College Football
Within Notre Dame’s Schedule, There are a Handful of Games That Stand Out Above the Rest
Year in and year out Notre Dame loads their schedule with exciting games. Whether it’s who they play or where, fans are always treated to an exciting season.
2018 will be no exception to this.
The Fighting Irish will look to continue the positive momentum coming off their 10-3 season last year which ended with a thrilling come from behind 21-17 win in the Citrus Bowl against LSU.
Here are a handful of games that stand out above the rest this season.
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at Virginia Tech 10/6
In early October the Fighting Irish will make their first-ever trip (second overall meeting) to Blacksburg to take on the No. 17 Hokies. In 2017, second-year coach Justin Fuente and his team finished with a solid 9-4 record. This was good enough for second place in the coastal division of the ACC. Virginia Tech is looking to improve this season and return to the conference championship game which they played in two seasons ago. A big part of that happening will be the play of quarterback Josh Jackson. The sophomore recently avoided missing any time this season thanks to an academic issue being resolved.
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Syracuse 11/17 (Yankee Stadium)
Late in the season, the Irish will travel to the Bronx to take on upstate New York’s Syracuse Orange. The team, led by fan-favorite Dino Babers, hasn’t had a winning season (or won at least 5 games) since 2013. However, there still is much room for optimism going into this season, much of which stems from their massive 27-24 upset of eventual playoff team Clemson. Syracuse’s chances of turning the corner and appearing in a bowl game lay within the play of dual-threat quarterback Eric Dungey.
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USC 11/24
To finish the season the Irish will take on their biggest rival in the Los Angeles Coliseum. Last season when the two ranked teams met in South Bend in mid-October the Irish ran away with a 49-14 victory over the then No. 11 ranked Trojans. Going into this season USC is No. 15 in the preseason rankings according to sporting news.The team will be tasked with replacing first-round draft pick Sam Darnold at quarterback.
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Stanford 9/29
The Cardinals are Notre Dame’s second biggest California rival. In last season’s matchup, Notre Dame went into the 4th quarter with a 20-17 lead. But that’s when the brakes completely came off and the Irish gave up 21 unanswered points. Head coach Brian Kelly’s team has not come away with a victory against the Cardinals since 2014. Stanford sits at No. 14 in the preseason rankings. The team returns a strong backfield with quarterback K.J Costello and All-American running back Bryce Love.
1. Michigan 9/1
The rivalry returns. For the first time in 4 years, these two teams will play against one another. This matchup is intriguing because of the team’s historical success. Also seeing two outgoing coaches in Jim Harbaugh and Brian Kelly on the same field will be fun. Because it is the first game of the season, this contest could be very telling as to how each team’s season will go. The last time these two teams played, the Irish waltzed their way to a 31-0 thrashing of the Wolverines. That result definitely adds to the anticipation for the fans.
Therefore, Fighting Irish fans have plenty to look forward to this season, not only with the team itself but also the opponents they’ll face.
