No. 10 Notre Dame travels to face Texas in a Sunday showdown that ranks among the best games in Week 1 because it gets the spotlight all to itself.
For Texas, it’s a chance to avenge last year’s 38-3 loss and get off on the right foot under third-year coach Charlie Strong. The Longhorns might be starting a freshman at quarterback in Shane Buechele.
For Notre Dame, Brian Kelly plans on using both quarterbacks, and Malik Zaire and DeShone Kizer will get a chance to prove their worth once again.
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Notre Dame is a slim 2.5-point favorite, so this game should get heated.
Here’s everything you need to know to watch these blueblood programs.
Notre Dame at Texas: Time, TV channel, online streaming
When: Sunday, Sept. 4, 7:30 p.m. ET
Where: Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium
TV: ABC
Online: Watch ESPN
Notre Dame vs. Texas all-time series
This is the 12th meeting between the two schools, and the Irish routed the Longhorns 38-3 in South Bend the last season. In their last visit to Austin in 1996, No. 9 Notre Dame beat No. 6 Texas on a last-second field goal by Jim Sanson.
Numbers that matter
4.0
The Longhorns were 1-6 last season when they allowed more than 4.0 yards per carry on the ground, and Notre Dame was one of eight teams that rushed for more than 200 yards against Texas. SN Preseason All-American Malik Jefferson leads Texas’ defense. They can put more pressure on the Irish quarterbacks by keeping that number under 4.0 yards per carry.
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60.0
Whether it’s Zaire or Kizer under center, keep this stat in mind. Notre Dame was 8-0 when it had a completion percentage of 60 percent or more last season. Zaire completed 19 of 22 passes in the 2015 win against Texas, and Kizer threw one pass. That led to a season-high completion percentage of 82.6. Kelly will be looking for that same efficiency.
10.3
Texas’ leading passer the last six seasons has averaged 10.3 TDs and 10.3 interceptions per season. That’s a low bar for freshman Shane Buechele to clear if he starts, but much more will obviously be expected. The Longhorns haven’t had a quarterback hit 3,000 yards and 20 TDs in a single season. That’s the kind of performance they need from a starting QB in the Big 12.
Social buzz
There’s a chance four or five different quarterbacks could be trending on Twitter. The Zaire-Kizer drama is obvious, but if Buechele struggles early there could be calls for Jerrod Heard or Tyrone Swoopes. Those two combined to go 8 of 23 for 103 passing yards in last season’s loss.
The big question
What did Texas learn? Notre Dame scored two quick first-quarter TDs and never looked back last season. The Longhorns haven’t lost a home opener since 1999 against North Carolina State, when the Wolfpack blocked two fourth-quarter punts in a 23-20 win. This is a statement game for Strong, Buechele and a program that wants to get back in the spotlight. This game could come down to a field goal, much like it did in 1996.
