The Notre Dame Irish face their toughest remaining test of the season on Saturday as they take on the 12th-ranked Syracuse Orange at Yankee Stadium.
There was some minor concern about the Notre Dame Fighting Irish last week, even against a mightily struggling Florida State team. With Ian Book out injured and Brandon Wimbush starting, the worries were about how the offense would look. Luckily, the Irish stayed perfect with an emphatic victory. On Saturday, however, they face their toughest remaining test when they and the Syracuse Orange clash at Yankee Stadium.
Syracuse is one of the biggest surprises of the 2018 college football season, going from mid-tier ACC program to all the way up as the 12th-ranked team in the country. What’s more, they gave Clemson, another undefeated team, their toughest test of the season to date.
Eric Dungey, the quarterback for the Orange, is the heart of what they do. While he may not put up overwhelming stats as a passer, he impacts the game with his legs every time out and also has proven that no moment is too big. However, the Irish defense will certainly put him up against it on Saturday as they’re one of the most formidable units in the country.
For the Irish offense, though, Book is back for this matchup at Yankee Stadium, which is huge for Notre Dame. While Wimbush performed well last week, the offense has been lethal for the most part when Book has been at the helm. Though the Orange defense has been tough at times this season, what we’ve seen from Book and the Irish at their best makes you think they should have no trouble moving the ball.
If that happens and the defense shows up, the Irish should win comfortably. Having said that, Brian Kelly’s team has struggled with inconsistency and finding themselves in close games. That could indeed happen against Dino Babers’ group on Saturday and, in a tight one on a neutral field, anything can happen.
Game Info
Date: Saturday, Nov. 17, 2018
Start Time: 2:30 p.m. ET
Location: New York, NY
Stadium: Yankee Stadium
TV Info: NBC
Live Stream: FuboTV
On the neutral site field, the Fighting Irish are still the favorites by double-digits in this matchup. However, it’s clear that the oddsmakers are expecting Yankee Stadium’s scoreboard to be lit up a bit with an Over/Under line comfortably over 60 points.
Betting Odds (via Odds Shark)
Point Spread: Notre Dame -10.5
Moneyline: Notre Dame -400, Syracuse +325
Over/Under: 63.5
Prediction
Having Book back for this game is massively important for the Irish. Though Wimbush and the offense put up points last week with Book injured, they need their best out there in their toughest remaining test. And with that and the strength of their defense, I think they can slow down the Orange offense and ultimately stay perfect on the season.
Final Score: Syracuse 20, Notre Dame 34