Final score prediction for the first-ever Notre Dame vs. Arkansas matchup as the Fighting Irish try to recapture some momentum
Predicting the final score for the Notre Dame vs. Arkansas matchup. The first-ever meeting between the two programs promising to be an interesting one.
After getting their first win of the season last weekend against the Purdue Boilermakers, head coach Marcus Freeman and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish are traveling down to Fayetteville to take on the Arkansas Razorbacks on Saturday. Sitting with a 1-2 overall record, the Irish have no margin for error remaining on the season. There is a lot of pressure for this team to come out with a victory to keep their playoff hopes alive.
Arkansas, led by head coach Sam Pittman, is a very intriguing team right now. Their offense has gotten off to a fast start, averaging over 43 points per game on the year. They are led by former Boise State quarterback Taylen Green, who is one of the better dual threat signal callers in the country. When he’s playing with good clarity, this Razorback offense can be hard to stop.
Their offensive line is the strength of their team, which shouldn’t be much of a surprise with Pittman’s reputation as a developer. They give Green plenty of time and also establish opportunities for chunk plays on the ground. That is the group that the Irish need to pay closest attention to this weekend. They could be the difference between winning and losing the game.
On defense, Arkansas has some talent, but they have been very disappointing so far. Quincy Rhodes Jr. is the playmaker for the defensive line, and they are massive inside with players like Cameron Ball and David Oke. They will be essential in keeping linebacker Xavian Sorey clean, the playmaker for them on the second level. Sorey and Rhodes are the most likely candidates to make some big plays for the defense.
This feels like the perfect game for Notre Dame to continue its success on the ground, an area that the Arkansas defense is really struggling to defend. Look for Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price to set the tone early, allowing for quarterback CJ Carr to get comfortable. The redshirt freshman signal caller has had great moments over the first few weeks, and it would be great for Carr to build off of it.
The Notre Dame defense will be the key to winning this football game for the Irish. Through three games, the defense has been horrible under new defensive coordinator Chris Ash. Whether that unit takes a step forward will determine how successful they will be down the stretch, including on Saturday. I don’t believe the defense will have a great performance, but I think they make one or two big plays that will make the difference.
Final score prediction: Notre Dame 35, Arkansas 28
Notre Dame Fighting Irish News
‘There’s a balancing act with freedom’ – Notre Dame assistant details the give and take that CJ Carr is trying to figure out
Notre Dame offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock was asked about quarterback CJ Carr on Tuesday. Denbrock had some high praise, and discussed his maturation.
