Northern Illinois Huskies vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish Pick & Prediction SEPTEMBER 7th 2024

Preview and Prediction

Notre Dame's head coach Marcus Freeman received a text this week from one of his former coaches, congratulating him on his team's rise to No. 5 in the rankings after a victory against Texas A&M on the road.

Freeman made sure to answer the call, which served as a reminder to him that the greatest danger is believing that everything is going well when in reality, there is still much work to be done.

"My college coach called me, and I was expecting to hear words of praise and congratulations," Freeman shared. "But instead, he reminded me that we still have a lot of room for improvement. That's where our focus needs to be now."

This Saturday, Notre Dame (1-0) will aim to build on their recent success as they host Northern Illinois (1-0) in their home opener in South Bend, Indiana.

Quarterback Riley Leonard, who transferred from Duke during the offseason, will make his debut at Notre Dame Stadium. In his first game with the Fighting Irish, Leonard completed 18 of 30 passes for 158 yards and ran for 63 yards on 12 carries.

Freeman was particularly impressed with Leonard's performance in one key area – he had zero turnovers.

"Riley played the quarterback position exceptionally well," Freeman praised. "He did exactly what we asked of him, which was to take care of the football. We weren't looking for big, explosive plays. Our focus was on playing complementary football, and Riley did an excellent job of executing that game plan."

Northern Illinois, on the other hand, will be looking to pull off an upset in their first road game of the season. The Huskies are coming off a dominant 54-15 victory against Western Illinois last week.

Quarterback Ethan Hampton had an impressive performance, completing 18 of 20 passes for 328 yards and five touchdowns. Wide receivers Trayvon Rudolph and Grayson Barnes were his top targets, combining for 199 yards and two touchdowns.

Head coach Thomas Hammock and his players are aware of the challenge they face in playing at Notre Dame Stadium, but they are ready for the hostile environment.

"It's a huge challenge for us," Hammock acknowledged. "We know it's going to be a tough crowd, so we'll be practicing with crowd noise this week. We have to be prepared for everything that comes with playing at Notre Dame. But ultimately, it's about us and how we prepare and execute. We know it's going to be a physical game, and we have to match Notre Dame's intensity."

Notre Dame's defense was a standout in their victory against Texas A&M, and they will be looking to maintain their strong performance against Northern Illinois. Last week, Xavier Watts and Adon Shuler each recorded an interception, while Jack Kiser led the team with eight tackles.

Unfortunately, wide receiver Jordan Faison will be out for 1-2 weeks due to a sprained ankle, according to Freeman. He will not be available for the game against Northern Illinois.

"We'll have to see how he progresses over the next week and when he'll be able to return," Freeman stated.

PREDICTION

Northern Illinois Huskies

10

38

Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Northern Illinois Huskies vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish Recap SEP 7TH 2024