5 Potential Trap Games for Notre Dame in 2019
1. at Duke
The trip to Duke comes at the end of a tough stretch, where the Irish play USC, Michigan, and Virginia Tech consecutively (with a bye week tossed in the mix).
Notre Dame will want a breather before the rivalry game against Navy the next week. It will also be easy to look past Duke. In football, Duke is a bit of a joke traditionally. The Blue Devils are also losing quarterback Daniel Jones to the NFL — and he’s a tough one to replace.
When all of that is taken into account, it seems really easy to overlook Duke.
There are several factors to consider. First, Notre Dame must travel to Duke, which makes things much more difficult. You also need to factor in what will be a hostile crowd. Under head coach David Cutcliffe, Duke always seems to be getting better. Cutcliffe is a quarterback whisperer — having coached both Eli and Peyton Manning. You can be that he will have a capable replacement for Jones.
What to expect from Kevin Austin in 2019. dark. Next
Duke does have a couple question marks — as do the Irish. The Blue Devils will probably win seven or eight games in 2019. Notre Dame needs to be careful to not end up as one of them.