The last time Vanderbilt and Notre Dame met, the Irish only beat a 2-9 Commodore team by seven points. It was a mid-1990s win so dire it convinced Lou Holtz to leave coaching altogether. For three years.
Vanderbilt vs. Notre Dame 2018 live stream: Time, TV channel, pick/prediction, and how to watch online
Vanderbilt’s run to the College Football Playoff continues in South Bend.
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Now, the Commodores will try to do the same with Brian Kelly. Preferably, for them, while winning in the process. The two undefeated teams meet in South Bend Saturday, where Vandy will attempt to win its first road game against a ranked opponent since 2007 and Notre Dame looks to bolster its College Football Playoff resume against a team that is technically an SEC program.
Time, TV channel, and streaming info
- Time: 2:30 p.m. ET
- Location: Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend, IN
- TV: NBC
- Streaming: NBC Sports, fuboTV
- Odds: Notre Dame is favored by 14.5 points.
Vanderbilt vs. Notre Dame news:
- Starting safety Zaire Jones will return to Vandy’s starting lineup Saturday after missing the first two weeks of the season after hitting a campus police officer with his car.
- No, Vandy coach Derek Mason didn’t kick off his season by trashing Notre Dame.
“Yeah. We play in the SEC. I don’t worry about going to South Bend. Right now, I am worried about MTSU. I looked at how we started last year, and the blueprint is there.
If you want to be successful, stay in the moment. That’s exactly what we’re doing. We’re staying in the moment. We’re about Notre Dame when that game comes. Right now, it’s about MTSU. It’s about going to camp. It’s about solidifying that depth. It’s about making sure when we harden this team enough that when adversity comes, this team knows how to handle it.”
- Notre Dame only beat Ball State by eight points last week, but it’s not time to panic.
- Vandy’s got a little extra motivation to win Saturday — to send out its retiring AD with a marquee victory.
Is Kyle Shurmur the best quarterback Vandy has had since Jay Cutler?
Vanderbilt’s hopes of returning to the postseason in 2018 rely squarely on the shoulders of Shurmur, the man who made the Commodores’ watchable again over the past two seasons. The senior quarterback has helped his team overcome the departure of all-time leading rusher Ralph Webb with an efficient 8.7 yards per pass and four touchdowns (with no interceptions) through two games this fall. But that was against Middle Tennessee State and Nevada, which wasn’t exactly the most taxing of defenses.
He’ll have the chance to prove himself on a national stage Saturday against a Fighting Irish team that limited Michigan to only 17 points. Shurmur had a quiet breakout season in 2017 with 26 touchdown passes, but his biggest win as a Commodore came over a Kansas State team that went 8-5 last year. Beating Notre Dame wouldn’t just headline his resume — it would put him in the conversation as a potential NFL Draft pick next spring.
And if Shurmur gets hurt Saturday, the ‘Dores are in trouble. If freshman Allan Walters is indeed set to redshirt this fall, Vandy’s backup is preferred walk-on transfer Mo Hasan.
Vanderbilt vs. Notre Dame prediction:
Commodores by 30.
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