Game Prediction: Notre Dame at Virginia Tech
Notre Dame (4-1) heads to Blacksburg, Va. this weekend to take on Virginia Tech (3-1) as the Fighting Irish look to bounce back from their loss to Cincinnati last weekend. The Hokies are looking to earn a much-needed big-game victory.
Irish Breakdown has broken down the game and now it is time to make our predictions.
BRYAN DRISKELL, PUBLISHER
Prediction: Notre Dame 20, Virginia Tech 10
Until the offense shows it can play good football I am going to assume it is not going to play good football, but as bad as Notre Dame has been on offense for much of the season the Hokies have been just as bad, if not worse.
This game is going to come down to which defense plays better and which quarterback can make the most plays. Notre Dame held Cincinnati's explosive offense 19 points below its season average and I expect the unit to thrive against Virginia Tech. The Hokies don't run the ball well and the Irish front should be able to get pressure on Braxton Burmeister. As long as Notre Dame doesn't fall victim to big plays or bad turnovers from its offense it should be able to keep Virginia Tech's points down.
Offensively the Irish are a mess right now, and until the line starts being competent the offense will remain a mess no matter who lines up at quarterback. I expect to see Jack Coan take the field at the start and his teammates need to finally have his back. If the line can just give Coan some time, Tommy Rees can protect him schematically and Coan handles the pressure more effectively the Notre Dame offense should do enough to win the game.
VINCE DEDARIO, FOOTBALL ANALYST
Prediction: Notre Dame 17, Virginia Tech 10
This has to be the hardest Notre Dame game to predict so far this year. I had the opponent scoring right on last week but the Irish failed me and could not consistently put the ball in the endzone. So how do you predict how the offense will fair this week in a hostile environment? I certainly see this as a low scoring game. If for some reason it becomes a shoot out then the chances of an Irish victory are slim.
I still have faith in what Marcus Freeman is doing with the defense and I think we will see improvement on the mistakes that were made against Cincinnati last week. This is not a high scoring Hokie offense so I think the defense will stand tough in this one. What the offense will do with a mystery quarterback is anyone's guess. I still think ND can pull it off but it could get ugly at times.
GRANT DELVECCHIO, STAFF WRITER
Prediction: Notre Dame 24, Virginia Tech 17
This game has upset written all over it. Fresh off of the team's first loss at home in four years, Notre Dame heads into Blacksburg for a night game inside Lane Stadium. The Irish are still looking for the right fit at quarterback and the already very strong Virginia Tech defense has had an extra week to prepare for the game. Still, I think the Irish will get back to their winning ways, though I wouldn't be overly surprised by a Hokie upset.
I think wide receivers Tre Turner and Tayvion Robinson are going to have big days for Virginia Tech offensively, but the Hokies are going to need more consistent play out of quarterback Braxton Burmeister if they are going to take down Notre Dame. Meanwhile, whoever does end up under center for the Irish is going to have a tough time finding the Irish against cornerbacks Chamarri Conner and Jermaine Waller. This won't be a high-scoring game, I just like what Notre Dame has on both sides a little bit more.
ANDREW MCDONOUGH, IB CONTRIBUTOR
Prediction: Notre Dame 17, Virginia Tech 13
This has been a difficult week for Notre Dame to say the least. After a loss to Cincinnati in which the Irish were outclassed on offense, defense, and special teams, all but ended the hopes of a playoff berth this season, Notre Dame must go on the road for a night game in Lane Stadium, which is always a tough place to play. We will find out a lot about the character of this Notre Dame team in Blacksburg. Can the team circle the wagons and deliver its best performance of the year, or will the same problems that have surfaced during the first half of this season again limit Notre Dame.
I expect this to be an ugly, low-scoring game that comes down to one thing – Notre Dame is just more talented than Virginia Tech. With nothing to make me think that the offensive line issues that have plagued this team all year will be fixed, regardless of whether Jack Coan or Drew Pyne play quarterback, I think the Irish offense will struggle against a strong Hokie defense that ranks second in the ACC in pass defense and scoring defense (15.3 PPG). However, I expect the Notre Dame defense to control the game against a bad Virginia Tech offense who despite games against Middle Tennessee, Richmond, and a North Carolina team that surrendered 45 points to Georgia Tech, ranks 13th in the ACC in scoring (23.5 PPG) and rushing offense and 11th in the ACC in passing offense.
Ultimately, Notre Dame will find a way to hit a couple big plays and pull this one out at the end – like they have 35 times in a row against unranked opponents – but the Irish will head into a much-needed bye week with more questions than answers.
SHAUN DAVIS, ESPN CHICAGO
Prediction: Notre Dame 27, Virginia Tech 21
Notre Dame’s season was always going to come down to this stretch of 4 games, and the road contest against the Hokies figured to be one of the most daunting tasks for the Fighting Irish. Brian Kelly says he knows who his quarterback will be on Saturday night, but he’s going to keep Justin Fuentes and his staff waiting until his offense jogs onto the field Saturday night. Jack Coan has started all five games this season, but he hasn’t finished the last two games.
One of the things that stuck out from Virginia Tech’s win against North Carolina was the atmosphere of Lane Stadium at night. If Sam Howell was affected, then expect any Notre Dame quarterback with a troubled offense line to struggle early on. The Hokies defense is fast and aggressive, and historically have great play in the defensive backfield. This means more opportunities for Notre Dame’s wideouts against bump and run coverage. Kevin Austin will look to respond to his subpar performance against Cincinnati as he did in his best game of the season against Wisconsin.
The Hokies didn’t exactly dominate Richmond in their last contest, but like Notre Dame’s last two opponents, a week off should help them get healthy. This game is huge for Virginia Tech, but their next game versus Pittsburgh probably holds more weight in their push for an ACC Championship. The Hokies offense has playmakers on the outside, but they’ve struggled with inconsistent play along the offensive line themselves. This game sounds like a low scoring affair that will be won by the team that makes the least number of mistakes. The best unit out of the four main units is the Notre Dame defense, and they’ll have to dominate on the road.
RYAN ROBERTS, RISENDRAFT
Prediction: Notre Dame 24, Virginia Tech 14
Hoping for an offensive turnaround for the Irish has become a moot point. With uncertainty upfront, what we see is most likely what we are going to get. The defense will have to be the name of the game - and that unit has played well. Virginia Tech is a talented football team that is amongst the most volatile units in the country. At their best, they can upset the Irish. Ultimately, the Irish make them a little too one-dimensional offensively and escape with a hard-fought victory.
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