Curious, now that we are just a few weeks out, as to what everyone feels about this game?
What’s the key matchup(s)?
ND Strengths/Weaknesses?
Miami Strengths/Weaknesses?
I’m glad Miami is catching them early. They are a well coached, disciplined team. I think their Oline is a strength, even though they lost the tackle to injury. The RBs are as good as anyone in the country. The question for them right now is at QB. Supposedly, it’s still an open competition, although Carr is said to have really good upside. Chatter out of South Bend is that he hasn’t been that great this summer.
Their defense worries me.
It comes down to how well Beck plays and if our defense is significantly improved.
Teams always seem to “figure us out” halfway through the season. You know what I’m talking about, when our supposedly stout defense has obvious holes that someone exposes, then other teams repeat that and we can’t stop it? Or teams figure out how to rattle our QB. Or whatever.
So in that sense an early game can be good for us. Anyone can win.
The thing is we have so many question marks that I have no idea what kind of team will take the field opening week. Seriously, who’s a bigger question mark, us or them?
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This will be a physical game. They have the heavies along both lines. Notre Dame has one of the bright lights in the young stellar coaching category. Their running game is worrisome. I worried earlier in the season about our LB room, and I hope the recent transfers shore us up. Hope the Wiley kid grows up fast and Toure pops some leather as he’s done in the past. Heatherman built his reputation as a LB coach. I really like our two safeties Thomas and Poyser. They pack a wallop. The game comes down to whether Beck returns to his earlier form and adjusts well to the Shannon Dawson offense. Hopefully, we start out methodically on offense, trying to establish rhythm before becoming long pass happy. It would be great to see our running game establish itself prominently in this game.
This game could be the start of something BIG. Let Beck become another Cane legend.
It will be hard to top the 2017 game. That was Richt’s finest hour. Miami was #2 after that game and then they badly under performed and lost in Pittsburg because Rosier couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn that day, Unlike Rosier, an unknown Pitt freshman QB named Kenny Pickett had a very good game and Miami was doomed.
It’s always hard to handicap teams that haven’t played a single game yet.
I believe the consensus spread is ND is favored by 2.5 points?
Both teams should be psyched up, it is a nationally televised night game.
Hard Rock should be sold out and loud.
The ND QB is an unknown. Obviously, they have a strong team as they have recruited very well.
But, bad QB play can kill a team pretty quickly.
Miami is a strong team as well. Beck has a lot of big game experience so that should help the Hurricanes. Hopefully, he will earn his $4M salary.
I see the game as a toss up. Turnovers, blown assignments and penalties may well decide it as is the case in most close games.
Miami’s kicking game could be a big factor. No more “Borregali” to count on.
The weather might also be a factor. Miami is used to very hot and humid, ND not so much. And if it rains, not unlikely, that should help Miami, too.
I would love to see Miami win in a blow out but I doubt that will happen. It will probably be a close game and the fans will suffer until the end.
Beating ND would be a big deal for Miami and would help give them a shot at the playoffs.
As usual, I will not be watching the game live but I will check the score occasionally because I’m a glutton for punishment.
I’m not sure how big of an advantage this is early in the season. It’s been a very hot and humid summer here with heat indexes similar to South Florida if not higher on a number of days.
Later in the season is when the temperature differences matter more.
All good points, and I think Bikki hit the nail on the head…methodical gameplan and let the Oline do it’s work (we are one of the best) and let our stable of backs rack up some yards. Play to our strength right now until we can get Beck and WR group working well. If we can manage the run game and if Beck can be accurate enough to manage the game then I think we have a great shot.
Really close call though.
I have devoted time to reading what Notre Dame pundits think about the upcoming opening game. They believe Notre Dame man for man, excluding the QB position, is stronger than any team in the nation other than Penn State.
They see their greatest strength on defense in their LBs and defensive backfield.
On offense, they view their talented RBs as their strength, along with a very strong, experienced offensive line. Undoubtedly, they predict the Irish will achieve some break out runs during the game. The big question mark is the QB position, two players aspiring to be the starter. One QB is a pocket QB with a live arm. The other is a mobile QB with an adequate arm. For my own part, I hope the pocket passer prevails, since over the years we’ve been snake bit by fleet-footed QBs.
The ND pundits see Miami as perhaps the strongest team they’ll face this year. They feel moreover that if ND moves past Miami, they have a valid chance of going unbeaten and do not dismiss the possibility of a national championship run.
Seems like our last really good win over the past decade was our upset victory over the Irish. Wouldn’t it be great to start the season with a stirring victory.