Duke football vs. Notre Dame: Scouting report, prediction for ESPN College GameDay matchup
Duke football is in the spotlight this weekend as the site of ESPN’s College GameDay.
The 17th-ranked Blue Devils (4-0, 1-0 ACC) host No. 11 Notre Dame (4-1) at 7:30 p.m. on ABC. Duke won 41-7 at UConn in Week 4 and the Fighting Irish lost a heartbreaker to No. 6 Ohio State.
Notre Dame, which is 5-2 in the all-time series against the Devils, has won 29 in a row against ACC opponents in the regular season. Here’s a look at some things to watch and a score prediction for Duke’s game against Notre Dame in prime time.
Can Duke football’s defense slow down Notre Dame's Audric Estimé?
Duke has one of the best scoring defenses in the nation, limiting opponents to 8.8 points per game. But the Blue Devils are toward the bottom of the ACC (10th) in defending the run, allowing an average of 133 rushing yards. Notre Dame’s strength is its run game, powered by Audric Estimé, who has an FBS-best 591 rushing yards. Estimé averaged 56.6 yards in Notre Dame’s last three losses. If Duke wants to win, it starts with slowing down Estimé.
HOW TO WATCH: What channel is Duke football vs Notre Dame on today? Time, TV schedule for Blue Devils
COACH K OR SPURRIER?: Who could be College GameDay guest picker for Duke football?
BLUE DEVILS BLOWOUT UCONN: Duke football blows out UConn ahead of showdown with Notre Dame
Duke quarterback Riley Leonard is the key
Why throw the ball when you can run it? Duke’s offense ran all over its first four opponents with an ACC-best 15 rushing touchdowns. The Blue Devils need quarterback Riley Leonard to put an “S” on his chest against Notre Dame. Duke lost twice last season when Leonard didn’t account for multiple TDs. Leonard only had one touchdown in the prime-time win against Clemson on Labor Day, but it put Duke ahead for good. He’ll need to max out his dual-threat ability to keep the Irish off balance. Wide receivers Jalon Calhoun and Jordan Moore are also gaining steam, having caught 24 passes for 330 yards in the last two weeks. Both could be X-factors on Saturday.
Duke keeps winning turnover battle
It’s a stat that continues to be featured, but one that becomes even more important in big-time matchups. Duke has won the turnover battle in 12 of its 17 games under head coach Mike Elko, with a 10-2 record. The Blue Devils are tied for ninth nationally in turnover margin.
Duke vs. Notre Dame score prediction
Duke 27, Notre Dame 26: The Blue Devils haven’t played a both-teams-are-ranked game in the regular season since beating Virginia in 1994. Duke won that game behind three TDs from its quarterback (Spence Fischer) and two interceptions from its defense. I think a similar story plays out Saturday.
Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached at rbaxley@fayobserver.com or @RoddBaxley on Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Duke football vs. Notre Dame: Scouting report, prediction
