Camping World Bowl Preview
The Camping World Bowl will showcase the talents of the 15th ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the unranked Iowa State Cyclones. This game will take place on December 28, 2019, at the Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida. The game is scheduled to kickoff at 12:00 P.M. EST and will be televised on ABC. This will be the 30th Camping World Bowl and will be one of the four games played on this day; two of which are the College Football Playoff Semifinals.
Notre Dame vs. Iowa State History
The Fighting Irish and the Cyclones have actually never played each other. Notre Dame is not only one of the most storied and recognized programs in college football, but all of sports. They played their first game in 1887. Since then they have experienced many highs and few lows. They have the fourth-best record of all time with a .727 win percentage. The Fighting Irish also have the second-most national championships will 11. However, their success in bowl games does not equate to their long-standing success. Notre Dame has 17 wins and 18 losses in all the bowl games in which they participated. This comes out to a 48 percent win rate. As great as their tradition has been, historically they have struggled in bowl games.
As for Iowa State, they do not have illustrious statistics comparable to Notre Dame. They have the 109th best record with a .454 win percentage. They have zero national championships. Iowa state also only has two conference championships which came over a century ago in 1911 and the 1912 seasons. They have a subpar bowl record with four wins and ten losses which comes out to a 28 percent win rate. When it comes to history, Notre Dame is far superior. However, both teams have been trending in the right direction which will make for a great matchup.
Notre Dame in the 2019 Season
Notre Dame has flashed great promise this season. However, losses to Michigan and Georgia ruined any chances for the Fighting Irish to make a big bowl game push. Regardless they have landed themselves in the Camping World bowl with the chance of capturing their 11th victory of the season. Notre Dame has relied on the arm of Ian Book all season. Coach Brian Kelly has continuously relied on Book to win games. Statistically, Notre Dame has the 13th best offense in football, scoring on average 37 points per game.
This is due to the playmaking ability of Book. He racked up 2792 passing yards, 33 touchdown passes, and only six interceptions. Book is also able to get it done on the ground. He rushed the ball 103 times for 537 yards and four touchdowns. The only questionable part of his game is his pass accuracy. He only completed 59 percent of his passes this season. Notre Dame’s best chance to win the game is to play through Book. Oh and of course rely on their stellar defense.
Notre Dame’s defense statistically ranks 14th in the NCAA only allowing 18.7 points per game. They only allow about 163 passing yards per game as well as keeping passers to about a 54 percent completion percentage. The Fighting Irish are stellar in the passing games, however struggling with the rushing aspect. They allow nearly 162 rushing yards per game and about one rushing score per game. Notre Dame has the pieces to win this game, but they must execute the things they are good at.
Iowa State in the 2019 Season
Iowa State is much like Notre Dame in being a pass-heavy offense. The Cyclones finished their season with an average record of seven wins and five losses. Statistically, they have the 26th ranked offense in the NCAA, scoring 34.1 points per game. The team’s best player is quarterback Brock Purdy. He has willed the team to all of their wins and the success of the team rest with him.
Purdy passed the ball an astounding 445 times this season while completing 295 of these passes. He is efficient and a lethal passer. He threw for 3760 yards this season while completing 27 touchdown passes and nine interceptions. While he prefers to stay in the pocket and find his favorite target in Deshaunte Jones he has no fear running the ball. While he only had 265 rushing yards this season and is far from a dual-threat quarterback, he has eight rushing touchdowns which rank him second on the team.
As for the Cyclone defense, they are about as average as a team could get. They rank 52nd in the NCAA by allowing 25.3 points per game. While they are not stellar in the rushing defense, they are much more exposed to the passing division. They allow opposing quarterbacks to complete 62.6 percent of their passes. Quarterbacks also average 226.8 passing yards per game and nearly two touchdowns. Their rushing defense allows on average 135 rushing yards per game and just under one touchdown. If the Cyclones can force turnovers, their chances of winning this game improve tremendously.
Predictions
This should go unsaid, but the Fighting Irish are the clear favorites in this game. They are the more put together team and have more overall talent than that of Iowa State. Notre Dame is being given about a 68 percent chance to win this game. However, Notre Dame is merely a four-point favorite. Even so, Notre Dame is expected and should win this football game against Iowa State.
