College Sports

No. 7 Notre Dame's home winning streak on line against USF

Posted September 17, 2020 7:00 am

By The Associated Press

South Florida (1-0) at No. 7 Notre Dame (1-0), Saturday at 2:30 p.m. ET (USA).

Line: Notre Dame by 25 1/2.

Series record: South Florida leads 1-0.

WHAT'S AT STAKE?

After shaking off a sluggish first half in their 27-13 season-opening victory over Duke, Brian Kelly's Fighting Irish take a one-game hiatus from the Atlantic Coast Conference race. Up next is first-year coach Jeff Scott's Bulls, 27-6 winners over FCS school The Citadel, who hope to repeat history in Notre Dame Stadium where they shocked the 16th-ranked Irish 23-20 in the 2011 season opener.

KEY MATCHUP

Notre Dame's quick and talent-rich defense vs. South Florida's seventh-ranked rushing attack. Senior rover Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah had nine tackles, two tackles for loss, one sack and one forced fumble to lead the way as the Irish limited Duke to 79 rushing yards on 30 carries. The Irish will try to tame Bulls sophomore running back Kelley Joiner Jr.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

South Florida: Junior linebacker Antonio Grier Jr. had 10 tackles, including a QB sack, and added a forced fumble (one of three the Bulls recovered) in earning a spot on the American Athletic Conference weekly honor roll.

Notre Dame: Sophomore running back Kyren Williams rushed for 112 yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries and caught two passes for 93 yards to lead the nation in all-purpose yards (205) and earn ACC running back of the week honors.

FACTS & FIGURES

The Irish, who have won seven in a row since losing at Michigan last season, have won 19 straight games at home, the fourth-best FBS streak behind Clemson (23), Ohio State (21) and UCF (20). '¦ The 2011 Bulls team that beat Kelly's second Irish team was coached by Notre Dame alum Skip Holtz, whose father Lou coached Notre Dame to its last national title in 1988. '¦ Charlie Weis Jr., whose father was Kelly's predecessor at Notre Dame, is the Bulls' offensive coordinator and South Florida's youngest staff member at 27.

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FILE - Notre Dame's running back Kyren Williams runs through a drill during the team's first spring NCAA college football practice at the Irish Athletics Center, Thursday, March 5, 2020, in South Bend, Ind. With all the success Notre Dame has enjoyed its last three seasons, amassing a 33-6 record under coach Brian Kelly, it has been the inability to run the football successfully in big games that has curtailed the championship hopes of the Fighting Irish. No. 10 Notre Dame hopes to change that starting Saturday, Sept. 12 when Duke visits for the 2020 season opener. (Santiago Flores/South Bend Tribune via AP, File) The Associated Press

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