Notre Dame fans across the globe have been waiting for this moment: Notre Dame vs Indiana. Who wins in round one? Our staff analyze the game below.
Cover Art by The Irish Tribune
Liam Farrell - Associate Editor, Senior Football Writer
Score Prediction: 31-17 Notre Dame
Indiana will start off hot, potentially leading throughout most of the first half, but the Irish defense will stiffen as the game progresses. Notre Dame’s offensive line will get better as the game goes on as well and three second-half rushing touchdowns bolster the Irish’s lead. My bold predictions are that Notre Dame gets a big play on special teams, either a blocked FG or a fumble recovery on the kickoff, and Mitch Jeter will also make a field goal in this game.
Brenden Duffy - Associate Editor, Senior Staff Writer
Score Prediction: 28-27 Notre Dame
Indiana QB Kurtis Rourke is going to make some big-time plays to keep this game tight. The Irish pass rush will need to play well and force pressure on Rourke in order to minimize his impact. I believe both defenses dominate the first half as the offenses attempt to shake off the rust from not playing since the end of November. The Irish rushing game gets going in the second half highlighted by RB Jeremiyah Love and, ultimately, this aspect is what puts the Irish over the top. An electric atmosphere mixed with a strong run game and clutch defense will lead the Irish to victory.
Clayton Stohler - Co-Host of The First & Gold Podcast
Score Prediction: 35-17 Notre Dame
Notre Dame’s offensive line plays with conviction and attitude and does more than enough to open the door for Love and Price. Leonard makes plays where they’re needed as the offense starts fast and sustains its pace. On defense, Howard Cross and Rylie Mills disrupt through the middle and throw Rourke off his rhythm. The defense forces enough chaos to win the turnover battle and force misfires on IU’s offense. IU is a good team, but simply won’t have enough firepower to keep up with ND as the fanbase creates one of the most hostile environments in ND stadium since 1993.
Noah Wehby - Writer
Score Prediction: 27-20 Notre Dame
Notre Dame faces their toughest opponent of the year, the Indiana Hoosiers. Indiana’s No. 1 run defense will give Notre Dame’s rushing attack the most trouble they’ve seen this season, but that won’t stop it completely. The game will come down to Riley Leonard making a few plays with his arm. With the weather, both offenses are going to have their ups and downs, but Notre Dame’s defense will shine once again, causing a turnover or two.
Brady Burden - Social Media Intern
Score Prediction: 24-21 Notre Dame
Notre Dame wins this game by simply doing the little things correctly. The Irish create turnovers that are needed, and the backfield duo of Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price tear up the Hoosier defense. Jeter nails the last-second field goal and the Irish look to face off against Georgia.
Peter Mulroy - Associate Editor, Host of The First & Gold Podcast
Score Prediction: 27-17 Notre Dame
It’s a trenches game; don’t overthink it. Both teams are outstanding - don’t believe me, watch the tape - but the Irish are better. In a game that should come down to the ground given the forecast, give me Love, yes, but Price more, as the Irish move on & prep for the Dawgs.
Max Uretsky - Football Analyst
Score Prediction: 20-17 Notre Dame
It's the moment we have all been waiting for. When the ball gets kicked off at 8 o'clock in South Bend, all stats and storylines go out the window, and the game will be decided between the white lines. These are two very physical teams and I think big plays will be far and few between. It's cliche to say "The game will be won in the trenches" but in this case, there is no way around it. Both teams have made a living limiting what opponents do in the ground game while trying to pound the ball themselves when on offense. Indiana admittedly has been a somewhat more balanced team offensively, but given the potential weather, I truly believe it'll come down to who can lean on who long enough to finally break a big play on the ground. Notre Dame comes equipped with what is, in my estimation, the best runningback room in the country. Love and Price will both be featured in a major way along with the usual built-in option plays for Riley Leonard. This will be the best front the Irish have faced since traveling to Texas A&M in week one. I think their best bet is trying to get IU's line moving laterally with some zone runs and allow Love and Price to use their vision and burst to find cutback lanes and pick up major yardage.
When Notre Dame is on defense, they need to be able to generate pressure. Getting Howard Cross III back for this game will be huge as the defensive tackle spot is one I think will be highlighted in this game. Kurtis Rourke prefers to play within the confines of the pocket so interior pressure and getting him off his spot will disrupt what Indiana likes to do. Indiana's line has given up 11 sacks in their last three games and against physical fronts like Michigan and Ohio State, they struggled to get anything going in the run game. Notre Dame's front seven is on par with some of the best IU has faced and I think this is the biggest mismatch in ND's favor. Mitch Jeter is a wildcard for me because in what I think will be a low-scoring affair, points will be at a premium. Hopefully, the extra time off has allowed him to get his body and mind right. I truly believe in Marcus Freeman's ability to have these guys ready to go and I hope the crowd is prepared to make it a loud and hostile environment.
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