Wake Forest @ Notre Dame preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 5, 2011 ) Notre Dame 24, Wake Forest 17

One more “trap game” left for No. 3 Notre Dame before a showdown at Southern California, and it comes Saturday when Wake Forest visit South Bend. The Fighting Irish need to win out and get some help to finish in the top two of the BCS and play for the National Championship. The road has not been easy, and Notre Dame has nearly fallen several times to lesser opponents at home. The Demon Deacons will try to catch the Irish napping. Wake Forest is hoping to become bowl eligible with a win but is 1-3 on the road and is coming off a 37-6 loss at North Carolina State. The Demon Deacons rank 108th in the country in scoring offense and will be trying to find the end zone against a Notre Dame team that jumped into first nationally in scoring defense, surrendering an average of 11.1 points.

TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, NBC. LINE: Notre Dame -24

ABOUT WAKE FOREST (5-5): The Demon Deacons have been held to less than 20 points in four of their last five games and are facing an uphill climb to bowl eligibility with Vanderbilt following Notre Dame to close out the season. Quarterback Tanner Price had a rough game against N.C. State, passing for 113 yards and an interception, and will need to be more like the quarterback that put up 293 and three scores against Boston College for Wake Forest to have a chance on Sunday. Price has not gotten much help from a rushing attack that ranks 114th in the nation and struggled to 16 yards on 23 carries last week.

ABOUT NOTRE DAME (10-0): The Fighting Irish sit third in the BCS standings behind Kansas State and Oregon, partly because they have not been able to dominate inferior competition at home. Notre Dame needed overtime to escape Pittsburgh and Stanford and beat Brigham Young and Purdue by a field goal apiece in South Bend. The Demon Deacons may represent the last chance to put a big number up on the scoreboard. There are no questions about the Irish defense, led by Heisman candidate Manti Te’o. The senior recorded his sixth interception in last week’s 21-6 victory at Boston College and is a key to Notre Dame’s stout run defense. The offense, led by quarterback Everett Golson, has come up big in tight spots but has rarely looked dominant for four quarters.

EXTRA POINTS

1. The Irish have not finished a season undefeated at home since 1998.

2. Note Dame took last season’s meeting 24-17 in Winston-Salem, N.C.

3. Wake Forest WR Michael Campanaro has caught a school-record 21 passes in the last two games.

PREDICTION: Notre Dame 28, Wake Forest 6