Noah Cahill
Ever since disaster struck in the home opener, Notre Dame has done everything in its power to prove that its loss to Northern Illinois was a pure anomaly. A dominant 52-3 win over Florida State extended the Irish win streak to seven and positioned them at No. 8 in the College Football Playoff rankings, meaning if the season ended today, playoff football would be played in Notre Dame Stadium. If they want a chance at returning to Notre Dame Stadium after this weekend, the last scheduled home game of the regular season, they will need to take care of business down the stretch. Heading into a matchup with a mediocre, 5-4 Cavalier team, Notre Dame opened up as 23-point favorites.
With that said, the Cavaliers come into the game with positive momentum after handing No. 19 Pittsburgh its second loss of the season in a 24-19 upset victory. They sit in the middle of the pack statistically on offense, ranking 59th in total offense with 398.2 yards per game. Anthony Colandrea has been solid throughout the season, currently sitting just short of 2,000 passing yards with 12 touchdowns, but has faced turnover issues, throwing eight interceptions as well. Most of his passes go to Malachi Fields, who has hauled in a team-high 45 receptions for 665 yards and four touchdowns. Kobe Pace and Irish transfer Chris Tyree have also been involved for the wide receiver corps, while tight end Tyler Neville falls second behind Fields in receptions and yards for the Cavaliers. The backfield is run by a two-man committee of Pace and Xavier Brown, both of whom have eclipsed 400 yards on the season. Colandrea is also a threat with his legs, carrying it 104 times for 259 yards and two touchdowns on the year. The Cavaliers have more questions on the other side of the ball, their defense allowing just short of 400 yards per game, putting them at 98th in the country.
Look for the Irish to continue their growth in the passing attack against a Cavalier defense that is geared more toward defending the run. While the group stagnated somewhat against the Seminoles following multiple straight weeks of improvement, Leonard and the pass-catchers should be in line for a good matchup to build on their upward trajectory, especially following a promising performance from tight end Mitchell Evans, who looked close to his best for the first time since his torn ACL sidelined him for the remainder 2023 season.
On Senior Day, I believe Notre Dame will come to play and leave no doubt in another resounding win.
Virginia 10, Notre Dame 42
Matthew Crow
Just one week ago, it looked like the wheels were falling off for Virginia. After a promising 4-1 start, the Cavaliers dropped three straight conference matchups and were staring down a brutal final stretch of the season that included matchups with three ranked opponents in their final four games. But after pulling off a shocking upset on the road against ACC frontrunner Pitt last weekend, the energy seems to be swinging back in Virginia’s favor. All of a sudden, those three losses — which came at the hands of top-20 opponents Louisville and Clemson as well as a surging North Carolina team — can be viewed in a slightly more positive light as the Cavaliers travel to South Bend with momentum on their side and a respectable 3-3 ACC record in search of a second consecutive high-profile win.
With that being said, I don’t see them giving Notre Dame too much trouble on Saturday. The Irish have been playing as well as any team in the country over the course of their current seven-game winning streak, with their nationally third-ranked scoring defense consistently dominating and their offense continuing to improve every week, which has translated to the scoreboard in the form of outscoring their last four opponents by a combined score of 183-37. Notre Dame’s defensive line was absolutely stifling against Florida State, racking up eight sacks and applying nonstop pressure to force a pair of interceptions and hold the Seminoles to just 88 yards through the air. I don’t see Virginia being the team to crack the code on this elite Irish defense, with the Cavaliers having struggled to find a rhythm offensively during the losing streak and even against Pitt, where their defense did most of the heavy lifting to make up for two interceptions and a limited rushing attack in the victory.
The Irish should come out of the gates firing on Senior Day and effectively quell any thoughts of another Virginia upset by halftime as they use their advantage on both sides of the ball to roll to a comprehensive, wire-to-wire victory before looking ahead to next week’s crucial Shamrock Series duel against undefeated Army.
Virginia 14, Notre Dame 48
Annika Herko
Notre Dame is a heavy favorite coming into this game. Virginia has had an extraordinary year, currently sitting at a record of 5-4 and seventh overall in the mediocre ACC. This will be the Cavaliers’ third game this season against a ranked opponent. They lost to then-No. 10 Clemson in October by three scores but went on to defeat then-No. 18 Pitt in Acrisure Stadium last week.
Virginia could be coming into Notre Dame Stadium with some momentum after that win, but with how inconsistent its play has been this season, it’s hard to say what team will be showing up. The Cavaliers were only able to score 13 points against Maryland.
However, Virginia has a notable Notre Dame football alum coming with it. Chris Tyree will be making his return to South Bend. The running back turned receiver is the third leading receiver for the Cavaliers despite only having 22 receptions this season.
Virginia 17, Notre Dame 45
Madeline Ladd
Fresh off a dominant night game win over Florida State, the Irish face Virginia this Saturday with a different kind of challenge. It’s not that the Cavaliers aren't a beatable team, it’s all about how the Irish win. It’s an emotional Senior Day and a CFP spot is at stake, and simply edging out the Cavaliers won't cut it — they need to deliver a statement win in order to not drop in the polls. Coming off a road victory against a top-20 Pitt team, 5-4 Virginia has shown resilience but lacks the talent to keep up with a top-tier team.
The Cavaliers rely on the ground game, led by quarterback Anthony Colandrea and running backs Kobe Pace and Xavier Brown, but rank just 86th nationally in rushing offense. Former Irish receiver Chris Tyree makes his South Bend return this weekend with the Cavaliers. He hasn’t done much this season due to injuries but could explode at any time.
If Notre Dame’s front seven shuts down the run, it’ll force Colandrea into difficult throws to capitalize on his eight interceptions. Virginia’s offensive line has struggled, allowing 31 sacks (127th in the nation). The Irish will miss Howard Cross III this week but can expect Al Golden to put on extra pressure with his blitzes.
Virginia’s defense ranks 118th against the pass, giving quarterback Riley Leonard and receivers Mitchell Evans and Jaden Greathouse the chance to shine if more involved in the pass game. The Irish need to avoid the drops seen last week.
Notre Dame should handle Virginia, but it will need an impressive win for the seniors, and especially for the CFP.
Virginia 6, Notre Dame 45
Tyler Reidy
Will Virginia be the first team in almost two months to challenge Notre Dame for all 60 minutes? Last week’s Cavalier upset victory at Pittsburgh would suggest they could, but too many signs point in the other direction. Anthony Colandrea has operated as a respectable dual-threat quarterback this year, but his one touchdown and four interceptions in the last two games are off-putting. And while Virginia’s win in the Steel City was certainly a big one, the Cavaliers hadn’t won in more than a month before that.
Then there’s Notre Dame, carving out a path of college football destruction during its seven-game win streak. The Irish haven’t won a game by less than 18 points since September, and I don’t see why their dominant play wouldn’t continue on Saturday. Riley Leonard has the Irish offense in the type of rhythm we’ve been waiting for, and Notre Dame’s defense remains perhaps the best in the country given what it’s lost to injury.
Most importantly, Notre Dame does not mess around on Senior Day. The Irish haven’t won a home finale by less than three scores since 2017. With another terrific defensive performance, Notre Dame wins comfortably and heads back to New York at 9-1.
Virginia 10, Notre Dame 34
