Can Notre Dame avoid a senior day hiccup vs. Virginia? 3 keys and a prediction

SOUTH BEND, Ind.

There was a time when senior day felt more like a final exam than an end-of-school party.

Games like Saturdays matchup with Virginia were tripwires, as Notre Dame got wrapped up in its feelings rather than focusing on the game.

There were losses to Louisville , Virginia Tech , Syracuse and UConn .

There were escapes against Boston College and Navy .

None of those results happened that long ago, even if they date back to the end of the Charlie Weis era.

But they might as well have been from a different generation considering how Notre Dame has figured out how to compartmentalize the extra tension that comes with a final game inside Notre Dame Stadium.

Advertisement We all have to make sure you get your emotions under control before that song plays, before were gonna kick that ball off or return, Marcus Freeman said.

You have to get your emotions back in check That all assumes Saturday is the final game Notre Dame will play here this season.

And maybe that helps with context.

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Notre Dame has won its past six home finales by an average of 37.2 points.

Freemans two senior sendoff games Wake Forest and BC were victories by a combined 99-7 score.

It all makes this weekend feel a bit more predictable for No.

8 Notre Dame (8-1) as it hosts Virginia (5-4) at 3:30 p.m.

ET on NBC.

If the Irish simply keep doing what theyre doing getting responsible play from Riley Leonard and exemplary work from their defense they should cruise into their bi-coastal final acts, facing Army at Yankee Stadium next weekend, with rival USC to follow during Thanksgiving weekend.

With all that in mind, here are three keys and a prediction for Saturday: Build up Greathouse and Evans A 52-3 blowout is full of offensive wins .

Its just that what Notre Dame did with slot receiver Jaden Greathouse and tight end Mitchell Evans against Florida State might be the start of a trend.

Arguably Notre Dames two best weapons in the passing game, Greathouse and Evans combined for 10 targets, seven catches, 87 yards and one touchdown last week.

Evans had an acrobatic 17-yard catch the officials correctly ruled an incompletion after a replay.

But the moment looked a lot like Evans from last year when he dominated Ohio State and Duke .

If that version of Evans is finally back, now more than a year removed from his torn ACL, the Irish offense might find a new gear.

(Evans) played the best game hes played all year, Freeman said.

The most complete game in the run and pass game that hes played all year.

It was great to see him make that touchdown, and that catch was a big-time catch.

I know it was incomplete, but thats the Mitchell Evans weve been waiting on.

Advertisement Greathouse is second on the team with 23 catches, 310 yards and one score.

Its not the season the Irish expected from a potential lead wide receiver, but the sophomore looked the part on tunnel screens against Florida State after getting open deep against Navy.

He just continues to show up, offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock said.

I mean, every time we lean on him or put him out there and put him in a position to make a play, hes been consistent, and hes made them, and theyve been explosive.

If the Irish can string success together for Evans and Greathouse, the passing game could end the season on a high note.

Dont miss Cross in the middle When Howard Cross went down with a high ankle sprain last week, it put a major dent in Notre Dames defensive line for the short term.

The defensive tackle wont play against Virginia and might not play again until the game against USC.

With reserve defensive tackle Jason Onye away from the team for personal reasons, one of Notre Dames great strengths has been cut in half.

A rotation of Rylie Mills , Gabe Rubio and Donovan Hinish does feel like a first-world problem for a defense that ranks in the top 10 in almost every major category.

But the Irish have been slightly vulnerable against the run (No.

25 at 3.47 yards per carry allowed).

Losing Cross wont make that any better; not that the Irish need to concede it will get worse.

Mills and Rubio are prototypes, both 6-foot-5 and pushing 300 pounds.

Hinish is 3 inches shorter and nearly 25 pounds lighter.

Yet the coaching staff feels like the junior can hold up at the point of attack.

We say it all the time, keep recruiting guys that love the game as much as you, defensive coordinator Al Golden said.

All you have to do is turn on the tape, and youll understand his passion for the game.

Advertisement What you cant see is his preparation, his tenacity.

Hes dogged every day in terms of heres what I gotta do, and Im gonna do it.

Hes a blessing to have on this team.

Virginia may not stress Notre Dames short-handed defensive tackle rotation, with the Cavaliers ranked 91st in yards per carry (3.93) and 85th in rushing yards per game.

A week later against Army might be a different story, with the Black Knights No.

1 in rushing at 334.49 yards per game, which is 66 yards per game more than No.

2 Boise State .

Just keep winning The path for Notre Dame to get into the College Football Playoff is clear.

Win out and the Irish will head to the 12-team field, no questions asked.

But hosting a first-round game is slightly more complicated, not that the Irish cant have their path cleared by the end of this weekend.

Only two CFP contenders have a single-digit point spread on Saturday, with one matchup a win for Notre Dame either way.

No.

7 Tennessee heads to No.

12 Georgia (7:30 p.m., ABC) in what is probably an elimination game for the loser.

If the Vols score an upset, it eliminates the Dawgs from the CFP conversation and makes Georgia one of the seasons biggest disappointments.

If Georgia holds serve, Tennessee likely falls into first four out territory thanks to a weak schedule.

The Vols have a quality home win over Alabama , and thats it.

Tennessee doesnt have another win over a FBS program with a winning record, with only UTEP and Vanderbilt remaining.

A Tennessee win is probably best for Notre Dame because it knocks out one of college footballs most talented rosters.

But either way, the Irish benefit.

Any other result that benefits Notre Dame would feel like chaos, like Texas losing at Arkansas (Noon, ABC), Oregon losing at Wisconsin (7:30 p.m., NBC) or BYU losing at home to Kansas (10:15 p.m., ESPN).

All would help the Irish move up the polls and probably improve Notre Dames shot at a home Playoff game.

Advertisement But the most important thing is for Notre Dame to win.

Prediction After two-plus seasons of searching, it feels like Freeman has found his groove on the sidelines.

Mentions of his inexperience are down.

Consistent performances are up.

That reliability should carry through the regular-season home finale.

Its hard to see the Cavaliers finding much success against one of the nations best defenses.

Its also hard to see Virginia bottling up Leonard.

It all means the Irish will pull away in the second half, continuing their push toward the Playoff.

Notre Dame 35, Virginia 14 (Top photo of Jaden Greathouse : Michael Reaves / Getty Images).

This article has been shared from the original article on theathleticuk, here is the link to the original article.