Game To Watch: #7 Cincinnati at #9 Notre Dame: October 2, 2021

Cincinnati will travel to South Bend for a showdown against Notre Dame on Saturday at 2:30 EST. The Bearcats are undefeated with blowout wins over Miami (OH) and Murray State, and a two touchdown win at Indiana. The Fighting Irish have also gone 4 – 0 to start the year, most recently turning a tight game against Wisconsin into an easy win thanks to a kickoff return touchdown and two pick sixes. Both of these teams have the schedule to make a Playoff run, if they are undefeated, one of them will continue that dream after Saturday.

Recent History

Notre Dame won the only previous meeting between the two teams, 58 – 0 in 1900. There is no other history between Cincinnati and Notre Dame.

Top 25 Players

What To Watch For…

Will Notre Dame Force Desmond Ridder Into Mistakes?

Desmond Ridder is off to a good start in 2021. The Bearcats’ quarterback has completed over 65 percent of his passes, is averaging 9 yards per attempt with 7 touchdowns and just 2 interceptions. He played very well the first two weeks, but struggled in his last game against Indiana. The Hoosiers were able to hold Ridder to 5.8 yards per attempt with just 1 touchdown and 1 interception, though he did run for a season high 45 yards and a touchdown. Notre Dame’s defense has been excellent pressuring the quarterback and forcing turnovers, they have 14 sacks and 9 interceptions in four games this year. The Fighting Irish have not allowed a quarterback to average 7 yards per attempt all season. Last week they did a number on Graham Mertz, holding him to a 44 percent completion percentage and intercepting him four times. The defense will look to repeat that performance, but Desmond Ridder is significantly better than Graham Mertz and will present a tougher match-up.

Can Notre Dame’s Offense Get on Track Against a Good Bearcats’ Defense?

Notre Dame’s offense has struggled to find a rhythm early in 2021. The running game has struggled all season, never running for more than 132 yards in a game and hitting a new low with 3 rushing yards against Wisconsin last week. The passing offense got off to a good start with back to back 300 yard games against Florida State and Toledo, but as the competition has gotten better the passing offense has also faltered, falling short of 250 yards against Purdue and Wisconsin. Cincinnati’s defense has played well so far, limiting opponents to 15 points per game. Their toughest opponent to date was Indiana, who did run for 152 yards, but the Bearcats were able to force Michael Penix into three interceptions. Cincinnati has an experienced defense that has stars at several key spots. This is not an easy defense to get on track against, but Notre Dame will have to find an offensive rhythm on Saturday if they want to win.

Will Notre Dame’s Offensive Line Hold Up?

The biggest troubles for Notre Dame’s offense have come from the position that is usually their strongest. The offensive line has struggled to open up holes in the running game and has been abysmal protecting the quarterback. The Fighting Irish have allowed 20 sacks in four games this year. The pressure on the quarterback has led to struggles getting the ball downfield and puts the offense behind the chains and makes it difficult for Notre Dame to sustain drives. With Blake Fisher still out with an injury, they will have to get better with the guys they have playing now. Cincinnati has players that can rush the passer, like Myjai Sanders and Jowon Briggs, though the Bearcats have not recorded many sacks this season. With only four sacks in three games, Cincinnati is looking to improve their pass rush and get home more often. On paper this is a good match-up for both teams to improve in this area, the one that shows the progress will have a big advantage in the game.

Prediction

Cincinnati is coming off a bye and has had an extra week to prepare while Notre Dame battled Wisconsin last week. This is a huge game for Cincinnati and there will be pressure on the Bearcats to perform in a hostile environment. Notre Dame will feed off that crowd and try to build a lead early. Overall, Cincinnati should be able to keep the Notre Dame offense in check and steal a win late on the road. Cincinnati 27 Notre Dame 24.

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University of Notre Dame Stadium.jpg Image taken by Cdnd is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.