Bowling Green at Notre Dame NCAA Football Picks & Predictions 10/5/2019

Saturday, October 5, 2019

Notre Dame Stadium

Darius Wade and the Bowling Green Falcons head to Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday where they'll meet the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Bowling Green opens this matchup as 46-point dogs. The Falcons are 1-3-0 ATS and 1-3-0 when betting on the total. The Fighting Irish are 1-2-0 when wagering on the over/under and 2-1-0 against the spread.

Key Bowling Green Falcons Injuries

09/07/19 QB Matt McDonald Eligibility is out for season

Key Notre Dame Fighting Irish Injuries

09/29/19 WR Braden Lenzy Concussion is questionable Saturday vs Bowling Green
09/29/19 WR Chase Claypool Leg left last game, is questionable Saturday vs Bowling Green
09/29/19 DL Daelin Hayes Shoulder is out for season
09/29/19 CB Shaun Crawford Elbow is out indefinitely
09/05/19 WR Jafar Armstrong Groin is out 4-6 weeks
08/28/19 WR Kevin Austin Suspension is out indefinitely

In their last game, the Bowling Green Falcons faced the Kent State Golden Flashes and ended up taking the loss by a score of 62-20. Leading the way at QB for the Falcons was Darius Wade who went 18/25 with 161 yards passing but didn't get a passing TD in the game. He threw 2 interceptions in the game. Andrew Clair paced the team on the ground for that contest. He broke a long run for 21 yards and he tallied 1 TD during the game. He ran for 61 yards by way of 14 carries which meant he was running for 4.4 yards per run. RB Marlow III was the leader in receiving yardage with a total of 69 yards on 6 receptions. He had an average of 11.5 yards per reception for that contest. The Bowling Green Falcons ended up rushing 40 times and generated 156 yards giving them an average of 3.9 yards per run. In the game, they ran 73 plays which added up to 362 yards. Overall, the Falcons racked up a total of 20 1st downs and they totaled 6 penalties for 61 yards which is telling of how their week of practice went. In terms of defense, Bowling Green allowed 31 completions on 36 throws for a total of 375 yards, and a completion percentage of 86.1%. Against the run, the Falcons allowed 375 yards on 48 attempts giving the other team an average of 7.8 yards per carry allowed. On the day, they gave up 750 yards but didn't force any takeaways.

The Falcons head into this matchup 1-3 this season. They are one of lowest scoring teams in the nation with an average of 18.3 points per contest, putting them 122nd in the country. As a team, they are averaging 167.3 rushing yards per contest which is 5th in the MAC. For total yardage, they are currently ranked 11th in the MAC and 111th in the country with 1,419 yards. The Falcons have one of the most lackluster defenses in the country, allowing 38 points per game ranking them 12th in the MAC. In regard to rushing yards, Bowling Green is allowing 220.8 yards per game ranking them 11th in the MAC and 120th in college football. Opposing teams are running for an average of 5.1 yards per rush ranking them 10th in the Mid-American Conference and 113th in Division 1 overall. In total, they have allowed 883 rushing yards through 4 games. When it comes to yards through the air, the Falcons have conceded 750 yards. Teams are completing 75% of the throws they are attempting against them and averaging 9.5 yards per attempt.

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In their last contest, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish took on the Virginia Cavaliers and ended up getting the victory by a score of 35-20. Tony Jones Jr. led the team in rushing for the game. He broke a long run for 30 yards and he notched 3 TD's for the game. He ran for a total of 131 yards by way of 18 carries which had him averaging 7.3 yards per carry. Cole Kmet was the receiving yardage leader with a tally of 65 yards on 4 receptions. He averaged 16.3 yards per reception for the game. Leading the way at QB for the Fighting Irish was Ian Book who went 17/25 with 165 yards passing but wasn't able to throw a ball for a TD. He finished this contest without throwing a pick. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish ran the ball 35 times and racked up a total of 178 yards which had them averaging 5.1 yards per run. For the game, the Fighting Irish totaled 19 first downs and they had a total of 9 infractions for 71 yards which shows us that this team didn't have their heads in this game. In the game, they ran 60 plays which gave them a total of 343 yards. In terms of defense, Notre Dame allowed 30 catches on 43 attempts for a total of 334 yards, and a completion percentage of 69.8%. On the ground, the Fighting Irish allowed 4 yards on 29 runs which gave the opponent an average of 0.1 yards per carry allowed. For the game, they allowed a total of 338 yards and earned 5 turnovers.

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The Fighting Irish come into this matchup with a record of 3-1. Notre Dame hasn't done much to make teams fear their rushing game by averaging 152.8 rushing yards per contest, which has them at 74th in D-1. As a unit, they have compiled a total of 611 yards rushing through 4 contests, so they'll need to look to improve on these numbers if they want to compete with the better teams in the nation. The Fighting Irish average 419.5 yards per game overall which has them at 63rd in D-1 and 1st among FBS Independent teams. The Fighting Irish are allowing 18.5 points per game ranking them 2nd among Independent teams and 27th in the country. When talking about points allowed, they have allowed 74 total points. In discussing yards on the ground, they are conceding 157 yards per contest ranking them 77th in the country and 2nd among Independent teams. For the 2019 season, they have given up a total of 628 yards rushing and 5.2 rushing TDs. Their pass defense is one of the middle of the road groups in D-1. They are allowing 201.5 passing yards per game. For passing yards allowed per game, the Fighting Irish sit in 3rd among FBS Independent teams.

Who will win tonight's Falcons/Fighting Irish college football game against the spread?

Tony's Pick: Take the Falcons +46

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