Notre Dame Football vs. Toledo: Game preview and prediction in Week 2
By Brad Weiss
The Notre Dame football team takes on the Toledo Rockets in Week 2, and here is our game preview and prediction for the matchup.
On Saturday, the Notre Dame football team will kick off a two-game home stretch against two teams they should be able to take care of. First up is the Toledo Rockets, who come into this game after a strong Week 1 victory against Norfolk State, and looking to shock the college football landscape.
Notre Dame needed overtime to beat Florida State in Week 1 but looked very good early on, building a 38-20 second-half lead. From there, big plays and strange playcalling haunted them, as the Seminoles got back into the game, tied it thanks to an incredible effort from McKenzie Milton, and forced overtime.
A Jonathan Doerer field goal won the game for the Irish on the road, and in Week 2, they get back to the friendly confines of Notre Dame Stadium and the home fans. The Irish did not get to play in front of the fans last season due to the pandemic, so you can be sure this place will be rocking against Toledo.
Notre Dame football should dominate on Saturday
Jack Coan played like one of the best quarterbacks in the country on Sunday night against Florida State, and in Week 2, he will have much easier sledding against Toledo. Coan was able to utilize his elite tight end in Michael Mayer, while also working the outside of the defense, getting strong effort from Kevin Austin Jr.
While Kyren Williams struggled in the run game, he was very active in the passing game, hauling in six passes for over 80 yards. Against Toledo, the Irish need to establish the run with Williams, who averaged under 2.5 yards per carry against the Seminoles, but should dominate a much weaker defense in Week 2.
Toledo does have some playmakers, including running back Bryant Koback, but the Irish should be able to dominate this one on the defensive side of the ball.
The Irish struggled at times against Florida State, allowing them to come back from an 18-point deficit and force overtime. Notre Dame got the win and moved up in the top-25 rankings, but they will need to blow out the Toledo Rockets to continue to be in the College Football Playoff talk, even this early in the season.
Prediction: Notre Dame 37, Toledo 20