Tale of the Tape & Prediction: Louisville vs. Notre Dame
Louisville (1-3, 0-3 ACC) concludes their three-game road trip against No. 4 Notre Dame (3-0, 2-0) on Saturday, Oct. 17 at 2:30 p.m. EST. Here's how the visiting Cardinals stack up against the Fighting Irish:
- Rankings:
| Notre Dame | Louisville | |
|---|---|---|
Associated Press Top 25 | 4th | NR |
USA TODAY Coaches Poll | 4th | NR |
SOS | 67th | 35th |
SP+ | 7th | 41st |
FPI | 8th | 54th |
- Offensive Statistics:
| Notre Dame | Louisville | |
|---|---|---|
Total Offense | 14th (475.0) | 32nd (424.3) |
Passing Yards | 57th (204.3) | 32nd (246.5) |
Yards Per Completion | 29th (12.77) | 23rd (13.51) |
Rushing Yards | 5th (270.7) | 32nd (177.8) |
First Downs Gained | 45th (71) | 24th (85) |
3rd Down Con. % | 25th (45.9%) | 51st (39.7%) |
4th Down Con. % | 8th (80.0%) | 36th (58.3%) |
Red Zone Con. % | 36th (86.7%) | 16th (93.3%) |
Turnovers Lost | 10th (2) | 73rd (11) |
Interceptions Thrown | 5th (1) | 65th (5) |
Fumbles Lost | 15th (1) | 75th (6) |
Tackles For Loss Allowed | 4th (3.00) | 72nd (10.00) |
Sacks Allowed | 11th (1.00) | 67th (3.50) |
Avg. Time of Possession | 31st (31:14) | 18th (32:59) |
Key: National Rank out of 76 Active FBS Teams (Value).
- Defensive Statistics:
| Notre Dame | Louisville | |
|---|---|---|
Total Defense | 16th (323.3) | 32nd (389.8) |
Passing Yards Allowed | 25th (212.0) | 31st (233.0) |
Rushing Yards Allowed | 21st (111.3) | 42nd (156.8) |
3rd Down Defensive % | 2nd (18.2%) | 49th (44.6%) |
4th Down Defensive % | 22nd (44.4%) | 23rd (50.0%) |
First Downs Allowed | 12th (48th) | 41st (70) |
Red Zone Defensive % | 46th (85.7%) | 48th (86.7%) |
Turnovers Gained | 55th (3) | 55th (3) |
Interceptions Caught | 59th (1) | 59th (1) |
Fumbles Recovered | 29th (2) | 29th (2) |
Sacks Per Game | 18th (3.00) | 47th (1.75) |
TFL Per Game | 9th (9.00) | 27th (7.3) |
Defensive Touchdowns | N/A | N/A |
Key: National Rank out of 76 Active FBS Teams (Value).
- Special Teams Statistics:
| Notre Dame | Louisville | |
|---|---|---|
Net Punting | 36th (39.00) | 68th (33.47) |
Avg. Kickoff Return | 19th (24.25) | 50th (18.45) |
Avg. Punt Return | 15th (14.75) | 26th (10.00) |
Blocked Kicks | 11th (1) | 11th (1) |
Blocked Kicks Allowed | 1st (0) | 51st (1) |
Blocked Punts | 3rd (1) | N/A |
Blocked Punts Allowed | 1st (0) | 66th (1) |
Field Goal Percentage | 3-5 | 4-4 |
PAT Percentage | 16-16 | 14-14 |
Key: National Rank out of 76 Active FBS Teams (Value).
- FPI Prediction: Per ESPN's Football Power Index, the Cardinals have just a 12.8% chance to win against Notre Dame. Louisville has an FPI rank of 3.6 (54th overall) and Notre Dame's FPI of 17.8 is the highest out of the Cardinals 2020 opponents.
- SP+ Prediction:
Per Bill Connelly's SP+ model, the Cardinals have just a 14.62% chance to take down the Fighting Irish. According to SP+ ratings, Louisville is favored in three of the remaining seven games of the season.
- Personal Prediction: Notre Dame 38, Louisville 21 - The Fighting Irish have one of the best offensive lines in nation, which will already make for a tough time containing the run game. Coupled with the inauspicious start on offense, and it's hard to see Louisville escaping with a win.
(Photo of Dorian Etheridge, Ian Book: Matt Cashore/USA TODAY Sports)
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