Georgia Hosts Notre Dame for 1st Time in History
The fans at Sanford Stadium see the 7th-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the 3rd-ranked Georgia Bulldogs when they take their seats on Saturday. This is the first time Notre Dame and Georgia have ever played in Athens. This prime-time matchup is the class of the college football schedule of the day, lets hope the game lives up to it’s hype. The Irish play their first road game against an SEC team ranked in the top five since 1999. That game was a loss at Tennessee. This is just the third matchup with Georgia in program history (the first being Georgia’s 1981 Sugar Bowl victory for the national championship).
Jake Fromm made his first college start as a freshman two years ago and he directed Georgia to a thrilling victory at Notre Dame. The junior All-American now leads his Bulldogs into Saturday’s rematch the Fighting Irish. Fromm completed 16-of-29 passes for a touchdown in that 2019 triumph in 2017. After that win, Fromm never relinquished the starting role. He has since directed the Bulldogs to two SEC title contests and a national title game as Georgia has returned to prominence.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, CBS. LINE: Georgia -15.5; O/U: 59.
Georgia coach Kirby Smart acknowledged that victory in the second game of 2017 is somewhat of a benchmark for the program and his quarterback, telling reporters Monday, “I think that helps the trajectory of things. I mean, it was a big win for us. It was a big win for Jake, to go on the road and play in a place like that and play well enough to win.”
The early-season showdown should provide a benchmark for both teams. The Bulldogs have run roughshod over their first three opponents and are averaging 49.3 points per game. Fromm is completing 75 percent of his passes in limited play as the games have been routes.
The Irish have scored 101 points in two convincing victories. Notre Dame also features strong play at quarterback. Veteran signal-caller, Ian Book leads all Power 5 signal-callers in yards per completion, at 19.07 yards. He also passed for five touchdowns against New Mexico last week. “We have to keep doing what we’re doing, keep trusting our coaches, follow our plan,” Book told reporters Tuesday. “We’ve been talking about this game for a while.” Notre Dame running backs have 1,041 consecutive carries without losing a fumble. That dates to Nov. 21, 2015, and is currently the second-longest active FBS streak behind Northwestern.
This, That, and a Dart Throw
Notre Dame has started the season 2-0. Book passed for 193 yards and a touchdown at Louisville, then he led the crushing of New Mexico. He led the Irish with 406 yards of total offense with 360 passing yards and 46 rushing yards. Book ranks fifth in the nation in passer rating at 202.7. The Irish are seventh in the nation in scoring offense. Running back Tony Jones Jr. rushed for 110 yards and a touchdown against Louisville. Javon McKinley caught two touchdowns last week. Notre Dame leads the nation in turnover margin at plus-six, and ranks ninth nationally in tackles for loss per game at nine.
Georgia has started the season 3-0. Fromm rested for most of the second half in blowouts of Murray State and Arkansas State. He passed for 601 yards with five touchdowns and a 200.3 passer rating. Five Georgia running backs have rushed for 100 yards and at least one touchdown through three games. They are paced by D’Andre Swift’s 290 yards (9.4 per carry) and two scores. George Pickens leads the team with nine receptions for 162 yards. The Bulldogs have yet to be challenged defensively. They rank third in the nation at 7.7 points allowed per game and second in the SEC with 12 sacks.
The College Football Dart Throw: Georgia 41, Notre Dame 24
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Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs Georgia Bulldogs Trends
Georgia Bulldog Trends
- Trend Over is 3-0-1 in Bulldogs last 4 games as an underdog of 10.5 or greater. Hit % 100.00% (4) O/U 3|0 Push 1 W/L
- Under is 19-7-1 in Bulldogs last 27 games as a home favorite. 73.10% (27) 7|19 1
- Over is 12-4-1 in Bulldogs last 17 games as a home underdog. 75.00% (17) 12|4 1
- Under is 16-6 in Bulldogs last 22 games as a home favorite of 10.5 or greater. 72.70% (22) 6|16 0
Notre Dame Fighting Irish Trends
- Trend Under is 13-3 in Fighting Irish last 16 games as an underdog of 10.5 or greater. Hit % 81.20% (16) O/U 3|0 Push 1 W/L
- Under is 4-1 in Fighting Irish last 5 games as a road underdog of 0.5-3.0. 80.00% (5) 1|4 0
- Over is 11-5 in Fighting Irish last 16 games as a favorite of 0.5-3.0. 68.80% (16) 11|5 0
- Over is 4-0 in Fighting Irish last 4 games as a road underdog of 3.5-10.0. 100.00% (4) 4|0 0
Next up:
Notre Dame home to Virginia Saturday, September 28
Georgia at Tennessee Saturday, October 5
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