Nevada-Notre Dame Preview Capsule

Posted September 08, 2016 7:00 am

By The Associated Press

Nevada (1-0) at No. 18 Notre Dame (0-1), 3:30 p.m. (NBC)

Line: Notre Dame by 28.

Series Record: Notre Dame leads 1-0.

WHAT'S AT STAKE

Notre Dame can't afford another loss after a disappointing double-overtime defeat in Texas, especially against a team from a mid-major conference that struggled to beat FCS Cal Poly in overtime. A win over the Irish would be the biggest road win ever for Nevada and the biggest win overall since the 19th-ranked Wolf Pack beat undefeated and No. 3 Boise State (10-0) in 2010 to knock the Broncos out of the national championship race.

KEY MATCHUP

Nevada QB Tyler Stewart vs. the Notre Dame secondary. Stewart isn't a dominant quarterback like Colin Kaepernick, who led the Wolf Pack the last time these two teams met in a 35-0 win for the Irish in 2009. But Stewart is a fifth-year senior who completed 17 of 23 passes for 189 yards in a 30-27 win over Cal Poly and played solidly as a junior. The Irish inexperienced secondary struggled against Texas.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Nevada: RB Jimmy Butler. The 5-foot-9, 210-pound junior from Bloomingdale, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, rushed for 140 yards and two touchdowns in the opener. He is the featured back this season after being the second leading rusher last season with 1,342 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Notre Dame: QB DeShone Kizer. The 6-5, 230-pound junior knows he won't be looking over his shoulder after sharing duties with Malik Zaire in the opener. Despite not playing the full game, Kizer ranks 12th in the nation with a 206.5 pass efficiency rating and his five TD passes tied a school record for a road game.

FACTS & FIGURES

The Irish have struggled in the second game of the season under Kelly, going 3-3 in those games. The wins include a last-minute 20-17 win at home in 2012 against Purdue and a 34-27 come-from-behind win last season against Virginia ... The Wolf Pack are 4-21 against ranked opponents since joining the FBS in 1992, 0-15 in road games. .... The Wolf Pack are playing on an extra day rest after playing Friday. The Irish are playing on a short week after playing Sunday.

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