Nine days until Notre Dame football: Examining a packed September slate

BlueandGold.com will release a countdown article highlighting a significant Fighting Irish football statistic every day until the 2023 Notre Dame season opener against Navy in Dublin, Ireland, on Aug. 26. Today, there are nine days until the Fighting Irish and Midshipmen kick off at Aviva Stadium.

Believe it or not, Notre Dame plays half its regular-season schedule before the month of September draws to a close. The game in Week 0, no bye week until Oct. 21 and the Saturday of Week 5 falling on Sept. 30 created a perfect storm for the Irish.

The Saturday of Week 5 can be Sept. 30 or Sept. 29. Notre Dame had to have one of two calendar-year cycles to play half its season before October, and it got one.

September is, of course, the ninth month of the calendar year.

Of those six games, the Irish face a bit of a mixed bag. First, Notre Dame faces its historical rival, Navy, in a game it should win. Home games against Tennessee State, an FCS opponent, and Mid-American Conference foe Central Michigan should be wins for the Irish as well.

The other three games are tricky.

Sandwiched in between Tennessee State and Central Michigan is North Carolina State, who has been more than competitive in the Atlantic Coast Conference under 11th-year coach Dave Doeren. The Wolfpack boast a superb defense that returns its best player, star cornerback Aydan White.

Duke, the last September opponent for the Irish, went 9-4 under first-year coach and former Notre Dame defensive coordinator Mike Elko. Blue Devils quarterback Riley Leonard, in his first year as a starter, was quietly one of the better quarterbacks in college football in 2022.

And of course, there’s Ohio State. A win over the Buckeyes would be massive for the Irish, not just for the 2023 season but for recruiting battles down the line.

Here’s the full first half of Notre Dame’s 2023 season.

Notre Dame football August and September schedule

Aug. 26 vs. Navy, 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, IrelandSept. 2 vs. Tennessee State, 3:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock at Notre Dame Stadium in South BendSept. 9 at North Carolina State, 12:00 p.m. ET on ABC at Carter-Finley Stadium, in Raleigh, N.C.Sept. 16 vs. Central Michigan, 2:30 p.m. ET on Peacock at Notre Dame Stadium in South BendSept. 23 vs. Ohio State, 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock at Notre Dame Stadium in South BendSept. 30 at Duke, TBA at Wade Wallace Stadium in Durham, N.C.

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