The RedHawks will look to put their strength on the line once again as they head off to their fight against the Fighting Irish on Saturday. Notre Dame already survived one shattering home loss to a Mid-American Conference team, Northern Illinois, two weeks ago. So, they, no way, can get away with another blow, if they want to keep their playoff aspirations intact. Hence, they are leaving no stone unturned to get braced up in front of the sharp scrutiny of the current Miami coach, Chunk Martin, who knows the Irish mystique the best.

On the other hand, Miami started the season as a heavy favorite to defend their league champ status. Sadly, after two weeks on the road they lost their momentum. A win on Saturday might be instrumental in their resurgence in the prestige list. No matter whether they can or can’t get the upper hand, Dan Hicks and Jason Garret will be there to call in a boiling weekend showdown.

Dan Hicks has been the veteran asset of the NBC since 1992. He keeps nailing his role as the play-by-play voice for NBC’s coverage of the PGA Tour since 2000. After a whirlwind stint, he was officially announced as the play-by-play voice for Notre Dame football games on NBC for the 2024 season replacing Jac Collinsworth. The quality and temperament he brings to the table is infectious. Former Cowboys coach Jason Garret, who is slated to co-host the Irish games alongside Hicks, has been with the program for the past two seasons.

While their deliveries will certainly sprinkle spice to the already existing hype, the real show-stopper will be the game itself.

How Miami (Ohio) and Notre Dame are stacking against each other? 

Pointing the endzone has been a tough nut for Miami (OH) quarterbacks. They could only mark two touchdowns so far. However, to balance out an upsetting offensive line, they gave a tiff fight with their tight defense but couldn’t grab a win. Relatively, Notre Dame’s defense showcased some terrific performance, letting just 12 points go into the opponent’s scorecard. However, if they want to have the last laugh on the home ground, they have to take extra notice of the well-documented offense loopholes of the rival.

The RedHawks have issues with running. They are just on the average line of 32 yards rushing per game and 1.4 yards per carry. So, it’s pretty clear that the Irish don’t have to put their defense to the test as they simply get the edge over the line of scrimmage. They just need to let the opponent’s offense be at the same slower pace as they were through the last few weeks with calm and composed moves.

Any prompt and hasty decisions might make a golden chance for Miami, who will be hungry for an ego-brush.

If you want to know about other nitty-gritty of college football, you can refer to our ES Think Tank interview with Doug Sanders, founder of Sanders Sports and Entertainment.