that it was the beginning of things to come.
Boise State is a quality football team, and right now I'm not completely sold that the Notre Dame defense has made enough changes to shut them down. The Broncos are a balanced team, but Notre Dame has a significant talent and athleticism advantage. If Chris Ash allows his defense to play more aggressive football they will have a chance to slow down the run game and punish quarterback Maddux Madsen. If we see the same passive defense from the first four games the Broncos should be able to move the ball.
The advantage for Notre Dame on the other side of the ball is much greater. Boise State is a well-coached defensive football team and their defensive line has some playmakers. But Notre Dame has a significant speed/athleticism advantage against the Boise State defense. If the offensive line can give CJ Carr time and handle the Boise State pressure packages he should be able to get the ball out to his playmakers. That is the key, play well up front, do that and the Irish will continue scoring a lot of points.
Vince DeDario, Football Analyst
Prediction: Notre Dame 52, Boise State 24
Notre Dame just has too much firepower for Boise State to hang around in this one. The Irish offense has been humming lately, and when they get rolling, it’s tough for anyone to keep up. I'm thinkning big plays, quick strikes, and a few back-breaking drives that put this thing out of reach by the third quarter.
Boise State isn’t a pushover and they’ve got enough talent to make some noise and probably hit a couple of big plays. That’s where I get the 24 points from. But at the end of the day, Notre Dame’s size up front and depth across the board should wear them down. Add in the fact that the Irish are motivated to stack statement wins for their playoff resume, and it’s not hard to picture them running it up to the low 50s.
Trevor Trowbridge, Staff Writer
Prediction: Notre Dame 51, Boise State 17
On paper, this matchup favors Notre Dame across the board. This offense has been on a tear the last couple of weeks. They scored 49 offensive points against Purdue and 56 offensive points against Arkansas on the road. They also haven't punted in two games. Boise State, on the other hand, has struggled on defense and will be facing their toughest task yet.
Defensively, the Irish turned it around last weekend but still has a ways to go. I think the Broncos will be able to move the ball effectively against this Irish defense. With that being said, I think Notre Dame's defense stays consistent and starts to stiffen in the third quarter. The Irish offense will assist in making the Boise State offense one-dimensional and will pull away in the middle eight.
Andrew McDonough, IB Contributor
Prediction: Notre Dame 48, Boise State 24
The Fighting Irish play host to the Boise State Broncos on Saturday afternoon in South Bend looking to continue to play themselves into a CFP berth after an 0-2 start. Boise State comes in as winners of 3 in a row after the disappointing 34-7 opening loss following the departure of RB Ashton Jeanty and some talented defenders off last season's playoff team.
Since the season opener, the Broncos have averaged 49 PPG and against a Notre Dame defense still finding its form, QB Maddux Madsen, who ranks 16th in the country averaging 282.3 YPG, will find some success through the air.
However, the Fighting Irish will win this one going away due to the offense, which has rounded into form the past 3 games and currently ranks as the 5th most efficient offense in the country per FEI. Boise State's defense has struggled to replace 6 starters off last season's squad and enters the matchup surrendering 28.3 PPG to FBS opponents. Expect another big game from CJ Carr as the Broncos focus on stopping Notre Dame's rushing attack.
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