The No. 17 Notre Dame Fighting Irish are back home hoping to keep their winning ways after a commanding 66-7 road victory over Purdue last week. Notre Dame fans haven’t forgotten the upset loss to Northern Illinois at home in Week 2, especially with another MAC school coming to town this week in Miami (Ohio). In addition to that matchup with the unranked RedHawks, Notre Dame has a visit from No. 19 Louisville scheduled for next week, but the Irish don’t have to worry about their work until Week 4 to avoid two losses to unranked opponents that will end their hopes of a spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff this fall.
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This is the second meeting between Miami (Ohio) and Notre Dame in program history, with Notre Dame winning the 2017 matchup 52-17. A win would be the RedHawks’ first road victory against a ranked opponent since 2003, when a Ben Roethlisberger-led team defeated No. 20 Bowling Green to win the 2003 MAC championship.
Miami is coached by a former Notre Dame assistant Chuck Martin, who is in his 11th season in the top job. The RedHawks are 0-2 into the 2024 season, with losses to Northwestern and Cincinnati in their first two games. The 2023 MAC champions still have a chance to defend their conference title, as they don’t begin MAC play until Oct. 5 with a visit to Toledo.
After a devastating loss to Northern Illinois, Notre Dame was at its best against Purdue, outscoring the Boilermakers 42-0 in the first half and outscoring them 362-38. The strength of the Irish running game was evident in the hands of the running backs. Jeremiya Love And Jadarian Price, and QB Riley Leonard, who had 11 carries for 100 yards and 3 TDs. The running game has been at the core of Notre Dame’s success, but it’s hard to ignore the passing game’s limitations: In three games, Leonard has yet to throw a passing touchdown. He is the only quarterback in the FBS this season with 75+ passing attempts and 0 TD passes, while the backup QB Steve Angeli threw two touchdown passes after arriving in the second half of the overwhelming victory.
But there is no doubt that last Saturday’s victory was a much-needed course correction and confidence boost for Leonard and Notre Dame.
“My coaches and teammates, all the credit goes to them,” Leonard said after the win. “All the credit goes to (Marcus Freeman). He brought me into his office every day and said, ‘Hey, you’re the right guy. I trust you and have the most confidence in the world in you.’ That built me up and I was extremely well prepared for this game. All week I couldn’t wait to get back on the field and prove myself.”
Notre Dame vs. Miami (OH) Best Bets: Odds, Predictions, Latest Stats and Trends for September 21
How to watch the college football game Miami (Ohio) vs. Notre Dame
Odds for Miami (Ohio) vs. Notre Dame
● Money line: Miami (OH) +1400, Notre Dame -8000
● Spread: Notre Dame -27.5
● In total: 44.5
*Quotes courtesy of BetMGM
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