Texas vs. Notre Dame: Ticket Info, Date, TV Schedule and Live Stream

Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET, the No. 11 Notre Dame Fighting Irish play host to the Texas Longhorns under the bright lights of Notre Dame Stadium and a national audience.

Call it a proving ground for both programs. Fighting Irish coach Brian Kelly wants to show the world his team can build on an 8-5 campaign one season ago and flirt with the idea of the College Football Playoff.

On the opposite side of the field, Longhorns coach Charlie Strong heads into the second year of his tenure working with a mixture of leftovers and his own recruits and hopes to prove one of the nation's dormant powers is on the upswing.

Below, let's take a look at the most important info surrounding the showdown.

Two Better Than One?

Last year didn't unfold how Strong would have preferred on either side of the ball. The defense imploded, especially down the stretch with a 48-10 drubbing at the hands of then-No. 5 TCU followed by a 31-7 whipping against Arkansas in the AdvoCare V100 Texas Bowl.

More concerning was the offense, led by Tyrone Swoopes. He managed 2,409 yards but threw 13 scores to 11 picks, and his leading rusher hardly surpassed the 700-yard mark.

Swoopes returns as the starter in a tweaked offense. His return is all the more intriguing when one realizes redshirt freshman Jerrod Heard will see time as a runner, too. It's a point Kelly stressed to LaMond Pope of the Chicago Tribune:

"

You start with the quarterback. Tyrone now is much more comfortable at the position. He can throw the ball. In particular, he does a great job pushing the ball down the field. He's got a strong arm and the offense suits him very well. They are in the kind of offense that takes advantage of his skill set. …

And then another quarterback, Heard, who can run the football. So you have to prepare for both of them. Certainly it's a challenge.

"

It's always a point worth monitoring when the opposing coach brings it up. If a versatile, new-look spread offense balanced by Swoopes and Heard can dictate the pace of the game, an upset might be in the cards.

Riding the Momentum

Then again, on paper, Notre Dame looks much better off on the turnaround track.

Malik Zaire takes over the job under center with Everett Golson gone, and things look great around him considering the Fighting Irish return the top six leaders in yards from scrimmage from last year.

Back Tarean Folston is chief among these names after averaging 5.1 yards per carry with 889 yards and six scores as part of a committee a season ago.

Perhaps even more daunting for the Texas defense? Notre Dame's new run-heavy approach behind a monster of an offensive line led by potential top-tier NFL draft pick Ronnie Stanley. Associate head coach Mike Denbrock talked about the new approach, per the Associated Press (via FoxSports.com):

"

We've got a big powerful group of guys up front that have a little bit of an edge to them and a little bit of a nastiness to them. So we're going to lean on them. We've got a quarterback who can do some things with the ball in his hands. We've got some good backs. So we're structured that way.

"

When it comes to controlling pace, Notre Dame seems to have all the right pieces. Folston and those behind him are talented, and Zaire's only start last year saw him carry the ball 22 times.

Behind a great line, the new run-first approach gets its first major test Saturday.

When: Saturday, September 5, 7:30 p.m. ET

Where: Notre Dame Stadium, Notre Dame, Indiana

Television: NBC

Live Stream: NBC Live Extra

Tickets: ScoreBig.com

Betting Lines (via Odds Shark):

• Over/Under: 50.5

• Spread: Notre Dame (-9.5)

Team Injury Reports

No reported injuries for either team yet.

Injury reports via USA Today.

Prediction

At home, Notre Dame stands at a stark advantage.

Texas is on the right path, especially with Strong being able to lure top-tier recruits to town such as linebacker Malik Jefferson. Right now, though, it isn't enough in the first game of the season to roll into Notre Dame and pull off an upset.

Look for Texas' two-quarterback offense to backfire in the tempo department as it works out the kinks, whereas the Notre Dame offense won't have issues churning out yards behind proven producers.

Both teams will leave Saturday's encounter with encouraging points, but the home team remains ahead in the critical areas.

Prediction: Notre Dame 24, Texas 17

Statistics courtesy of ESPN unless otherwise specified.