The Northern Illinois Huskies (1-0) aim to take control over the seventh-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish (1-0) on Saturday, September 7, at 3:30 PM ET at Notre Dame Stadium in Notre Dame, Indiana. The Fighting Irish are heavy favorites at home, with a point spread at -29.5 (-110).
The Huskies enter this game with positive energy after a 54-15 blowout win over the Western Illinois Leathernecks. The game started off slow after the Huskies had a 6-3 lead going into the second quarter, but the Huskies dropped 28 points in the second without an answer from the Leathernecks to quickly put the game out of reach.
Quarterback Ethan Hampton was excellent, connecting on 18 of his 20 passes. He accumulated 328 yards and five touchdowns on the day. Trayvon Rudolph was also phenomenal, with four receptions totaling 104 yards and a touchdown, which shows this duo will be key here.
While the numbers are impressive, they will most likely not be able to produce 706 total yards again. They also allowed 298 yards from the Leathernecks, which will be tough to limit the Fighting Irish to this amount.
The Huskies finished 7-6 overall last season and were 5-3 in the MAC West. They have an opportunity to do much better this year and have a tough test ahead.
The Fighting Irish had a solid win in their opener against the 20th-ranked Texas A&M Aggie, defeating them 23-13. This game was a nail-biter to the end, but Jeremiyah Love broke the tie with his 21-yard touchdown with just under two minutes remaining. They eventually regained possession and added another three points with 30 seconds left.
Riley Leonard was solid in that battle but cannot afford to have another game like it. He completed 18 out of 30 passes and had 158 yards. Beaux Collins had five receptions and 62 yards, which stood out for their offense.
One key to their victory was no turnovers; they could force two from the Aggies. They also won the total yards battle with 356 compared to their 246.
The Fighting Irish went 10-3 last year and have a great shot at doing better this season. They need to continue beating teams they are supposed to defeat and not stay too close for comfort.
MyBookie gives you excellent college football betting odds for the Northern Illinois Huskies vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish showdown, with the Fighting Irish strongly favored. Market insights predict the Fight Irish have a 96.1 percent chance of winning.
The odds show the Fighting Irish as 29.5-point favorites. They should have a better offensive battle here and be able to push ahead to cover the spread.
