By Evan J. Thomas | We Are ND Nation

The Irish explode for 35 first-half points, dominate at the line of scrimmage and continue to look like a team with serious championship aspirations.

There are wins.  There are statement wins.
And then there are the games where a team walks into a Big Ten stadium, punches the opponent directly in the mouth and spends the afternoon reminding everyone why it entered the season with national championship expectations.

Notre Dame's 49-10 demolition of Purdue on Saturday was that kind of afternoon.  The No. 3 Fighting Irish traveled to Ross-Ade Stadium and absolutely overwhelmed the Boilermakers, jumping out to a 35-0 halftime lead before cruising to the 49-10 victory. Notre Dame improved to 4-0 while Purdue fell to 1-3.

And once again, C.J. Carr looked like he belongs behind center for a team with enormous expectations.  Through four games, the conversation surrounding Carr has gone from Can he handle the job? to something considerably more interesting: How far can this kid take Notre Dame?

Against Purdue, Carr completed 16 of 26 passes for 267 yards and three touchdowns, while also adding a rushing touchdown. He threw his first interception of the season, but it came with Notre Dame already firmly in control.  Carr's ability to make plays with both his arm and his legs has become a major component of Notre Dame's offense.

His first-half performance was especially impressive. After Micah Gilbert opened the scoring with a 27-yard touchdown reception, Carr helped orchestrate scoring drives that included Aneyas Williams' 22-yard touchdown run and Carr's own one yard touchdown plunge. Then, with the Irish already up 28-0, Carr connected with Nolan James Jr. for a three yard touchdown with just 29 seconds remaining in the half.  35-0.  Ballgame.

THE DEFENSE WAS ABSOLUTELY VICIOUS
If Carr and the offense provided the fireworks, Notre Dame's defense supplied the wrecking ball.
The Irish held Purdue to just 40 rushing yards for the game and recorded six sacks, while Bryce Young repeatedly made life miserable for Purdue quarterback Ryan Browne.  Young set the tone immediately with a sack on Purdue's opening play.  Later, his strip sack created one of the biggest plays of the afternoon.  Drayk Bowen scooped up the loose football and returned it 15 yards for a touchdown, giving Notre Dame a 28-0 advantage with 4:15 remaining in the second quarter. It was Bowen's first career touchdown.

That play perfectly represented what Notre Dame has become through four games:  Pressure. Turnovers. Points. The Irish defense entered the game already allowing just 7.7 points per game, and the Purdue performance continued that dominant early-season trend.

THE RUNNING GAME SHOWED UP
Notre Dame didn't need to rely exclusively on Carr. The Irish ground attack produced 177 yards on 32 carries, averaging 5.5 yards per attempt. Aneyas Williams led the way with 80 yards on 14 carries and a touchdown, while Notre Dame repeatedly found room to operate against a Purdue defense that struggled to slow down the Irish attack.  And that's an important piece of this Notre Dame offense.

When Carr is throwing efficiently, defenses can't simply load the box. When the running game is producing, they can't sit back and wait for Carr. When both are working? That's when this offense gets dangerous.

MICHAH GILBERT CONTINUES TO MAKE NOISE
One of the biggest offensive highlights came early.  Carr connected with Micah Gilbert for a 27-yard touchdown, giving Notre Dame its first points of the afternoon. Gilbert finished with 83 receiving yards, helping provide Carr with another explosive option in the passing game.

Notre Dame finished with 444 total yards, including 267 through the air and 177 on the ground. The Irish averaged an impressive 7.7 yards per play.  That's offensive efficiency.  And it's the kind of balance Notre Dame will need as the schedule gets tougher.

35-0 AT HALFTIME
Let's just stop and appreciate that for a second. Thirty-five points.  Zero points allowed.  Notre Dame outgained Purdue 273-90 in the first half and held the Boilermakers to just 12 rushing yards before halftime. The Irish didn't simply win the first half.  They obliterated it. The second half was essentially about getting everyone home healthy.

Purdue finally got on the board with a 47-yard field goal in the third quarter, and Notre Dame added two fourth quarter touchdowns, one from Cooper Flanagan and another from Matt Jeffery  before Purdue scored a late touchdown with six seconds remaining.

FOUR GAMES. FOUR WINS. AND A LOT TO LIKE.
Notre Dame is now 4-0, has won 14 straight games dating back to last season and has opened October with a perfect record for the first time since 2021. But perhaps the most impressive part isn't simply the record. It's how the Irish are winning.
They've shown:
- A quarterback who continues to develop
- A defense capable of wrecking opposing offenses
- A running game that can control stretches of a game
- Explosive playmakers
- Turnover creation
- Balance on offense
- The ability to dominate early and manage games late

There are obviously tougher tests ahead.  That's college football. But four games into the season, Notre Dame has given itself exactly what every championship contender wants: A perfect record and plenty of momentum.

The Irish aren't finished.  Far from it.  But after another dominant Saturday, one thing is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore:  Notre Dame isn't simply trying to survive the 2026 season.The Irish are building something.  And now, the rest of the country gets to see what happens next.
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☘️ 4-0.
Let's fucking go, Irish.

There is a difference between starting a season well and establishing the foundation of a team capable of making a serious postseason run.

Through three games, C.J. Carr has given Notre Dame plenty of reason to believe it has the quarterback play necessary to do the latter.

The junior quarterback hasn't needed to put up video-game numbers every Saturday. Instead, Carr has done something potentially more important: he has consistently made the right plays, protected the football and given Notre Dame's defense and running game room to do their jobs.

And after three games, the results are hard to ignore.
Carr has completed 53 of 64 passes for 726 yards, six passing touchdowns and zero interceptions through wins over Wisconsin, Rice and Michigan State. That's a completion rate of nearly 83%. He has also added a rushing touchdown. Notre Dame is 3-0 and ranked No. 3 entering Week 4. That's the kind of start that changes the conversation.

Notre Dame opened the season against Wisconsin at Lambeau Field, and Carr immediately showed why so much attention surrounded him entering 2026.

He completed 19 passes for 239 yards and two touchdowns, including a three-yard touchdown to James Flanigan and a 28-yard scoring strike to Nolan James Jr. in the fourth quarter.

Then came Rice. Carr was nearly flawless. He completed 16 of 20 passes for 253 yards and four touchdowns, tying his career high in touchdown passes. He opened the game 6-for-6 and connected twice with Jordan Faison for touchdowns during the first quarter of Notre Dame's eventual 52-0 demolition of the Owls.

The next challenge was Michigan State.  Carr completed 18 of 24 passes for 234 yards, again without throwing an interception. On the very first play from scrimmage, he hit Micah Gilbert for 61 yards, immediately putting the Irish offense in position to attack downfield. Carr later added a three yard rushing touchdown that helped seal Notre Dame's 27-10 victory.

Three games. Three wins. Zero interceptions.  And three very different games in which Carr has demonstrated that he doesn't need to play the same way every week for Notre Dame to win.

It's easy to look at 726 passing yards and six touchdowns. It's easy to focus on an almost 83% completion rate. But for a team with championship aspirations, the number that may matter most is sitting right next to the touchdown total: 0 interceptions. Carr has consistently avoided the kind of mistakes that can completely change a football game.

That doesn't mean Notre Dame is guaranteed to continue playing turnover free football. It doesn't mean Carr won't eventually have a difficult afternoon. That's college football.

But three games into the season, he has demonstrated an ability to make aggressive throws without turning aggression into recklessness. That's a valuable combination.

Perhaps the most encouraging aspect of Notre Dame's start is that Carr isn't being asked to carry the entire offense. Against Michigan State, the Irish ran for 161 yards, controlled the ball for more than 37 minutes and finished with 395 total yards. The defense held the Spartans to only 167 yards and shut them out in the second half. That is exactly the type of complementary football Notre Dame needs if it wants to navigate the remainder of its schedule. Carr can make the big throw. The running game can control portions of the game. The defense can create stops. And when all three phases are functioning together, Notre Dame doesn't have to depend on one player to manufacture a victory.  That's significant.

The Michigan State game also provided another intriguing development for Carr and the Irish offense: Micah Gilbert's emergence as a legitimate downfield weapon. Gilbert caught eight passes for 170 yards against the Spartans, including the 61-yard opening-play reception and two huge catches on the fourth-quarter drive that put Notre Dame ahead 27-10.

That matters because defenses cannot simply load up to stop the Irish running game or crowd the underneath passing lanes. If Carr can consistently connect with explosive receivers downfield, Notre Dame's offense becomes much more difficult to defend. And Carr has already shown he is willing to take those shots.

Notre Dame entered 2026 with championship expectations before Carr had taken a single snap.
His return was one of the reasons preseason analysts viewed the Irish as a potential national title contender. Three games into the season, Carr hasn't diminished those expectations. If anything, he has provided more evidence for why they existed in the first place. But there is still a long way to go. Notre Dame's remaining schedule includes road games against Purdue, North Carolina, BYU and Syracuse, along with home games against Stanford, Miami, Boston College and SMU and a neutral site meeting with Navy.

The November stretch, in particular, will tell us much more about where the Irish actually stand nationally. The important thing is that Notre Dame doesn't have to figure out its quarterback situation. That's already been answered.

Championship teams need talent everywhere. They need depth. They need health. They need a defense capable of making plays when the offense isn't perfect. They need to win close games. They need to survive adversity. Notre Dame will eventually face all of those tests. But through three games, Carr has given the Irish something every championship contender desperately needs:
Quarterback stability. He's been accurate. He's been aggressive. He's protected the football. He's made explosive plays. And he's shown he can win different types of games. Against Rice, he was nearly unstoppable through the air. Against Michigan State, Notre Dame leaned more heavily on its defense and running game while Carr efficiently managed the offense. That's growth. That's maturity. And that's why the conversation surrounding Notre Dame isn't simply about whether the Irish can have a good season.

At 3-0, with Carr playing the way he has played through the opening three games, Notre Dame has built a legitimate foundation for the kind of season that could put it in the College Football Playoff and national championship conversation.

The next chapter begins Saturday. And now the question isn't whether C.J. Carr can lead Notre Dame. It's how far he can take them.

SOUTH BEND, IN — September 19, 2026 — Dennis Stover and I, Evan J. Thomas made out first game of the season under the lights, in the rain, and in front of a sold out Notre Dame Stadium, the No. 3 Notre Dame Fighting Irish continued their undefeated start to the 2026 season with a hard-fought 27-10 victory over Michigan State.


The Irish improved to 3-0, while the Spartans dropped to 2-1.


This wasn't the explosive offensive showcase Notre Dame delivered against Rice. Instead, it was a night defined by physical football, timely plays and a defense that completely shut the door after halftime.

Quarterback C.J. Carr finished 18-of-24 for 234 yards and added a rushing touchdown, but it was sophomore wide receiver Micah Gilbert who immediately announced himself.


On Notre Dame's very first play from scrimmage, Carr hit Gilbert for 61 yards, setting the Irish up deep in Michigan State territory. The Spartans ultimately held Notre Dame to a field goal, but the tone had been established.


Gilbert finished the night with eight receptions for 170 yards, providing Notre Dame with a legitimate big play threat throughout the evening.


Notre Dame eventually found its way into the end zone when Nolan James Jr. powered in from two yards out to make it 10-0.


James was outstanding throughout the night, carrying the ball 26 times for 121 yards and a touchdown. His physical running became increasingly important as Notre Dame leaned on the ground game to control the clock and wear down the Spartans.  Aneyas Williams added a one yard touchdown run in the second quarter, giving Notre Dame a 17-3 advantage.


Michigan State then answered.  A 53 yard connection to Rodney Bullard Jr. put the Spartans in position, and quarterback Cam Fancher finished the drive with a 15 yard touchdown run.


Suddenly, what looked like an early Notre Dame runaway had become a 17-10 game at halftime.

Whatever adjustments Notre Dame made or whatever head coach Marcus Freeman said to the guys at halftime worked.


The Irish defense held Michigan State scoreless in the final two quarters dominated the time of possession, while Notre Dame added 10 points to put the game away.


Notre Dame opened the third quarter by forcing a three-and-out, then embarked on a massive 17-play, 77-yard drive that consumed 9:42. Spencer Porath capped it with a 35-yard field goal, extending the lead to 20-10.


The defense continued to squeeze.  Michigan State managed just 167 total yards, including only 44 rushing yards. Notre Dame's defense also intercepted Alessio Milivojevic twice.
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Then Carr delivered the final blow.  With 11:09 remaining, the Notre Dame quarterback kept the ball and powered his way into the end zone from three yards out. 27-10. Game over.

The biggest story of the second half wasn't simply that Notre Dame scored 10 points.
It was that Michigan State scored zero.  The Spartans entered halftime having shown they could hang with the nation's No. 3 team. Notre Dame responded by taking away the running game, limiting opportunities and controlling possession.

The Irish finished with 395 total yards to Michigan State's 167 and held the ball for more than 37 minutes not giving the Spartans an opportunity to respond.

Head coach Marcus Freeman acknowledged afterward that Notre Dame still has areas to clean up, particularly after a first half in which the Irish weren't playing as cleanly as they wanted. But the response was there. And that may be one of the more encouraging aspects of this 3-0 start.

Notre Dame leaves the Michigan State game with another win, another strong defensive performance and another reminder that this team can win in different ways.

Carr continues to look comfortable under center. James Jr. established himself as a force in the running game. Gilbert emerged as a major weapon through the air.  And the defense once again showed that when the game gets tight, it can take control.

The Irish will now turn their attention toward Purdue this week at Ross-Ade Stadium in West LaFayette, IN with Notre Dame entering Week 4 at 3-0.

Three games. Three wins.
The Irish are moving forward.
And the season is just getting started. ☘️

The #3 Notre Dame Fighting Irish didn't simply win their home opener, they obliterated the Rice Owls, delivering a 52-0 beatdown Saturday afternoon at Notre Dame Stadium. The Irish improved to 2-0 and gave their home crowd plenty to celebrate.

And it didn't take long for the rout to begin.  Just 14 seconds into the game, safety Adon Shuler forced a fumble on Rice's second play from scrimmage, and Boubacar Traore scooped it up and raced 24 yards for a touchdown. The tone was set immediately.

The biggest offensive storyline was quarterback C.J. Carr, who looked every bit like the Heisman contender many expected him to be. Carr completed 16 of 20 passes for 253 yards and four touchdowns, spreading the ball around and repeatedly finding ways to attack a Rice defense that simply couldn't keep up. He was pulled in the third quarter with the game well in hand.


Jordan Faison was one of his favorite targets, catching four passes for 54 yards and two touchdowns. Even more impressive was the distribution, 12 different Notre Dame receivers caught passes.

If the offense grabbed the headlines, the defense made sure Rice never had a chance to breathe. Notre Dame forced four turnovers, turning those takeaways into 21 points. The Irish also recorded eight tackles for loss while holding Rice to just 128 total yards.  The result? A shutout.


Rice couldn't find the end zone all afternoon, and Notre Dame's defense continued to make life miserable even after the starters began leaving the game.


The most impressive part might have been how quickly Notre Dame buried this game. The Irish entered halftime with a 42-0 lead, meaning the second half became an opportunity for Marcus Freeman to get younger players valuable experience while protecting his starters.


That's exactly what you want to see from a team with championship aspirations: handle business early, eliminate the drama and get the backups meaningful reps.


Was Rice a measuring stick for Notre Dame's championship potential? No. But after a convincing opening week victory over Wisconsin, Notre Dame followed it up by doing exactly what a top-three team should do against an overmatched opponent.


They dominated.
The Irish outgained Rice 478-128, played clean football, forced turnovers, protected Carr and pitched a shutout.


Now the conversation gets much more interesting. Michigan State comes to South Bend next.
That's where we'll get a much better idea of just how dangerous this Notre Dame team can be.
For now, though? 2-0. 52-0. And the Irish look damn good. ☘️🔥

Can Notre Dame avoid the Week 2 trap and make its home opener a statement?”
​If you're heading into Notre Dame vs. Rice for the 2026 home opener, the expectation is pretty simple: Notre Dame should win, win big and  win comfortably. The bigger question is how they look doing it.

I expect Notre Dame to come out fast.
After beating Wisconsin 41–13 at Lambeau Field and moving up to No. 3 in the AP Poll, the Irish have a chance to make a statement in their first game at Notre Dame Stadium.  In his first 4 seasons at the helm, head coach Marcus Freeman has lost 3 of his first 4 home openers.  Let's change that this year!


The biggest thing to watch is the running game.
Notre Dame is replacing NFL bound backs Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price. Aneyas Williams carried the load against Wisconsin with 20 rushing attempts for 90 yards and two touchdowns, but the Irish averaged only 3.5 yards per carry. Rice provides a good opportunity to get that ground attack rolling.


CJ Carr should have a big afternoon. Carr threw for 239 yards and two touchdowns against Wisconsin, and Rice's defense could have a difficult time containing Notre Dame's passing attack.


Don't completely sleep on RiceRice isn't walking into South Bend completely helpless. The Owls destroyed Houston Christian 31–3 in Week 1 and rushed for an eye-popping 465 yards on 70 attempts. Their option heavy offense is designed to chew clock and frustrate opponents.


That's actually the most interesting matchup of the game: Rice's run heavy option attack vs. Notre Dame's defensive discipline.


Notre Dame was excellent against Wisconsin's rushing attack, and the Irish have historically handled option oriented offenses extremely well. That's a bad matchup for Rice.


One thing to watch: Notre Dame's injuriesNotre Dame will be without starting safety Brauntae Johnson and defensive tackle Jason Onye, both of whom are expected to miss multiple weeks. The good news is linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa is expected back after recovering from knee surgery.


Rice also lost starting running back Quinton Jackson to a significant injury, which makes an already difficult task even tougher.


My predictionThe betting line has Notre Dame favored by roughly 44.5 points, which tells you just how lopsided the expectations are.


I don't think Notre Dame needs to score 50+ to make an impression. If the Irish defense shuts down Rice's running game, Carr gets comfortable and the offensive line establishes itself, this could get ugly quickly.
My Pick: Notre Dame 49, Rice 6.


The real takeaway won't be the final score. It'll be whether Notre Dame looks like a legitimate national championship contender after two games or whether there are still enough holes underneath the No. 3 ranking to cause concern when the schedule gets significantly tougher.


And considering Notre Dame's recent history of getting punched in the mouth in Week 2 home openers, don't overlook the importance of simply taking care of business. Rice is a very different opponent from Wisconsin, but this is exactly the kind of game a playoff-caliber team should dominate.

The 2026 season is finally here and No. 4 Notre Dame Fighting Irish made a statement under the lights at historic Lambeau Field, defeating Wisconsin 41-13 in the Shamrock Series. While the final score suggests a dominant performance, the game told a tale of two halves as the Fighting Irish overcame an early challenge before overwhelming the Badgers after halftime.


Notre Dame entered the locker room with a narrow 13-10 lead after an inconsistent first half. Wisconsin hung tough behind a disciplined defense and timely offense, but Marcus Freeman's team never panicked. Instead, the Irish made the necessary adjustments and completely took over the final 30 minutes.


Quarterback CJ Carr looked poised in his first start of the season, completing 19 of 29 passes for 239 yards and two touchdowns without an interception. His command of the offense improved as the game progressed, showing why many believe he is ready to lead Notre Dame's playoff aspirations.


Replacing two NFL first round running backs was one of the biggest storylines entering the season, and Aneyas Williams answered the call. The junior carried the ball 20 times for 90 yards and two touchdowns, consistently wearing down Wisconsin's defense and helping the Irish control the second half. His touchdown runs of three and five yards capped off two critical drives that helped Notre Dame seize momentum.


The biggest turning point came midway through the third quarter. With Notre Dame leading just 20-10, Wisconsin looked poised to answer before cornerback DJ McKinney stepped in front of a pass and returned it 55 yards for a touchdown. The pick six ignited the Irish sideline and effectively put the game out of reach, turning a competitive contest into a rout.


Notre Dame's defense was outstanding throughout the evening, forcing two turnovers while limiting Wisconsin to just 284 total yards. After allowing only a field goal in the second half, the Irish defense proved once again that it has the talent to rank among the nation's best. Combined with an offense that found its rhythm after halftime, the performance was exactly what Marcus Freeman hoped to see from a team with College Football Playoff expectations.


There is still room for improvement, particularly with the consistency of the running game in the first half, but the second half dominance showcased the resilience and explosiveness of this Notre Dame squad. The Irish outscored Wisconsin 28-3 after halftime, displaying the type of championship mentality needed to compete with the nation's elite.


Notre Dame leaves Green Bay with a 1-0 record and plenty of momentum heading into next week's home opener against Rice. If Sunday's second half performance is any indication, the Fighting Irish may just be getting started.