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Fans will get their first look at 2018 Notre Dame football in game action (sort of–the rules for the game are decidedly practice-ish) on Saturday, as the Irish are set to take part in the 89th Annual Blue vs. Gold Game at Notre Dame Stadium.
The game is scheduled to start at about 12:30 p.m. ET and will be broadcast nationally on NBC Sports Network. If you don’t have cable or can’t get to a TV, you can still watch the game live on your computer, phone or streaming device by signing up for one of the following cable-free, live-TV streaming services:
FuboTV: NBC Sports Network is included in the “Fubo Premier” channel package. You can sign up for a free 7-day trial, and you can then watch the game on your computer via the FuboTV website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the FuboTV app.
Hulu With Live TV: In addition to a Netflix-like on-demand streaming library, Hulu now also offers a bundle of live TV channels, including NBC Sports Network. You can sign up for “Hulu with Live TV” right here, and you can then watch a live stream of the game on your computer via the Hulu website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the Hulu app.
DirecTV Now: NBC Sports Network is included in all four of DirecTV Now’s channel packages. You can sign up for a free 7-day trial no matter what package you choose, and you can then watch the game live on your computer via the DirecTV Now website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the DirecTV Now app.
Preview
Heading into the 2018 campaign, the Irish have an interesting battle going on at the quarterback position. Senior Brandon Wimbush played in 12 games last year, tallying 2,674 total yards (1,870 passing, 804 rushing), 30 touchdowns (16 passing, 14 rushing) and just six interceptions on 275 pass attempts. But he also completed just 49.5 percent of those pass attempts, struggled to find consistency through the air and was replaced in the Citrus Bowl by Ian Book, who went 14-of-19 for 164 yards and two scores to help orchestrate the comeback win over LSU.
They’re in a full-on competition this spring, but both are embracing the battle.
“It’s fun,” Book said. “Brandon would say the same thing. We push each other, and we’re both getting better from it.”
The rules of the Spring Game–quarterbacks in red jerseys not being live, most specifically–will make it tough to get a real grasp on where exactly each player stands, but it will still be nice to see how they’re throwing the ball at this stage. It will also provide a glimpse of enticing freshman Phil Jurkovec, who is rated as one of the best dual-threat QB’s of the 2018 class and is also one to watch in this QB competition.
Of course, there will be plenty of other positions to watch on Saturday. Like offensive line, where Notre Dame will look to replace potential Top-5 pick Quenton Nelson and potential first-rounder Mike McGlinchey. Or the offensive skill positions, where the departures of wide receiver Equanimeous St. Brown and running back Josh Adams leave 2,046 total yards from scrimmage to be replaced.
At the end of the day, it may not be much more than a glorified practice, but it should still be plenty entertaining.