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The Notre Dame Fighting Irish were expected to win this one, and so far that's exactly how it's playing out. They are way out in front at halftime with a 24-7 lead over the Syracuse Orange.
QB Ian Book has led the way so far for the Fighting Irish, as he has passed for two TDs and 252 yards on 29 attempts in addition to punching in one rushing touchdown. 'Cuse has enjoyed the tag-team combination of WR Anthony Queeley and RB Sean Tucker. The former has snatched one receiving TD, while the latter has caught two passes for 46 yards.
The Orange haven't been much of a second-half team this year, losing 100% of the time when they were down at the break.
Who's Playing
Syracuse @ No. 2 Notre Dame
Current Records: Syracuse 1-9; Notre Dame 9-0
What to Know
After two games on the road, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish are heading back home. Notre Dame and the Syracuse Orange will face off in an ACC battle at 2:30 p.m. ET Saturday at Notre Dame Stadium. The Fighting Irish are out to keep their five-game home win streak alive.
It was all tied up 17-17 at the half for Notre Dame and the North Carolina Tar Heels last week, but Notre Dame stepped up in the second half for a 31-17 win. Notre Dame's RB Kyren Williams was on fire, rushing for two TDs and 124 yards on 23 carries in addition to snatching one receiving TD. Williams had some trouble finding his footing against the Boston College Eagles three weeks ago, so this was a step in the right direction.
Meanwhile, 'Cuse came up short against the NC State Wolfpack last week, falling 36-29. RB Sean Tucker had a memorable game, but not in the way you want to be remembered: he rushed for 18 yards on 16 carries.
The 'Cuse defensive unit accumulated six sacks. Leading the way was LB Marlowe Wax and his two sacks. Wax now has three sacks through ten games.
The Fighting Irish are the favorite in this one, with an expected 33.5-point (!) margin of victory. They are currently three-for-three against the spread in their most recent games, a trend bettors might want to take into account.
Notre Dame's victory brought them up to 9-0 while the Orange's defeat pulled them down to 1-9. Two offensive stats to keep in the back of your head while watching: Notre Dame ranks third in the nation when it comes to rushing touchdowns, with 27 on the season. Less enviably, 'Cuse is stumbling into the game with the third fewest yards per game in the nation, having accrued only 250.4 on average.
How To Watch
- When: Saturday at 2:30 p.m. ET
- Where: Notre Dame Stadium -- Notre Dame, Indiana
- TV: NBC
- Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Follow: CBS Sports App
Odds
The Fighting Irish are a big 33.5-point favorite against the Orange, according to the latest college football odds.
The oddsmakers were right in line with the betting community on this one, as the game opened as a 33.5-point spread, and stayed right there.
Over/Under: -108
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Series History
Notre Dame have won both of the games they've played against Syracuse in the last six years.
- Nov 17, 2018 - Notre Dame 36 vs. Syracuse 3
- Oct 01, 2016 - Notre Dame 50 vs. Syracuse 33
