Temple Owls vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish Preview
Where: Notre Dame Stadium— Southbend, Indiana
When: Saturday, September 2, 2017 – 3:30 PM ET
Line: Temple Owls (+18.5) vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (-18.5) – total: 55.0 – view all NCAA Football odds and lines
TV Broadcast: NBC
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Betting on the Temple Owls (+18.5)
2016 saw the Owls post 10 wins for the second-straight season. It’s great and all, but they have no time to be excited for this year, as they are getting hit with departures hard.
Aside from new coach Geoff Collins having to fill the big shoes of Matt Rhule, who guided the team’s recent resurgence, the quarterback position is getting hovered with uncertainty. From a four-man battle, the spot is now down to two, and Collins has stated that it’ll continue for the coming weeks, which is good because there’s progress (finally), and bad because it’s almost impossible to have two QBs splitting duties in the actual season.
Collins did not name who the front-runners are for the position, but the candidates, as you may remember, were junior Frank Nutile, and freshmen Logan Marchi, Anthony Russo, and Todd Centeio.
Whoever starts will enjoy a good crop of receivers – Ventell Bryant, Keith Kirkwood, and Adonis Jennings collectively had 12 TD grabs and over 2,000 yards receiving this past year, and they are all returning. The backfield, meanwhile, is now on Ryquell Armstead following Jahad Thomas’s departure. Armstead rushed for 919 yards on 5.9 yards per carry, and scored 14 TDs in 2016.
Defense is another area where the transitional period is presenting a tough challenge. The unit, which limited their last five opponents from last season to 33 points – with the last two being shutouts – and racked up 41 sacks, is only having four starters back, while also getting a new coordinator at the helm (former Purdue DBs coach, Taver Johnson).
Betting on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (-18.5)
With a frustrating 2016 season, wherein the Fighting Irish finished 4-8 and had seven losses by eight points or less, head coach Brian Kelly and the management overhauled the coaching staff – he hired new offensive (Chip Long) and defensive (Mike Elko) coordinators, and the team brought Brian Polian back to his usual special teams coaching chair (served from 2005-2009).
Replacements are also happening in the QB position, as Brandon Wimbush is hoping to follow the talented DeShone Kizer. Though he still lacks experience, he and his predecessor share the same tools and thus, can be expected to be explosive with his arm and feet.
Wimbush’s receiving corps will be mostly similar to him, as it is filled with unproven-but-potential-filled guys. Equanimous St. Brown, who registered 961 yards and nine TDs this past year, is in a prime position to headline the group and be a bonafide number one receiver.
The good news for the passing game is they will get all the help they can ask for. They have a strong ground attack under Josh Adams (517 yards on 7.4 yards per carry in his last five games of 2016), and their offensive line is undoubtedly top-notch – Mike McGlinchey and Quention Nelson, for one, are regarded to be first or second-round picks in the next NFL draft.
For the defense, Notre Dame’s best assets can be seen in the pool of linebackers and cornerbacks, as both are filled with talent and experience – Nyles Morgan, Greer Martini, Te’von Coney, Julian Love, etc. The concern will be on the line, as all 11 linemen on the roster (ends and tackles) had zero sacks this past season.
Writer’s Prediction
Notre Dame (-18.5) wins and covers the spread, 34-14.
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