Notre Dame football score predictions: Fighting Irish vs. Virginia staff picks

Notre Dame’s final home game of the regular season comes against Virginia on Saturday. Here’s what the Blue & Gold staff expects to happen between the No. 8 Fighting Irish (8-1) and the Cavaliers (5-4).

Tyler Horka: Notre Dame 38, Virginia 9

Notre Dame is a better football team that Virginia and for the first time in the Marcus Freeman era, the Fighting Irish have come too far in November to let an inferior opponent ruin everything they’ve worked for since September. 

The Irish offense keeps humming along as the personnel gets better and better at understanding and executing coordinator Mike Denbrock’s system, and the defense led by Al Golden is once again a well-oiled machine. I just do not see any ways the Cavaliers hang with Notre Dame in South Bend unless the home team has a major, major letdown. Of course, that’s happened before. But not here. Not on Senior Day. Not in the last game played at Notre Dame Stadium until … December, perhaps? We’ll see. But this one should be a rout.

Jack Soble: Notre Dame 45, Virginia 10

Notre Dame does not lose on Senior Day. Virginia snapped a three-game losing streak by beating No. 18 Pittsburgh, but No. 10 Notre Dame and No. 13 SMU is a difficult gantlet to get by in the final two games of the regular season.

The Irish should handle their final home game without much difficulty, setting up a trip out east and a trip out west to clinch a College Football Playoff berth.

Kyle Kelly: Notre Dame 49, Virginia 10

In the Marcus Freeman era, the Irish have ended the season at home on a high note against ACC foes, beating Boston College 44-0 in 2022 and Wake Forest 45-7 in 2023. There’s no reason to think the Irish don’t repeat their success again when celebrating an outstanding senior class. Look for some upperclassmen to end their Notre Dame career in another dominant fashion, giving one last spark of momentum for the final two games of the regular season.

Todd D. Burlage: Notre Dame 45, Virginia 10

After a quick 4-1 start, the Cavaliers hit the rough stretch of their Atlantic Coast Conference schedule and didn’t hold up very well, losing consecutive games to No. 22 Louisville, No. 23 Clemson and unranked North Carolina before bouncing back last Saturday with a 24-19 win at No. 18 Pittsburgh to move to 5-4. 

A porous defense has been at the root of the struggles. Through 9 games, it’s giving up 395.8 yards a game, 262.9 passing yards a game, and 26.7 points a game, all marks that rank 80th or worse nationally. 

The Cavaliers have not been very good at red zone defense either, allowing opponents to score at a 91-percent clip once inside Virginia’s 20-yard line. 

Notre Dame’s vast statistical advantages lead to an easy Irish win.

Steve Downey: Notre Dame 41, Virginia 6

After quickly surpassing last year’s victory total (3-9) with four wins in their first five games, the Cavaliers came crashing back down to earth with three consecutive blowout defeats before a win at Pitt. The 41-14 beatdown at the hands of previously lifeless North Carolina Oct. 26 was especially disconcerting. The Tar Heels — who are on their third quarterback — racked up 428 total yards, including 293 on the ground. Meanwhile, the UVA offense surrendered 10 sacks to the Tar Heels and ranked 127th in the nation with an average 3.44 sacks allowed per game through Week 11.

The Fighting Irish are set up to dominate this game with their rushing attack and their defense en route to another easy Senior Day victory