Gameday Central: Virginia vs. Notre Dame

No. 10 Notre Dame hosts No. 18 Virginia in arguably the most marquee matchup of the weekend. Blue & Gold Illustrated gets you ready with what you need to know before the showdown inside Notre Dame Stadium.

Get a FREE 60-day trial and four FREE copies of the BGI digital magazine using promo code Irish60

JOIN THE DISCUSSION AT ROCKNE'S ROUNDTABLE

Gameday Information

Date: Sept. 28, 2019

Site: Notre Dame Stadium (77,622)

Kickoff: 3:30 p.m. ET

Television: NBC

Mike Tirico (play-by-play)Doug Flutie (analysis) Kathryn Tappen (sideline)

Radio: This broadcast can be heard live on SIRIUS Satellite Radio (channel 129) and on Notre Dame’s IMG affiliates.

Series Facts: This will be the third meeting between the two programs and the first in South Bend. Notre Dame is 2-0 all time against Virginia.

Head Coaches: Virginia — Bronco Mendenhall (20-22, fourth season); Notre Dame — Brian Kelly (83-36, 10th season).

2019 Notre Dame Football Roster
Notre Dame 2019 Depth Chart
Notre Dame Scholarship Chart

Virginia Players To Know

QB Bryce Perkins: In addition to throwing for 843 yards, six touchdowns and four interceptions with a 65.3 completion percentage, he is also the team's leading rushers. With 51 carries in four games, he has run for 193 yards and two touchdowns. Kelly said at his radio show on Thursday night the key to slowing down Perkins, who might be the second-best quarterback Notre Dame will face this season, is to keep him in the pocket.

WR Joe Reed: At six-foot-one-inch, 215 pounds, he is the leading receiver for the Cavaliers. On 23 receptions, Reed has 215 yards and three touchdowns. When a play breaks down, look for the senior to be targeted, but he might be an even better kick returner. Heading into the season, Reed was already the program's leading kick returner in yards (2,549) and touchdowns (4).

LB Charles Snowden: He is one of the taller outside linebackers you’ll find. Snowden stands at six-foot-seven-inches, 235 pounds and can play standing up or with a hand down on the line of scrimmage. He was named the Walter Camp Football Foundation National Defensive Player of the Week against Old Dominion this past weekend after accumulating 15 tackles, 3.5 for a loss and two sacks. He has three sacks on the season.

LB Jordan Mack: The junior linebacker isn’t as physically imposing as some of the others on UVA’s roster, but so far he’s been the best at getting to opposing quarterbacks. Mack is six-foot-two-inches, 230 pounds and is tied for sixth in the country with five sacks in four games. The junior is one of the team’s three captains and was named to the Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List before the season.

DB Bryce Hall: Going into the season, he was probably the favorite to win the Jim Thorpe Award as the best defensive back in college football. So far, Hall is averaging one pass deflection per game. His lock-down man-to-man coverage allows Virginia to be extra aggressive in its pass rush and sending blitzes after the quarterback. He should be lined up across from Chase Claypool in the boundary most of the game.