The Notre Dame Fighting Irish face off against the Louisville Cardinals in a Monday night game on September 2, 2019 at 8:00 pm eastern time. The game will be held at Cardinal Stadium in Louisville, Kentucky.

Notre Dame, ranked 9th in the preseason AP poll, went undefeated in the regular season and made a college football playoff run in 2018 only to be stifled by the eventual champion Clemson Tigers. The Irish suffered a hard loss in the playoff. This beat down has many fans wondering whether Notre Dame really has the talent to play with the elite teams. Once again, expectations are high in South Bend, as the Fighting Irish return starting quarterback Ian Book. Notre Dame will look to kick off their season strong with a win over a rebuilding Louisville team.

In 2018, Louisville suffered a dismal season. They went 2-10 with wins against Indiana State and Western Kentucky. However, things are looking up for the program, which at the end of last season fired Bobby Petrino and hired Scott Satterfield. Satterfield, the longtime head coach of Appalachian State University, will look to lead the team to a rebound year.

These two teams have had very different story lines surrounding them this off-season. Notre Dame is expected to compete for a spot in the College Football Playoff on the back of an improved Ian Book. Louisville will look to improve upon their past poor performances and return to the good form they experienced under Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs. Louisville Cardinals football TV channel

The game will air on ESPN at 8:00 p.m. eastern time.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs. Louisville Cardinals football players to watch

Perhaps the most pivotal story in this game revolves around Ian Book. After starter Brandon Wimbush’s benching after the third game of the 2018 season, Book took the reigns of the offense and played very well. His 68% completion percentage and 19 passing touchdowns last season had Notre Dame fans looking up, but Book struggled in the College Football Playoff, going 17-34 for 160 yards, no touchdowns, and one interception. This season Book will be looking to put that mediocre performance in the playoff behind him. Much of the Fighting Irish’s potential success will be reliant on Book. If he has a good year, Notre Dame may be back in contention for the playoff come December. If Ian Book fails to perform against a mediocre Louisville defense, the Irish may have a difficult time returning to the playoff discussion.

Julian Okwara for Notre Dame is another player who could have a big impact in this game and the season going forward. Okwara spent much of last season in the shadow of Jerry Tillery. With Tillery off to the NFL, Okwara has the opportunity to emerge as the Irish’s go to pass rusher. Last season Okwara had a strong 8 and a half sacks. This season he looks to improve that already solid number and emerge as one of the premier defensive linemen in college football.

Another player to watch is Louisville’s Jawon Pass. The 6′ 4″ dual threat quarterback had a far from good season in 2018. He threw for 1,960 yards and 8 touchdowns while racking up 12 interceptions. Much of Louisville’s success will rely on him. If he can bounce back and have a solid year, Louisville will have a fighting chance in this game and in many future games. However, without significant improvement from Pass, it’s hard to see Louisville’s offense being effective against a stout Notre Dame defense.

Lastly, the dynamic safety Alohi Gilman will have a big impact on this game. The star safety broke onto the scene last season. He totaled 2 interceptions, 2 forced fumbles, and 94 tackles. This off season the Fighting Irish suffered a big loss in the departure of Julian Love. However, the secondary projects to be elite once again, this year headlined by Gilman and his teammate Jalen Elliot.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs. Louisville Cardinals football odds

Notre Dame is favored by 20 points in this game, which is down from 20.5 earlier this week.

The over/under line is set at 55.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs. Louisville Cardinals football history

Notre Dame and Louisville have only played each other one time. The game, which was in 2014, was won 31-28. The Cardinals held off a late comeback attempt from the Irish, and a missed game-tying field goal from kicker Kyle Brindza cemented the victory. The Cardinals finished the season ranked number 24 in the AP poll.

Notre Dame 2018 football season review

Notre Dame had a very strong 2018 season. Wins against 14 Michigan, 7 Stanford, 24 Virginia Tech, 12 Syracuse, and USC led them to a 12-0 undefeated regular season. They met the 12-0 Clemson Tigers in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, at which they suffered a 30-3 defeat.

The Irish averaged 31.2 points per game and 440.1 yards per game in 2018.

Brian Kelly opener history

  • 2010: Notre Dame win over Purdue
  • 2011: Notre Dame loss to USF
  • 2012: Notre Dame win over Navy
  • 2013: Notre Dame win over Temple
  • 2014: Notre Dame win over Rice
  • 2015: Notre Dame win over Texas
  • 2016: Notre Dame loss to Texas
  • 2017: Notre Dame win over Temple
  • 2018: Notre Dame win over Michigan

Additional Reading

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the game?

8:00 p.m. eastern time on Monday, September 2, 2019.

What channel is the game on?

ESPN.

Where is the game being played?

The game is being played in Louisville, KY.