Virginia Tech vs Notre Dame Expert College Football Picks 11/2/2019

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Notre Dame Stadium

Notre Dame Stadium is the site where Ian Book and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish will play the Virginia Tech Hokies on Saturday. The odds on this game have Notre Dame as 17.5-point favorites. The Hokies are 2-5-0 ATS and 4-3-0 when betting on the total. The Fighting Irish are 3-4-0 when wagering on the over/under and 4-3-0 against the spread.

In their last game, the Virginia Tech Hokies faced the North Carolina Tar Heels and earned the win by a score of 43-41. Quincy Patterson II paced the team in rushing for the game. He broke a long run for 53 yards and he ran for 1 touchdown for the game. He racked up a total of 122 yards on 21 carries which meant he was running for 5.8 yards per run. Tre Turner was the leader in receiving yardage with a total of 106 yards on 5 catches. He averaged 21.2 yards per reception for the game. Taking the lead at quarterback for the Hokies was Hendon Hooker who went 8/12 with 127 yards passing and threw 1 touchdown. He finished the game without throwing an interception. The Hokies rushed the ball a total of 60 times and generated 254 yards which had them averaging 4.2 yards per rushing attempt. Overall, they ran 81 plays for 490 yards. In the game, the Hokies earned 23 1st downs and they totaled 5 penalties for 36 yards which is telling of how their week of practice went. On the defensive side of the ball, Virginia Tech allowed 26 completions on 49 attempts totaling 348 yards, and a completion percentage of 53.1%. In the running game, the Hokies allowed 143 yards on 40 attempts which gave them an average of 3.6 yards per run allowed. For this contest, they allowed a total of 491 yards but went the whole game without forcing a turnover.

The Hokies step onto the field holding a record of 5-2 in 2019. They are one of the most potent offenses in the country averaging 30.3 points per contest, putting them 59th in college football. As a team, they are averaging 175.1 rushing yards per contest which is 5th in the ACC. For total yards, they sit in 12th in the Atlantic Coast Conference and 102nd in college football with 2,766 yards. The Hokies have one of the middle tier defenses in Division 1, giving up 29.6 points per game putting them 11th in the conference. In discussing yards on the ground, Virginia Tech is allowing 145.4 yards per contest ranking them 7th in the Atlantic Coast Conference and 51st in the nation. Opposing teams are running for an average of 4.1 yards per rush ranking them 9th in the Atlantic Coast Conference and 57th in Division 1 overall. Overall, they have conceded 1,018 rushing yards through 7 games. When it comes to yards through the air, the Hokies have allowed 1,540 yards. Opponents are completing 58% of the passes they throw against them and averaging 7.0 yards per attempt.

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In their last game, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish went up against the Michigan Wolverines and lost 45-14. Jahmir Smith paced the team on the ground for that contest. His longest run of the day went for 7 yards but he wasn't able to rush for a TD on the day. He rushed for 15 yards by way of 5 carries which meant he averaged 3.0 yards per run. Javon McKinley led the team in receiving yardage by earning 42 yards on 2 catches. He averaged 21.0 yards per catch for that contest. Running the show from under center for the Fighting Irish was Ian Book who went 8/25 with 73 yards passing and threw 1 touchdown. He ended the game without an interception. The Fighting Irish rushed the ball a total of 31 times and totaled 47 yards which gave them an average of 1.5 yards per attempt. On the day, they ran 60 plays which gave them a total of 180 yards. For the contest, the Fighting Irish earned a total of 12 1st downs and they totaled 7 penalties for 62 yards which is telling of how their week of practice went. On the defensive side of the ball, Notre Dame allowed 8 completions on 14 tries for a total of 134 yards, and a completion percentage of 57.1%. For the game, they allowed 437 yards but didn't add to their total of forced turnovers. In the running game, the Fighting Irish allowed 303 yards on 57 runs which gave them an average of 5.3 yards per carry allowed.

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The Fighting Irish head into this game 5-2. In terms of offensive proficiency, the Fighting Irish have one of the most prolific offenses in D-1. Notre Dame has made teams respect their running game by averaging 171.3 rushing yards per game, putting them 59th in college football. As a team, they have compiled a total of 1,199 yards rushing through 7 games, so they'll look to the run game to try to keep the opponents off balance so they'll have open receivers. The Fighting Irish average 414.9 yards per contest overall ranking them 56th in the nation and 1st among Independent teams. The Fighting Irish are conceding 20.9 points per contest which puts them at 1st among FBS Independent teams and 29th in D-1. Their passing defense is one of the elite units in the country. They are allowing 186.4 passing yards per game. For yards through the air allowed per game, the Fighting Irish currently sit at 1st among Independent teams. In terms of points given up, they have given up 146 total points. In regard to rushing yards, they are giving up 174.3 yards per game which puts them at 82nd in the nation and 2nd among D-1 Independent teams. For the 2019 season, they have conceded 1,220 yards on the ground and 9.1 rushing touchdowns.

Who will win tonight's Hokies/Fighting Irish NCAA football game against the spread?

Guy's Pick: Take the Fighting Irish -17.5

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