Notre Dame vs. North Carolina football preview, prediction

Notre Dame is coming off its first win under Marcus Freeman. North Carolina is undefeated through three games. The Tar Heels have been put through the ringer in the process, but they won at App State and Georgia State.

Drake Maye has 11 passing touchdowns and 930 yards passing, just 1 pick and a 74.2 percent completion mark. UNC averages 51 ppg and has scored 99 of its 154 pts in the 2nd and 4th quarters.

Josh Downs is expected to play for North Carolina against Notre Dame. He had 2 touchdowns off 9 catches in the opener.

Notre Dame is going to play Carolina. Drew Pyne is playing behind one of the better offensive lines and has good targets in Lorenzo Styles and tight end Michael Mayer.

Notre Dame has won 24 straight regular-season games against ACC teams. Notre Dame is 213-24 when it scores 30-plus points since 1980. Carolina is 5th nationally with 574.3 yards per game and 4th with 51. 3 points per contest.

Notre Dame and North Carolina are playing each other. North Carolin's punter Ben Kiernan is 2nd in college football in net punting average with 51.3 yards per boot and 4th nationally with a 48.4 net yard mark each time out. Carolina has the field position advantage and could keep the Irish out of the end zone most of this day.

Notre Dame and North Carolina are playing each other on Saturday.