No. 3 Notre Dame, No. 7 Miami set to clash again

Nov 9, 2017 - 7:11 PM No. 3 Notre Dame (8-1, CFP No. 3) at No. 7 Miami (8-0, CFP No. 7), Saturday, 8 p.m. ET (ABC) Line: Notre Dame by 3. Series record: Notre Dame, 18-7-1. WHAT'S AT STAKE Simple: The winner keeps legitimate hopes of ending the season in the College Football Playoff. Miami could extend the nation's longest active winning streak to 14 games with a victory, and Notre Dame could start 9-1 for the second time in the last three seasons. And the Hurricanes could avenge all four of their losses from 2016, having already beaten Florida State, North Carolina and Virginia Tech. The Irish are the most recent team to beat Miami. KEY MATCHUP Notre Dame QB Brandon Wimbush vs. Miami LB Shaquille Quarterman. Wimbush raised some eyebrows when he suggested that he was expecting a "dominant and convincing" victory this weekend. Quarterman has set the tone for a swarming Miami defense by chasing quarterbacks all over the backfield. PLAYERS TO WATCH Notre Dame: RB Josh Adams. The Irish tout him as a Heisman candidate, and he has four TDs this season against AP Top 25 competition. Miami: QB Malik Rosier. Why not? He's 9-0 as the starter including a win over Duke in 2015, and teammates are raving about his leadership. FACTS & FIGURES Notre Dame has won the last four games in the series, but Miami has won the last five at home. Miami last hosted the Irish in 1989, and Notre Dame last won a road game against the Hurricanes in 1977. ... Irish coach Brian Kelly is coaching his 100th game at Notre Dame. He's 67-32 so far in South Bend. ... It's only the second time in the last 12 seasons that Miami has been part of a game featuring two Top 10 teams (the other Nov. 2, 2013, a loss at Florida State). ... Notre Dame RB Deon McIntosh and Miami DL RJ McIntosh are brothers, and other than in the backyard this will be their first time going head-to-head. ... Miami has scored at least 24 points in each of its last 14 games, but hasn't reached 30 since September. ... Both teams are excellent in turnover margin: Miami (with its now-famous "Turnover Chain") is No. 4 in that department nationally, and Notre Dame is No. 5. ___ AP college football website: http://collegefootball.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP_Top25