The No. 7 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (1-0, 1-0 ACC) host the USF Bulls (1-0, 0-0 AAC) at 2:30 p.m ET on the USA Network. BlueandGold.com gets you ready with what you need to know before Saturday's tilt.
Join Us Live 15 Minutes After The USF-Notre Dame Game With Former Irish Captain Mike Goolsby!
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
Date: Sept. 19, 2020
Site: Notre Dame Stadium
Kickoff: 2:30 p.m.
Television: USA Network
Radio: This game can be heard on Notre Dame’s IMG affiliates.
Series Facts: This is the second meeting between the two schools. USF leads the series 1-0, with a 23-20 upset win in South Bend on Sept. 5, 2011.
Head coaches: USF — Jeff Scott (1-0, 1st season); Notre Dame — Brian Kelly (93-37, 11th season).
USF PLAYERS TO KNOW
QB Jordan McCloud (3): USF’s quarterback position doesn’t appear to be completely settled, but McCloud won the job out of camp and played the most snaps of any Bulls quarterback in a season-opening 27-6 win over The Citadel. He threw 12 touchdowns and eight interceptions last year.
RB Johnny Ford (1): He’s only 5-5, but he has some burst and all-purpose skill. Ford averaged 6.84 yards per rush in 2018 and ran for 76 yards in the opener. He also caught two passes.
RB Kelly Joiner Jr (10).: The Bulls’ leading returning rusher from 2019 (364 yards, 5.1 yards per carry) had 88 yards and a touchdown on eight carries against The Citadel. He out-snapped Ford by five, 27 to 22.
LB Dwayne Boyles (11): Last year’s leading tackler returns as a starter at weakside linebacker. Boyles had 75 tackles and 12.5 tackles for loss in 2019, both team-highs. He had 1.5 TFLs in the season opener.
CB K.J. Sails (9): The 14-game starter at North Carolina was the Bulls’ lone all-conference selection in 2019, his first year with the team. He set team-highs in takeaways (five), interceptions (three) and passes defended (nine). He was also the primary punt returner and averaged 9.8 yards per return.
GAME PREDICTIONS
Vegas Line: Notre Dame -23.5 ... Over/Under: 47.5
Oddshark Prediction: Notre DAme 43, Duke 13
Todd Burlage: Notre Dame 32, USF 3
Patrick Engel: Notre Dame 42, USF 10
Andrew Mentock: Notre Dame 45, USF 17
Mike Singer: Notre Dame 42, USF 16
Lou Somogyi: Notre Dame 38, USF 10
PREGAME LINKS
USF’s Hard Reset Has Tricky Starting Circumstances
Notre Dame Contract Extension With Brian Kelly Has Clear Mission
Latest Notre Dame Football Odds, Honors, Discussion: Sept. 15
Notre Dame Running Backs Seeing A Growth Spurt
What To Make Of The Notre Dame Wide Receivers' Quiet Debut
Notre Dame's Offensive Line Attempting To Find The [Outside] Zone
For Jack Swarbrick, Season Opener A Momentary Sigh Of Relief
Notre Dame Vs. South Florida: On Paper
Notebook: Notre Dame Planning For More Involvement From Other RBs, DBs
Notre Dame’s Isaiah Foskey Making A Difference
Chain Mail: What Comes First, Notre Dame To ACC Or Kelly's Retirement?
Irish Huddle Podcast: Sept. 17
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