Notre Dame football vs BYU: Game preview and prediction
By Brad Weiss
The Notre Dame football team takes on the BYU Cougars on Saturday night inside Allegiant Stadium, and here is our game preview and prediction.
On Saturday night, the Notre Dame football team will battle it out with the BYU Cougars inside the desert of Las Vegas, Nevada. Playing in the beautiful new Allegiant Stadium, the Irish will look to keep their two-game winning streak alive, but will have to do so against the No. 16-ranked team in the country.
Led by a terrific quarterback in Jaren Hall, the Cougars offense is a tough one to diagnose, especially if running back Christopher Brooks is getting it done on the ground. Notre Dame football has an elite defensive unit, led by multiple first-round talents, but this will be their biggest test since the Ohio State matchup.
Coming out of the bye week, the Irish should be healthy and ready to go, and when all is said and done, I believe they get the job done against this very tough BYU team.
Notre Dame football needs to focus on the run game Saturday night
Notre Dame football got a strong start from Drew Pyne their last time out, as they went on the road and picked up a solid victory over the UNC Tar Heels. In that game, Pyne showed he has the ability to protect the football and make good decisions in the passing game, something he will have to show once again on Saturday night.
The main key for the Irish in this one is to run the football, as the trio of Chris Tyree, Audric Estime, and Logan Diggs all had their fingerprints on the UNC win two weeks ago. If they can pound the ball, keeping Hall and this potent BYU Cougars offense on the sidelines, then they should be able to control the clock, and in turn, the outcome of this ballgame.
I like Al Golden to dial up a solid game plan for Hall and the Cougars’ offense, and for Freeman to pick up his biggest victory as head coach. That would make the Irish 3-2 going into a few soft games before back-to-back tough matchups against ranked Syracuse and Clemson.
Prediction: Notre Dame football 30, BYU 24