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

Notre Dame football takes on Louisville at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday in South Bend, as the Irish look to avenge their 33-20 loss to the Cardinals from last season and improve to 4-1.

Here are Blue & Gold‘s staff picks.

Tyler Horka: Notre Dame 23, Louisville 17

Notre Dame would love to take it to the Cardinals like the latter did to the Fighting Irish a year ago. But like that version of the Irish, this iteration would take a win of any kind. Even at home. 

Both defenses are well coached and both offenses have questions about their quarterbacks, both veterans but neither having ever asserted themselves as top-notch signal-callers for various reasons. The two sides’ running games will be leaned into as a result, and I like Notre Dame to pride itself on not allowing what happened in 2023 to happen again; the Irish rushed for a season-low 44 yards against Louisville while the Cardinals went off for 185. Notre Dame defensive coordinator Al Golden and his group haven’t forgotten. 

Wrongs get righted for the Irish in a win that will feel as big as the one at Texas A&M, considering the pressure Notre Dame is under from here on out this season. 

Jack Soble: Fighting Irish 23, Cardinals 13

Putting it simply, I don’t think Notre Dame lets itself lose to Louisville two years in a row.

The Cardinals have looked great in two warmup games, and I think they finish the season in the top 20. They also match up well with the Irish offense, with an excellent defensive line and secondary. But veteran quarterback Tyler Shough is unproven, and this time, Notre Dame hosts Louisville head coach Jeff Brohm in South Bend.

Similarly to last year’s USC game, the Irish will understand just how important this game is and just how furious they were with last season’s result. They’ll win this one any way they can and enter the bye week with time to make a leap on offense.

Kyle Kelly: Notre Dame 24, Louisville 23 

It feels impossible to predict this year’s Notre Dame football team, so it’s only makes sense for the scoring margin to be the same as the team’s rankings difference in the AP Poll (ND 16, Louisville 15). However, I am giving the Irish an undeserved benefit on the doubt at home and the edge on the field. For as unpredictable as the Irish have been under coach Marcus Freeman, they have dominated ACC opponents at Notre Dame Stadium. I’m calling this one a close win.

Mike Singer: Fighting Irish 28, Cardinals 23

The Cardinals will come to South Bend ready to play and look for another win against Notre Dame, but I like the Fighting Irish in this matchup. It’ll be a close one though. Louisville is no slouch.

Steve Downey: Notre Dame 26, Louisville 10

This is a different-looking Cardinals team from last year’s edition (its class of 31 incoming and 33 outgoing transfers was ranked No. 1 in On3’s 2024 College Football Team Transfer Portal Rankings), but it is not lacking in talent.

Louisville has a pair of big-time defensive playmakers in defensive end Ashton Gillotte and cornerback Quincy Riley (if he plays), plus former Alabama wide receiver Ja’Corey Brooks has played like the five-star recruit he was coming out of high school. Nevertheless, the Fighting Irish should be motivated to make a statement against the Cardinals after last year’s humbling defeat.

Louisville averaged 33.8 points in the first 16 games of Brohm’s tenure, but Notre Dame’s defense will be the best unit on the field in this game. If Golden’s crew plays the way it did at Purdue — and I believe it will — that’ll be the difference-maker in this contest.

Todd D. Burlage: Fighting Irish 24, Cardinals 21

There’s a change of attitude in Louisville under Brohm. The second-year Cardinals skipper has proven to be adept at pulling players out of the portal and he proved it with a 10-win season and a trip to the ACC Championship game last season. 

The Cardinals weren’t tested much in their first three games this year in blowout wins over Austin Peay and Jacksonville State, then a 31-19 win over Georgia Tech. But they still managed to come out of those three games ranked No. 14 nationally in total offense, No. 22 in total defense, No. 12 in points scored (47.3 ppg.), and 13th in fewest points allowed (11.0 ppg.). 

A balanced team again under Brohm in 2024, Louisville pulled a 33-20 upset of the Irish last season, which should get and keep Notre Dame’s attention. The Irish win a nail-biter.