No. 9 Notre Dame travels to Charlottesville to take on the Virginia Cavaliers Saturday night at 7:3O PM ET.
The Fighting Irish enter the game 8-1. The Cavaliers are 6-3 on the season, and 4-2 in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
The biggest story heading into the game is the status of Virginia junior quarterback Brennan Armstrong, who suffered a rib injury in a 66-49 road loss at BYU on October 30th prior to a bye week. Armstrong leads the nation in total offense per game (425.3 yards). Cavaliers head football coach Bronco Mendenhall says we will reveal the starter as close to kickoff as possible.
Below is a guide to get ready for the game.
Join us live on YouTube 15 minutes after the game as we break down Notre Dame vs. Virginia.
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
Date: Nov. 13, 2021
Site: Scott Stadium - Charlottesville, VA
Capacity: 61,500 (grass)
Kickoff: 7:30 PM ET
Television: ABC
Radio: Notre Dame Radio Network. SiriusXM (Channel 129). In South Bend - 101.5 FM and 960 AM. Also on ESPN Radio - Sirius XM (Channel 80).
Series Facts: Notre Dame leads 3-0. Last meeting: September 28, 2019 : Notre Dame defeated Navy 35-20 at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, IN.
Head coaches: — Notre Dame — Brian Kelly (110-40, 12th season). Virginia - Bronco Mendenhall (36-35, 6th season).
FIVE VIRGINIA PLAYERS TO KNOW
QB - Brennan Armstrong (#5) — The nation's leader in total yards (3,828) total yardage per game (425.3), and second in passing yards (3,557) and passing yards per game (395.2). Suffered a rib injury vs. BYU on October 30th, and left the game. His status is unclear for the Notre Dame game.
FBP - Keytaon Thompson (#99) — "FBP" stands for "football player." He's mostly a wide receiver, but plays some running back, and if Armstrong does not play, don't be surprised to see him at quarterback - where he played for three years at Mississippi State and graduated with a degree in Kinesiology sport administration. Pro Football Focus rates him the nation's must "elusive" player. Caught 10 passes for 149 yards in a 34-33 win over Louisville this year. A member of the Rivals100 in the class of 2017 as a quarterback.
WR Dontayvion Wicks (#3) — Averages 108 yards receiving per game, which ranks 9th nationally. Has caught nine touchdowns in nine games. Wicks averages 23.1 yards per catch, which is best among the 96 receivers in the FBS with 40 catches or more on the year.
TE Jelani Woods (#0) — A massive 6-7, 265 pound target. Has 29 catches for 446 yards and six touchdowns in eight games played this season. Won ACC Wide Receiver of the Week (9/13/2021) recognition after catching five passes for 121 yards and a touchdown in a win over Illinois. Grad-transfer from Oklahoma State, where he earned his degree in management.
DB Joey Blount (#29) — Starts at Virginia's "sabre" position, the senior is second on the team in total tackles (66), first in solo tackles (43), has recorded a pair of interceptions, and three pass breakups. Just a two-star recruit out of Landmark Christian (Fairburn, GA).
GAME PREDICTIONS
Vegas line: Notre Dame -6...Over/Under 64
Oddshark prediction: Notre Dame 35.4, Virginia 28.9
Todd Burlage: Notre Dame 48, Virginia 24
Steve Downey: Notre Dame 45, Virginia 31
Patrick Engel: Notre Dame 42, Virginia 26
Tyler Horka: Notre Dame 40, Virginia 31
Mike Singer: Notre Dame 27, Virginia 20
Greg Ladky: Notre Dame 45, Virginia 38
Season-to-date records:
Todd Burlage — 7-2 straight up, 5-4 against the spread
Steve Downey — 7-2, 6-3
Patrick Engel — 7-2, 5-4
Tyler Horka — 7-2, 5-4
Greg Ladky — 4-1, 3-2
Mike Singer — 7-2, 5-4
WATCH: Final thoughts & observations before Notre Dame at Virginia
BlueandGold.com’s Tim Hyde and Greg Ladky talk about the storylines and keys heading into Notre Dame’s trip to Virginia. How good is Virginia quarterback Brennan Armstrong? And would the Cavaliers have any chance to win without him?
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