Notre Dame Miami Preview

After a week off to rest and heal, Notre Dame heads to Soldier Field in Chicago, Ill. to renew a storied rivalry with the University of Miami Hurricanes at 7:30 p.m. (ET) on Saturday night. The match up between the Fighting Irish and the Hurricanes on Saturday is the first between the two teams since the 2010 Sun Bowl, where Notre Dame beat Miami by a score of 33-17. This is also the first time these two teams have met in the regular season since Notre Dame defeated then 2nd-ranked Miami by a score of 29-20 in 1990.Two weeks ago, the Irish defeated the Wolverines of Michigan at home by a score of 13-6. They used their bye week to give their nicked up players some much needed rest and recovery. The only big injury news over the break is backup defensive end Chase Hounshell will be out for the rest of the season and will have to undergo shoulder surgery this week.

Last week. the Miami Hurricanes narrowly defeated North Carolina State by a score of 44-37. Quarterback Stephen Morris threw a 62-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Phillip Dorsett with 19 seconds remaining in the game to secure the win. Morris threw for a school and ACC record 566 yards last week along with completing five touchdowns. Morris had an excellent passing game against the Wolfpack, completing 26 of 49 pass attempts. This, however, is the biggest strength the Hurricane offense has right now. Their running game is all but non-existent, running for a mere 85 yards against NC State last week, averaging 2.7 yards per carry. The Hurricane defense is also suspect. The Hurricane defense ranks 114th nationally in total defense, currently allowing an average of 269 yards per game, which means their offense has to make up for this deficit. The Hurricane defense allowed North Carolina State to gain 664 total yards last week. This looks like a recipe for success for Notre Dame’s running game this week.