The (#10) Notre Dame Fighting Irish (5-1) will face off against the (#25) Louisville Cardinals (5-0) on Saturday night. After losing a heartbreaker to Ohio State two weeks ago, Notre Dame bounced back with a dramatic 21-14 win over a previously undefeated Duke Blue Devils squad in Week 5. Quarterback Sam Hartman and the Irish went on a 12-play, 97-yard drive in the winning minutes of the game, capped by the game-winning touchdown run from running back Audric Estime. Meanwhile, Louisville survived the N.C. State Wolfpack 13-10 in last Saturday’s win. The Cardinals were elite on defense, holding the Wolfpack to 201 yards of offense.
(#10) Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs. (#25) Louisville Cardinals Odds and Match Details
Team | Spread | Total | ML |
(#10) Notre Dame | -6
-110 |
O54
-110 |
-245 |
(#25) Louisville | +6 -110 |
U54
-108 |
+200 |
- Fixture: Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs. Louisville Cardinals
- Date and Time: October 7, 2023 at 7:30 p.m.
- Location: L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium, Louisville, KY
- Weather Forecast: Sunny, 58 Degrees
- Field Surface: FieldTurf Revolution
Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs. Louisville Cardinals Injury Report
Notre Dame Fighting Irish Injuries
- Matt Salerno (WR)-Leg: OUT
- Dejon Colzie (WR)-Knee: OUT
- Kevin Bauman (TE)-Knee: OFS
- K.K. Smith (WR)-Shoulder: OFS
Louisville Cardinals Injuries
- N/A
Notre Dame Fighting Irish Key Stats
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish have scored 36.5 points per game, the 25th-highest average in college football. The passing game has been elite under transfer Sam Hartman. The former Wake Forest gunslinger has thrown for 1,458 yards and 14 scores against no interceptions through six games. The Irish are also fantastic running the football, averaging 192 rushing yards per game on 5.5 yards per attempt. Notre Dame is in the top 30 of the country in yards per game and yards per play while also being just one of four teams to average less than 0.5 turnovers per game.
The Fighting Irish are just one of 18 teams in the country to allow less than 15 points per game (13.0). The secondary has been fantastic, holding opposing passers to a lowly 47% completion percentage on 147 passing yards per game. The front seven is also stout, with opposing teams averaging just 3.5 yards per rush attempt. Notre Dame remains tied for sixth in lowest yards allowed per play while averaging an interception forced per contest.
Louisville Cardinals Key Stats
The Louisville Cardinals are among just six teams in the ACC to average over 35 points per game (37.0). They throw for an ACC-high 301 points per game. Cal transfer Jack Plummer has thrown for 1,406 yards and 11 scores against six picks in five games. They also average a healthy 5.2 yards per rush attempt. They are second in the ACC in yards per play and yards per game. They average 1.4 turnovers committed per game.
Defensively, Louisville surrenders 17.2 points per game, the fourth-lowest average in the ACC. Opposing passers have thrown for a healthy amount of touchdowns and yards despite completing just 55% of their passes. However, the front seven is borderline elite, keeping backfields to just 3.4 yards per attempt. Louisville has been fantastic in forcing turnovers, averaging 1.8 per game.
Game Prediction
I like the Irish in this contest. They are incredibly balanced on both sides of the ball, especially in the trenches. Meanwhile, the Louisville Cardinals do a fantastic job on offense but have some holes defensively. Their secondary has had some issues against passers, a bad sign for their upcoming game against the Sam Hartman-led Irish. So, let’s roll with Notre Dame on the spread of this contest.