Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs Georgia Bulldogs: Predictions, Odds and Roster Notes

A T H E N S ? @NDFootball x @GeorgiaFootball … see you next week!

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— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) September 15, 2019

Where: Sanford Stadium in Athens, GA

When: Saturday, September 21st at 8 pm EST

How (TV): CBS

Notre Dame Fighting Irish (Away)

Head Coach: Brian Kelly {All-Time: 136-57 | CMU, CIN, ND}

Regular Season Record: 2-0

After taking down Louisville and New Mexico in their first two games, Notre Dame will face arguably their toughest opponent of the season in Georgia on Saturday night. A win in Athens would be the Irish’s first road victory over an SEC opponent since 2004 when they beat Tennessee in Neyland Stadium.

The Irish head into this game brimming with confidence after a convincing 66-14 win over New Mexico State last Saturday. Quarterback Ian Book was on point, throwing for 360 yards and five touchdowns, while also running for a score. Notre Dame was unable to get their ground game together, with lead back Tony Jones Jr. getting just six carries for 17 yards.

Notre Dame’s secondary made life hard on New Mexico’s quarterback Sheriron Jones, with defensive backs Shaun Crawford, Kyle Hamilton, and Jalen Elliott picking off the Lobos’ signal-caller once each. The Irish were also able to penetrate New Mexico’s offensive line for negative plays, although none of those tackles for losses resulted in sacks.

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Head Coach: Kirby Smart {All-Time: 35-10 | UGA}

Regular Season Record: 3-0

With an average winning margin of 41.7 points through their first three games, the Georgia Bulldogs have put on a great display of their firepower. Before they begin their SEC schedule, they must take on one more non-conference foe in Notre Dame. A win over one of last year’s College Football Playoff finalists should more than legitimatize UGA’s claim for a berth in this season’s playoff.

Georgia’s most recent victory came against a Sun Belt Conference opponent in Arkansas State, with the Bulldogs annihilating the Red Wolves 55-0. UGA won with a balanced offensive approach, as quarterback Jake Fromm threw for three touchdowns, while four different running backs not named D’Andre Swift managed to register rushing touchdowns.

Georgia’s defense completely shut down Arkansas State’s rushing attack, as the top runner for the Red Wolves, D.J. Chatman, could only muster 24 of their 43 rushing yards. A handful of backups on this unit were able to contribute big plays, as reserve linebackers Jermaine Johnson and Quay Walker managed to register a sack apiece, while freshman safety Lewis Cine tallied his first career interception.

Notre Dame vs Georgia All-Time Series

These two schools have played each other just twice prior to Saturday, with the Bulldogs winning both games. The most recent meeting took place in 2017 as the first leg of the current home-and-home series, where Georgia eked out a 20-19 win in South Bend.

Some notable NFL names from this game include Georgia’s running back duo of Sony Michel and Nick Chubb as well as linebacker Roquan Smith. Notre Dame’s NFL representatives from this game include 2019 draftees Drue Tranquill, Julian Love, and Miles Boykin.

Notre Dame Roster Notes

Junior tight end Cole Kmet has been cleared to play against Georgia after dealing with a broken collarbone.

Junior wide receiver Michael Young will not play against Georgia due to a broken collarbone.

Sophomore running back Jahmir Smith is questionable to play against Georgia due to turf toe suffered during a scrimmage prior to the New Mexico game.

Sophomore running back Jafar Armstrong is out 4-6 weeks due to a groin injury suffered in the season opener against Louisville.

Sophomore wide receiver Kevin Austin is out for the season due to a school imposed suspension.

Cornerback Avery Davis has been converted to a running back due to injuries at that position.

Georgia Roster Notes

Redshirt freshman wide receiver Kearis Jackson is out indefinitely with a broken hand suffered against Vanderbilt.

Senior wide receiver Tyler Simmons is questionable against Notre Dame due to a right shoulder injury suffered the previous week against Arkansas State.

Redshirt freshman wide receiver Tommy Bush is out indefinitely with a sports hernia injury which has held him out the last two weeks.

Sophomore offensive tackle Isaiah Wilson is questionable against Notre Dame with an ankle injury suffered in practice on September 4th.

Redshirt freshman offensive tackle Owen Condon is questionable against Notre Dame due to an undisclosed lower-body injury

Senior defensive tackle Julian Rochester is medically cleared but still recovering from offseason ACL surgery.

Junior defensive end Tramel Walthour is questionable against Notre Dame with a lower-body injury.

Freshman quarterback D’Wan Mathis is questionable against Notre Dame with a head injury.

Freshman cornerback D.J. Daniel is questionable against Notre Dame with a hamstring injury suffered against Arkansas State.

Head-to-Head: Jalen Elliott (ND) vs George Pickens (UGA)

WIth Georgia dealing with injuries at wide receiver, reserves at that position will need to step up against Notre Dame’s defense. Chief among that group is heralded recruit George Pickens, who will have to deal with Irish safety Jalen Elliott lurking in coverage.

Jalen Elliott

Strong Safety | 6-1, 210lb | Lloyd C. Bird HS | Richmond, VA | Senior

With Notre Dame’s independent status granting them the freedom to schedule multiple big-name opponents, players like Elliott have been able to gain experience against some of the best collegiate players over the years. With 28 career starts, the Virginia native is a key locker room figure for the Irish. Although he lacks elite coverage skills, his knack for delivering big hits should keep Georgia’s receivers on high alert.

George Pickens

Wide Receiver | 6-3, 190lb | Hoover HS | Hoover, AL | Freshman

WIth Georgia blowing out their first three opponents, the fourth-ranked receiver signee has gotten plenty of reps to acclimate himself to the college game. Already possessing a great frame for a receiver and drawing comparisons to former Bulldog receiver A.J. Green, expectations are high for the Alabama native. How he performs against a senior-laden Notre Dame secondary should provide insight on how his talent stacks up.

Notre Dame at Georgia – Predictions and Odds

The odds for Notre Dame vs Georgia are provided by NJ sportsbooks 888Sport NJ, DraftKings, and Unibet NJ.

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