The Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets meet for the first time since 2007 in a matchup of top 15 teams. We break down below one of the marquee games of Week 3 in the Notre Dame vs. Georgia Tech prediction and game preview.

Notre Dame vs. Georgia Tech Prediction & Preview

Broadcast

Date: Saturday, September 19
Game Time: 3:30 ET
Venue: Notre Dame Stadium (Notre Dame, Indiana)
Network: NBC

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Why You Need To Care

Georgia Tech heads to South Bend looking to hand Notre Dame its first loss of 2015.

The luck of the Irish has disappeared over the last month, at least in terms of health. True, Notre Dame has opened with wins over Texas and Virginia, but can the program keep chugging along if the disabled list continues to swell? Starting RB Tarean Folston was lost for the season in the Longhorn win, while QB Malik Zaire broke his ankle in last Saturday’s thrilling comeback win over the Cavs. Enter DeShone Kizer, who threw the clincher in Charlottesville, but now faces the pressure of being the full-time starter for a program with playoff aspirations.

Georgia Tech views this trip to Indiana as an opportunity to make a national splash. Underappreciated, even within their own home state, the Yellow Jackets will catapult into the top 10 by handing the Irish their first loss of the year. While the defending ACC Coastal champ has wrecked Alcorn State and Tulane by a combined score of 134-16, Tech won’t earn the respect it feels it deserves until going out and defeating a similarly talented opponent.

Why Georgia Tech Will Win

The gap behind center between these two schools is a lot wider than it was a week ago.

Junior Justin Thomas is the orchestrator of the high-scoring Yellow Jacket triple-option, deftly spreading the ball around on quick strikes and timely pitches to backs Marcus Marshall and Patrick Skov. Notre Dame has been flattened by the Navy option the last two years, and Navy isn’t Georgia Tech. The Irish, on the other hand, will be using Kizer, a first-time starter, in this showdown. Kizer has obvious physical gifts and a ton potential, but he’s drinking out of a fire hose right now.

Why Notre Dame Will Win

Sure, the Irish are trailing at quarterback, but they’ll have an edge most everywhere else.

It stings to lose Zaire, Folston, DT Jarron Jones and TE Durham Smythe. No doubt. But Brian Kelly has a history of coaching up backup quarterbacks and a track record for amassing talent. WR Will Fuller, LB Jaylon Smith, OT Ronnie Stanley, DT Sheldon Day—all healthy and all ready to pick up more of the slack. ND remains a deep and battle-tested squad Georgia Tech has yet to face anyone, and still has much to prove on defense.

Player Who Matters

Like many games of this magnitude, it’s going to be won—or lost—at the line of scrimmage.

One of the more interesting games within the game Saturday will occur when Notre Dame has the ball. The Irish must build a wall around Kizer, while creating daylight for RB C.J. Prosise. The Yellow Jackets, can be feisty at the line of scrimmage, KeShun Freeman off the edge and Adam Gotsis and Jabari Hunt-Days inside. If Gotsis and Hunt-Days can control Prosise, who rushed for 155 yards a week ago, the pressure on Kizer to deliver multiplies.

What’s Going To Happen?

All is not lost in South Bend because Zaire is shelved. But it’s asking too much of Kizer to go out and beat a team the caliber of Georgia Tech in his first career start.

The Yellow Jackets are primed to make a declaration, regardless of who’s listening. The offense is humming, and the D has more raw ability than it did a year ago. Tech will frustrate Kizer with different looks, while Thomas continues to be the Heisman contender no one seems to be talking about. The Jackets will wear down the Irish late, joining Clemson and Florida State as serious ACC contenders by weekend’s close.

Notre Dame vs. Georgia Tech Score Prediction

Without further ado, the Notre Dame vs. Georgia Tech prediction is …

Final Score: Georgia Tech 34, Notre Dame 28

Must See Rating: 5: Republican Debate, Second Round – 1: Republican Debate, First Round … 4.5