No. 15 Louisville at No. 16 Notre Dame
Saturday, Sept. 28 — Notre Dame Stadium — South Bend, Indiana
2:30 p.m. on Peacock
With only one of these teams actually competing for a conference championship, this game has potent repercussions should a team that remains proudly independent lose. Louisville senior QB Tyler Shough has put his squad in Atlantic Coast Conference title contention by boasting a 3-0 record. Notre Dame enters the contest with senior LB Jack Kiser leading the team in tackles and the rest of the Irish’s 10th-ranked national defense.
Senior wide receiver Ja’Corey Brooks spearheads a robust Louisville receiver corps, leading in catches, receiving yards and sharing the lead of touchdown catches. Should Brooks be contained, junior and senior WRs Chris Bell and Jadon Thompson are experienced options in this top 3 conference offense.
Notre Dame’s strength, however, lies in toting the rock. Dual-threat senior QB Riley Leonard and sophomore RB Jeremiyah Love will stand testament to that. Beware, Louisville defense.
On the opposite end, safety duo seniors Rod Heard II and Xavier Watts help blanket opposing offenses while being part of a defense that has limited foes to 9.8 points-per-game. With Louisville’s muscle flexing more in the air than the ground, perhaps fans will see an alternate plan of attack as the Cardinals continue their hopes of Irish gold.
Prediction: Notre Dame 24, Louisville 10
No. 19 Illinois at No. 9 Penn State
Saturday, Sept. 28 — Beaver Stadium — University Park, Pennsylvania
6:30 p.m. on NBC
They’re partying like it’s 2011 in Champaign with Illinois’ first 4-0 start in 13 years and its second since 1951. The Fighting Illini are the only team in the country with a pair of Top 25 wins, taking down No. 19 Kansas in Week 2 before marching into Lincoln, Nebraska and leaving with an overtime win over No. 22 Nebraska last Friday.
The Illini are at the top of the standings in the Big Ten, and they’ll test their strength against conference stalwart Penn State. The Nittany Lions are 3-0 after avoiding an upset in a 34-27 win over Bowling Green on Sept. 7. After a bye week, they bounced back in a big way, beating lowly Kent State, 56-0.
Penn State boasts the 17th-best scoring offense in the nation at 41.3 points per game, but it’ll be matched with an Illinois defense giving up just 13.5 points per game. The Nittany Lions are well-rounded in surrendering just 13 points per game on their own, although the Illini don’t crack the country’s top 50 in scoring offense.
Homecoming at the second-largest stadium in college football is no easy environment, and Penn State’s home-field advantage should give it the edge to hand Illinois its first loss of the season.
Prediction: Penn State 28, Illinois 20
Arizona at No. 10 Utah
Saturday, Sept. 28 — Rice-Eccles Stadium — Salt Lake City
9:15 p.m. on ESPN
Utah’s offense has been well-rounded, with freshman quarterback Isaac Wilson — the first recorded true freshman starting QB in program history — making strides, and senior running back Micah Bernard consistently gaining yards on the ground.
Wilson ran a career-long 48 yards down the sideline in the third quarter against Oklahoma State. If Arizona can’t contain Wilson and Bernard, they could find themselves in a tough spot trying to defend against a versatile and dynamic Utah offense.
With Arizona’s rushing attack struggling, Utah’s defensive line can dominate the line of scrimmage and put pressure on sophomore QB Noah Fifita. Arizona managed only 56 rushing yards against Kansas State, which significantly hindered their offensive balance.
After a 31-7 loss against Kansas State, the Wildcats are going to have to improve in both run blocking and pass protection. They need to create better running lanes for the backs and provide Fifita with sufficient time to make plays.
Prediction: Utah 28, Arizona 21
No. 8 Oregon at UCLA
Saturday, Sept. 28 — Rose Bowl Stadium — Pasadena, California
10 p.m. on FOX
The UCLA Bruins are hosting the No.8 Oregon Ducks in Week 5 of the season. It has been nearly two years since the last time these teams met, Oregon got the better of UCLA in a high scoring game, 45-30. The Ducks are 3-0, coming off of a blowout win against their former conference rival Oregon State. The Bruins are following a defeat against the No.14 LSU Tigers.
Both teams are led by their senior QBs as Oregon is led by its transfer, Dillon Gabriel, a prime candidate for the Heisman trophy. UCLA is led by senior Ethan Garbers, coming off a game where he connected on two passing touchdowns.
Since the Bruins only tallied 14 rushing yards in their last performance, Garbers will definitely be looking to throw the ball the majority of the game. However, against the Ducks’ strong defense, they will need to come out with some variety on the offensive end to keep the Ducks’ defense guessing.
Oregon’s offense will be sure to bring it to UCLA’s defense, last week they tallied a total of 546 yards on offense. This balanced offense will be sure to test the Bruins on their home field.
The Rose Bowl will be a hostile environment for the Oregon Ducks and both teams will be sure to bring intense energy. All in all, the Ducks will dominate this game on both sides of the ball and come out of this game with an undefeated record.
Prediction: Oregon 38, UCLA 17
