Greg McElroy puts college football powerhouse on Week 5 upset alert

Greg McElroy predicts Arkansas will upset Notre Dame behind Taylen Green’s explosive play.

ESPN college football analyst Greg McElroy predicted the Arkansas Razorbacks would win in an upset against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Saturday. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Notre Dame and Arkansas will meet for the first time this Saturday, and Greg McElroy believes the Razorbacks are poised to shock the college football world. On his Always College Football podcast, McElroy picked Arkansas to knock off Notre Dame in Fayetteville, citing quarterback Taylen Green as the biggest difference-maker on the field.

The Fighting Irish enter at 1-2 after securing their first win of the season against Purdue, while Arkansas sits at 2-2 following a narrow loss to Memphis. Both teams arrive with plenty to prove, but McElroy leaned on the explosive ability of Green, who leads the nation in total offense, as the deciding factor.

“Notre Dame is about a six-point favorite,” McElroy said. “I’ll take Arkansas. I think their quarterback is the most dynamic weapon in the game and I fully expect this game to be a shootout from start to finish.”

Notre Dame Defense Faces A Major Road Test

McElroy highlighted the drastic decline in Notre Dame’s secondary as one of the most surprising developments of the early season. The Fighting Irish rank 132nd nationally in pass defense, giving up nearly 290 yards per game through the air after finishing near the top of the country in coverage a year ago.

Arkansas’ passing attack, featuring O’Mega Blake and multiple complementary receivers, stands to benefit. Blake already has 326 receiving yards and four touchdowns, while fellow targets Jalen Brown, CJ Brown, and Railen Shipp provide depth. The Razorbacks have five players with more than 130 receiving yards through four games, which creates matchup problems for a Notre Dame defense still searching for stability.

Arkansas Razorbacks quarterback Taylen Green (10) has thrown for 1,191 yards, 12 touchdowns and four interceptions along with 360 rushing yards and two scores on the ground. | Wesley Hale-Imagn Images

McElroy pointed out the Irish have also struggled with generating pressure. Notre Dame ranks 127th in the FBS in time to first pressure, with opponents holding the ball for more than three seconds before feeling heat. With Green averaging nearly 400 total yards per game and adding a dangerous rushing element, Arkansas’ offense has a path to exploit both the secondary and front seven.

On the other side, McElroy praised Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr for his efficiency and composure in difficult early-season matchups. Carr has completed more than 66 percent of his passes with five touchdowns, but the offense has not been enough to offset defensive lapses. That reality sets the stage for what McElroy expects to be a high-scoring battle.

Coordinator Chess Match Adds Another Layer Of Intrigue

Beyond the players on the field, McElroy emphasized the importance of the coaching duels that will shape this contest. He called it one of the best coordinator matchups of the week, highlighting Notre Dame offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock against Arkansas defensive coordinator Travis Williams, and Razorbacks offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino against Irish defensive coordinator Chris Ash.

McElroy noted that Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman faces mounting pressure after mixed results since a breakthrough nine-win season in 2021. He also praised Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman for his aggressive defensive philosophy, even if execution has faltered early this year.

Arkansas football head coach Sam Pittman and the Razorbacks are looking to get back above .500 with a win over Notre Dame. | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

The Razorbacks boast an offense that ranks among the top 20 nationally in both rushing and passing, averaging more than 43 points per game. Notre Dame’s scoring offense sits at 40 points per game, but its defensive shortcomings make the Irish vulnerable. McElroy’s confidence in Arkansas underscores the stakes for both programs as they fight to gain traction heading into October.

Arkansas will host Notre Dame on Saturday at 12 p.m. ET on ABC.