California vs. Notre Dame Prediction: Reeling Fighting Irish Look to Hit Reset Button Against Golden Bears

The California Golden Bears started the season 2-0. They beat UC Davis and UNLV. Next week they will play the struggling Notre Dame Fighting Irish. The team is 0-2 after losing to Ohio State and Marshall. It's the first time since 2000 that the team has lost all three games in a season. Cal hasn't won against Notre Notre in 55 years. The last time the teams met at Notre Irish Stadium, the game ended in defeat.

California vs. Notre Dame is a must-win game for the Fighting Irish.

California beat UC Davis and UNLV last week. Jack Plummer leads the Pac-12 and is third in the conference with 273 passing yards per game. Notre Dame has done a decent job against the pass so far this season. The Fighting Irish haven't forced a turnover yet. They are one of seven FBS teams that haven’t forced any turnover. They finished 74th in turnover percentage last season, compared to 6th for Cal.

Drew Pyne will start for the Fighting Irish at quarterback in place of Tyler Buchner, who had a shoulder injury. The team's offense has struggled this season, scoring 31 points in two games. Cal's defense is giving up 224 passing yards per game. California's conversion rate is second-best in the Pac-12 and 13th among Power 5 teams. California is 8-for-30 on third down. Notre Dame is in bottom 15 nationally. They play California on Saturday at 3:30 PM. It's a game between two teams in which the winning team usually has a better record.

Notre Dame lost to Marshall on Saturday. The team had scored just three scoring drives in its first six quarters of the season. They scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter against Marshall.