(Photo: Joe Weiser/Fighting Irish Preview)
Notre Dame was favored by 44.5 points against Rice. The Irish won by 52. Did Notre Dame do what it was supposed to do? Yes, and honestly, this is exactly what Notre Dame needed.
After a slow first half against Wisconsin last week, the Irish came out Saturday and completely took over, beating Rice 52-0 in the home opener. There was no slow start, no drama and no letting an overmatched opponent hang around.
It took 14 seconds.
Adon Shuler delivered the hit in typical Shuler fashion — with extreme prejudice. The ball came loose, and Boubacar Traore picked it up and took it 24 yards for a touchdown. Fourteen seconds into the game, Notre Dame had already made its point. By the end of the first quarter, the Irish led 21-0.
Freeman said Notre Dame needed to “set a physicality presence” early and called Shuler’s hit a “gamechanger.” Mission accomplished. Notre Dame was here to play.
And that’s important because we’ve seen what can happen when the Irish don’t handle these games. Marshall stunned Notre Dame in 2022. Northern Illinois did the same thing in 2024. Those games are still brought up whenever Notre Dame faces a Group of Five opponent it is heavily favored to beat. Rice never got the chance to become another one.
THE DEFENSE SET THE TONE
Notre Dame’s defense completely shut down the Owls. Rice rushed for 465 yards in its season opener, but the Irish held the Owls to just 128 total yards and forced five fumbles, recovering four of them.
Chris Ash had his defense ready. Shuler was everywhere, KVA was back flying around the field, Luke Talich stepped up with the Irish dealing with injuries and Bryce Young continued to impress. Kahanu Kia also came up with a late forced fumble to help preserve the shutout. Rice never found an answer, and this Notre Dame defense looked different.
THE OFFENSE FINDS ITS RHYTHM
Then there was CJ Carr, who was really good. After a solid performance against Wisconsin last week, Carr looked completely comfortable against Rice. He made the right decisions, pushed the ball downfield and took advantage of a passing game that was clicking. Freeman said Carr’s “decisions are impeccable,” and that pretty much sums it up.
And Faison? He’s becoming a problem for opposing defenses. Faison caught two touchdowns and added a 37-yard punt return, but the best part is Notre Dame doesn’t have to ask him to do everything. Micah Gilbert made a big play, Jaden Greathouse got involved and Cooper Flanagan caught a touchdown. Carr was spreading the football around.
Carr finished 16-for-20 for 253 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions. That’s a really good day, not because Carr needed to prove anything against Rice, but because he continues to look more comfortable. More receivers are getting involved, and Notre Dame’s passing game is starting to look like what everyone expected it to look like.
The Irish also got their young quarterbacks on the field. Noah Grubbs looked comfortable in relief of Carr, completing 7-of-11 passes for 78 yards, while Teddy Jarrard got his first action and completed both of his passes for 29 yards. Those reps could matter later.
THE RUNNING BACK ROOM GETS INTERESTING
Notre Dame still needs to run the football better, but Saturday gave us a better look at just how many options the Irish have in the backfield.
Nolan James Jr. scored twice on six carries and finished with 29 yards. After catching four passes for 67 yards and a touchdown against Wisconsin, James has now found the end zone three times in the first two games. He’s making a pretty strong argument for more opportunities.
True freshman Jonaz Walton made the most of his first extended look as well. Walton led Notre Dame with 48 rushing yards on eight carries, averaging six yards per attempt. Aneyas Williams added 29 yards on nine carries, while Kedren Young had eight yards on four attempts.
The overall rushing numbers weren’t great, but the running back room suddenly looks pretty interesting. Williams remains the veteran presence, James keeps making plays and Walton gave everyone a glimpse of what he can bring. Notre Dame has options. Now it has to figure out the right combination.
WHAT STILL NEEDS WORK
For all those options, the run game itself still has room to improve. Notre Dame finished with 118 rushing yards on 32 carries, averaging 3.7 yards per attempt. There were some good moments, but the Irish will need more consistency on the ground against the better teams on the schedule.
That probably qualifies as the biggest concern coming out of a 52-0 win. Freeman made it clear that even after a blowout, there are still things to fix, saying, “We can’t have plays that beat Notre Dame.”
That’s the standard, and that’s why Saturday mattered. Notre Dame has been in this position before: a heavily favored Irish team playing a Group of Five opponent in a game that should be over early. This time, it was.
Notre Dame didn’t just cover the 44.5-point spread. It won by 52. It left no doubt.
LOOKING AHEAD
Now comes the fun part. Michigan State is coming to Notre Dame Stadium next Saturday night. The Spartans are 2-0 and in their first season under Pat Fitzgerald, and this feels different.
Rice was a game Notre Dame was supposed to dominate. Michigan State brings back a historic rivalry, a familiar coach and an opponent that should give us a better idea of where this Notre Dame team stands.
The Irish handled their business against Rice. They responded after the slow start at Wisconsin and showed they weren’t going to let another Group of Five opponent hang around.
Now the schedule changes. Notre Dame-Michigan State. Saturday night. Notre Dame Stadium.
And the Leave No Doubt tour is rolling.