Miami (Ohio) (2-2) at No. 22 Notre Dame (3-1), Saturday, 5:18 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
Line: Notre Dame by 21 ½.
Series record: Notre Dame leads 1-0
WHAT’S AT STAKE
Notre Dame’s Brian Kelly will match coaching wits with Miami’s Chuck Martin, a former assistant at Grand Valley State and Notre Dame under Kelly. Martin took the position on Dec. 3, 2013 and then successfully lobbied for the school to schedule Notre Dame for the first time since 1909. It’s also the unofficial “Parseghian Bowl” as both schools have ties with College Football Hall of Fame coaching great Ara Parseghian, who died at 94 on Aug. 2. Parseghian, a Miami University graduate, coached his alma mater for five seasons (39-6-2) in the 1950s before moving on to Northwestern and finally Notre Dame, where his 1966 and ’73 teams won national championships.
KEY MATCHUP
The Miami defense, ranked 27th nationally in total defense (310.8 yards), 37th in rushing defense (118.8 yards), 33rd in scoring defense (19.0 points) and fifth in red-zone defense (6-for-10 and only two TDs allowed) will be up against an Irish offense that is 43rd nationally (459.3 yards), seventh in rushing (293.5), 30th in scoring (38.8 points) and first in red-zone offense (19-for-19, including 17 TDs).
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Miami: QB Gus Ragland, who is 8-3 as a starter (6-1 to close out 2016), has thrown just three interceptions in 325 career attempts.
Notre Dame: RB Josh Adams is ninth nationally in rushing yards with 499 and QB Brandon Wimbush is 26th with 366.
FACTS & FIGURES
The only previous meeting took place in 1909 on the Notre Dame campus at Cartier Field. Notre Dame won 46-0 and was coached by Frank C. Longman. “The Notre Dame Victory March” was introduced that season, a year before coaching legend Knute Rockne, who built Notre Dame Stadium, arrived in South Bend - as a student-athlete. . Each school is honoring Parseghian on its helmet - Miami with a red three-leaf clover sticker with “ARA” written into it and Notre Dame with the word “ARA” on a sticker above the players’ eyes. . Miami S Tony Reid will miss the first half of the game after receiving a targeting penalty in the third quarter of RedHawks’ 31-14 victory at Central Michigan.
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