|
Notre Dame (4-1) at North
Carolina (4-1),
3:30 EST, ABC
Why to watch: While it’s
going to get dwarfed by some of
Saturday’s higher-profile games,
Notre Dame traveling to Chapel
Hill shapes up as one of the
sneaky good match ups of the
weekend. Both schools have
exceeded expectations in the
first month of the season, and
are on the brink of garnering
more national attention.
Carolina followed up its
heart-pounding upset of Miami
with a total domination of
previously-unbeaten Connecticut
that catapulted it into the AP
Top 25. The Tar Heels are
getting contributions from
everywhere on the roster,
another sign of progress in
Butch Davis’ second season with
the program. With a manageable
schedule the rest of the way, 10
wins could be within reach for
the upstart Heels. Just how good
is Notre Dame? It’s clearly
light years better than last
year, but we’ll get a much
better read on the Irish as they
head on the road for just the
second time all year. QB Jimmy
Clausen is a transformed player
in his second season, having
already tossed a dozen touchdown
passes, including three apiece
in recent wins over Purdue and
Stanford. A win at North
Carolina will earn Notre Dame
some of the respect it’s lacking
at this time.
Why Notre Dame might win:
While there’s been a fair amount
of bending, the Irish defense
hasn’t broken much this season.
It’s yet to allow more than 23
points in a game, a trend it’ll
continue against an average
Carolina offense. DE Pat Kuntz
and safeties David Bruton and
Kyle McCarthy have been the
sparkplugs of a unit that’s
played considerably better than
a year ago. When the Tar Heels
aren’t getting from the special
teams, the offense has struggled
to sustain drives or have much
success on the ground. If
Clausen can stay hot, with the
help of freshmen pass-catchers
Michael Floyd and Kyle Rudolph,
Notre Dame will soar past
Carolina.
Why North Carolina might win:
Clausen likely won’t stay hot.
This will be the toughest test
of the year for the young
quarterback, who’ll be leaving
the cozy confines of South Bend
to face the nation’s 19th-ranked
pass efficiency defense. Led by
four from S Trimane Goddard, the
Tar Heels already have a dozen
picks and will continue getting
support up front from one of the
ACC’s top defensive lines. The
Irish have played better along
the offensive line, but could
regress when going up against
tackles Marvin Austin, Aleric
Mullins, and Cam Thomas. If
Clausen is kept in check, Notre
Dame lacks the consistency in
the running game to change gears
on offense.
Who to watch: If Notre
Dame hopes to leave Kenan
Stadium with an upset win, it
better know where No. 54 in baby
blue is at all times. Carolina
LB Bruce Carter had one of the
great quarters in special teams
history, blocking three
consecutive punts in the second
frame, one of which was
recovered for a touchdown. He’s
also been disruptive on defense,
a speedy playmaker who’s
evolving into a star in his
second season.
What will happen: This is
a fork-in-the-road type game for
a pair of burgeoning schools
still unsure how far they can go
this season. Carolina will knock
Notre Dame down a peg by
controlling the line of
scrimmage and picking off a
couple of Clausen’s passes. The
Heels will get enough from QB
Cam Sexton and RB Shaun Draughn
to hold off the Irish and pull
within a win of bowl
eligibility.
CFN Prediction: North
Carolina 27 … Notre Dame 16 ...
Line: North Carolina -7
Must See Rating: (5 The
Girls Next Door: Season 5
- 1 2008 Chicago Cub Playoff
Highlights) … 4
-
Click here to receive ATS
Consultants FREE selections
UCF (2-3) at Miami (2-3),
3:45 EST, ESPNU
Why to watch: Separated
by just a 200-mile stretch of
the Florida Turnpike, Miami and
UCF will meet for the first
time. Losers of five straight
ACC home games and 12 of their
last 15 league games, the
Hurricanes are reeling in Randy
Shannon’s second season. They
were as sloppy as the weather in
last Saturday’s 41-39 loss to
rival Florida State, and have
only this game with UCF before
the conference schedule
continues a week later. The
Knights have issues of their
own, laboring to find
consistency in the backfield and
trying to regain the swagger
from last year’s Conference USA
championship season. Beating
Miami in South Florida would be
a Herculean accomplishment for
George O’Leary, who’s constantly
trying to steal headlines and
recruits away from the state’s
marquee programs.
Why UCF might win: If the
Knight offense is going to find
a rhythm, this might be the week
to do it. Miami has been
terrible on defense the last two
weeks, suffering from frequent
breakdowns, especially in pass
defense. Making matters worse LB
Colin McCarthy and DE Eric
Moncur could miss the rest of
the season with injuries. The
quarterback rotation of Rob
Calabrese and Michael Greco was
effective in last week’s win
over SMU, and RB Ronnie Weaver
is coming off the first 100-yard
game of his career.
Why Miami might win: The
Canes’ defensive problems are
nothing compared to what they’re
enduring in Orlando. UCF has
ripped for 15 touchdowns over
the last four games, having an
equal amount of trouble in run
and pass defense. Miami will
capitalize with the running of
Graig Cooper and the passing of
Robert Marve, who has shown
flashes of potential in his
rookie season. After facing
Florida, Texas A&M, North
Carolina, and Florida State in
successive games, the Hurricanes
are poised to explode on offense
versus a weaker opponent.
Who to watch: Miami may
have mined its answer to former
game-breaker Devin Hester in
true freshman Travis Benjamin. A
5-10, 162-pounder with track
speed, he had a touchdown, a
touchdown reception, and 274
yards of total offense in the
loss to Florida State. You can
expect the Hurricane staff to
find new ways to get the ball in
his hands over the balance of
the season.
What will happen: Miami
needs to get back on a winning
path immediately, or else this
season will quickly unravel like
last year’s 5-7 campaign. The
Hurricanes will play angry at
the expense of a sub-par UCF
team, running them out of the
stadium with Cooper and
dominating whoever O’Leary
decides to put behind center.
Marve’s upside as the eventual
face of the program will be
evident for the first time this
fall.
CFN Prediction: Miami 35 …
UCF 14 ... Line: Miami -15
Must See Rating: (5 The
Girls Next Door: Season 5
- 1 2008 Chicago Cub Playoff
Highlights) … 2
-
Click here to receive ATS
Consultants FREE selections
-
ACC Week
Seven Predictions, Oct. 11 |