(Photo: AJ Houk/Fighting Irish Preview)
Notre Dame is finally coming home — and nobody on the Fighting Irish Preview staff expects Rice to enjoy the visit.
The Irish opened the season by pounding Wisconsin 41-13 at Lambeau Field, including a 28-3 second-half demolition. Six days later, they’ll run out of the tunnel at Notre Dame Stadium for the first time in 2026.
Rice arrives 1-0 after beating Houston Christian 31-3 and rushing for a staggering 465 yards with its shotgun option offense. That certainly got our attention.
So did the point spread.
Notre Dame is favored by 44½ points.
Can Rice’s unconventional offense make things interesting? Does Notre Dame pick up where it left off at Lambeau? And just how much trouble are the Owls in?
The picks are in.
Phil Houk – Senior Editor
Rice ran for 465 yards last week. The shotgun option is interesting, and on a six-day week, Notre Dame will have less time to figure it out.
But 44½ points?
That’s not a point spread. That’s a warning label.
Rice might make the Irish scratch their heads for a series or two, but eventually talent takes over. And Notre Dame has a whole lot more of it.
The Owls run the option, and “Notre Dame by a lot” is also an option.
Prediction: Notre Dame 48, Rice 10
Caleb Conrad – Senior Intern
Notre Dame football is back in South Bend for the first time this season. Rice is a team that loves to run the football and create problems with its option-style offense.
After a slow first half at Lambeau, the Irish proved their dominance in the second half, outscoring Wisconsin 28-3. Notre Dame looked like the team fans have been waiting to see all offseason, and that momentum should carry right back home against Rice.
If Notre Dame stays disciplined and focused, the Irish should leave no doubt in this one.
Prediction: Notre Dame 42, Rice 6
Chad Ryan – Photo Journalist/Multimedia Editor
The first game of the season always has some uncertainty attached. Fear of the unknown and all. There isn’t much of that for Week 2.
I think we see CJ Carr and Mike Denbrock use this game to test the receiving corps in the first half. The Fighting Irish will look to put the ball downfield early, then pivot to the run game in the second half, mainly to run out the clock.
Rice might have some early success with its run game. Unfortunately for the Owls, Notre Dame’s defense has enough size up front, toughness at the second level and overall speed to get the option figured out in short order.
Prediction: Notre Dame 45, Rice 13
Jesse Craig – Webmaster
Notre Dame welcomes “Food” to South Bend this weekend.
The Rice Owls tout a gimmick option offense that is run out of a different formation than your typical option team. Neato.
Some will say, “Watch out, they put up 465 yards in their opener.” Yep. Versus Houston Christian, an FCS team hot off a 2-10 season. Truly a Championship Subdivision powerhouse.
Unfortunately for Rice, option offenses are defended the same way: reading keys plus eye and gap discipline. The Irish have won their last four games against option teams by an average score of 48-10.
After the slow start against Wisconsin, Notre Dame isn’t going to play with its food. The Irish are going to belly up to the trough and destroy it.
Prediction: Notre Dame 52, Food 0
Connor Fitzharris – Staff Writer
Notre Dame settles into a much easier matchup in its home opener against Rice than what the Irish faced last year against Texas A&M. Rice struggled significantly in the American Conference last season and managed just four wins in 2025.
Not much analysis is needed here. The talent gap is enormous, and the Irish should be able to do just about whatever they want on both sides of the football.
Expect Notre Dame’s offensive line play to improve significantly from the opener against Wisconsin less than a week ago.
Prediction: Notre Dame 41, Rice 7
Adam Schenkel – Producer/Audio Editor
Notre Dame’s second half against Wisconsin at Lambeau Field was about as dominant as one team can be against a Power Four opponent, and I don’t expect the Irish to slow down much in the home opener.
This week’s matchup immediately made me think of Charles Barkley’s famous line before the Dream Team played Angola in the 1992 Olympics: “I don’t know anything about Angola, but Angola’s in trouble.”
Well, I don’t know much about Rice, but Rice is in trouble.
The Irish roll early, CJ Carr continues building his Heisman résumé, and Notre Dame turns the home opener into a rout.
Prediction: Notre Dame 48, Rice 7
AJ Houk – Photo Journalist/Director of Brand Strategy
Rice, you had your fun against an FCS opponent. Now get ready for the heat-seeking missile that is Adon Shuler.
With almost no passing threat to worry about, expect a lot of man coverage, freeing up Notre Dame’s playmakers to attack the run game aggressively.
This one won’t be close at any point other than the opening kickoff.
Prediction: Notre Dame 56, Rice 0
Final Byte
Seven staff members. Seven Notre Dame picks. Not one of them thinks this will be close.
The average Fighting Irish Preview staff prediction is Notre Dame 47, Rice 8, an average margin of 39 points. That’s a rout — but interestingly, it still doesn’t cover the massive 44½-point spread.
Now for the Final Byte.
Rice’s 465 rushing yards in its opener are impossible to ignore, but so is the competition. Those yards came against Houston Christian. Saturday brings an enormous jump in size, speed, depth and defensive talent.
The shotgun option adds some uncertainty, particularly with Notre Dame working on a six-day turnaround. Assignment football can produce a busted play or two before a defense settles in. But Rice’s limited passing threat should eventually allow the Irish to attack the run aggressively.
The Final Byte factors in opponent quality, style of play, the talent differential, Notre Dame’s performance at Lambeau, the short turnaround, home-field advantage and the likelihood that Marcus Freeman goes deep into his bench once the game is decided.
Our numbers are a little more bullish than the staff average.
Final Byte Prediction: Notre Dame 49, Rice 7
Rice makes the Irish think early.
Then Notre Dame makes Rice wish it hadn’t.