Final score prediction for Notre Dame vs. NC State matchup: Can the Fighting Irish continue its momentum or is this a trap game?
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are set to host the NC State Wolfpack on Saturday. Here is the final score prediction for that matchup.
Head coach Marcus Freeman and Notre Dame football head into an extremely intriguing matchup against the NC State Wolfpack on Saturday. With two strong wins over Arkansas and Boise State in recent weeks, and three victories in a row overall, the Fighting Irish look to continue their momentum. They’re also at home in South Bend, which should only strengthen their chances of coming away with a win.
From an offensive perspective, Notre Dame should have a massive advantage over the Wolfpack defense. While the latter has some solid athletes on that side of the football, their defense has really struggled so far this season. That is especially true with their ability to stop the run, and that should play into the Fighting Irish advantage. Superstar running Jeremiyah Love should be licking his chops in preparation for this contest, as should Jadarian Price. Look for the offensive line to be aggressive early and try to establish the line of scrimmage in their favor.
While that duo has rushed for 800 yards and scored 17 total touchdowns so far this season, redshirt freshman quarterback CJ Carr has received a lot of the attention, and for good reason. He is a very talented passer and should have a lot of opportunities to create some big plays against an underwhelming NC State secondary. This feels like a game where the run game gets going, and the explosive pass plays come because of it.
Notre Dame-NC State facts
- The Notre Dame-NC State series is tied at 2-2, last playing in 2023 (Notre Dame won 45 to 24)
- NC State head coach Dave Doeren holds a 91-67 overall record while leading the Wolfpack
- Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman holds a 36-12 overall record heading into the matchup
- Running backs Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price have combined for 800 yards rushing and 17 touchdowns
In the case of the Fighting Irish defense, they are going to have a very unique challenge in front of them. Wolfpack sophomore quarterback CJ Bailey is extremely talented, throwing for 1,660 yards and 13 touchdowns this season. The 6-6, 215-pound passer also has great feet and the ability to create some plays outside of structure at times. The Notre Dame pass rush, as well as the secondary, will need to be ready for the challenge. Bailey could be the difference between a blowout victory and a close game late in the fourth quarter.
While Bailey is very talented, the offense still wants to run through star running back Hollywood Smothers. That is the player who will try to create some big plays against this Irish defense, and I believe they will hold Smothers mostly in check. This feels like a game where there will be some explosive plays given up early, and then Chris Ash’s group figures it out as the game goes on.
Score Prediction: Notre Dame 41, NC State 20
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