South Bend, Ind. — Notre Dame wasted little time establishing control Saturday, turning an anticipated matchup with a confident Rice team into a one-sided affair.
The Irish dominated from the opening seconds, forcing turnovers, scoring on defense and getting another impressive performance from quarterback CJ Carr in a 42-0 victory over the Owls.
Rice entered the game riding the momentum of a 31-3 season-opening win over Houston Christian, a game in which the Owls rushed for 458 yards. Against Notre Dame, however, that ground attack never had a chance to get going.
Irish Strike Immediately
Rice received the opening kickoff, but its offense lasted only two plays before Notre Dame delivered the game’s first major blow.
Adon Schuler laid a crushing hit on Rice running back Davis Lane Jr., forcing a fumble at the Owls’ 24-yard line. Notre Dame defensive end Broubacar Traore scooped up the loose ball and raced 24 yards into the end zone.
Just five seconds into the game, the Irish were ahead 7-0.
Rice’s next possession ended with another turnover. The Owls fumbled at their own 38-yard line, and Notre Dame linebacker Jaiden Ausberry recovered.
The Irish offense immediately took advantage of the short field.
On the third play of the ensuing possession, Carr found Jordan Faison for a 25-yard touchdown pass, giving Notre Dame a 14-0 advantage with more than 10 minutes still remaining in the opening quarter.
The Irish continued to pour it on.
Carr connected with Faison again later in the first half, this time for an 11-yard touchdown that extended the lead to 21-0.
Nolan James Jr. then found the end zone twice on 1-yard touchdown runs, giving Notre Dame a 35-0 advantage.
Carr saved one more big play for the end of the half, hitting Micah Gilbert for a 39-yard touchdown — Gilbert’s first touchdown reception of the season.
By halftime, Notre Dame had built a commanding 42-0 lead.
The defense was just as impressive.
After producing nearly 500 rushing yards in its opener, Rice was held to only 52 total yards on 28 offensive plays in the first half. The Owls averaged just 1.8 yards per play, while Notre Dame forced three turnovers.
Notre Dame Keeps Rolling After Halftime
The Irish showed no signs of slowing down after the break.
Notre Dame needed only three plays on its opening possession of the second half to reach the end zone. Carr found tight end Cooper Flanagan for a 2-yard touchdown pass.
The drive was sparked by a 56-yard reception from Jerome Bettis Jr., setting up the short scoring connection.
Carr’s afternoon ended after an outstanding performance. He completed 16 of 20 passes for 253 yards and four touchdowns, finishing with a 252 passer rating.
Freshman quarterback Noah Grubbs then took over and received valuable playing time as Notre Dame continued to control the game.
Grubbs led the Irish on scoring drives of 49 and 59 yards. The first resulted in a 36-yard field goal by Spenser Porath.
Porath also remained perfect on extra-point attempts, converting all seven of his opportunities.
Freshman quarterback Teddy Jarrard entered late in the fourth quarter and completed both of his pass attempts.
Notre Dame finished with 478 yards of total offense while holding Rice to just 128 yards — 64 rushing and 64 passing.
Top Performers
Notre Dame
QB CJ Carr: 16-of-20 passing, 253 yards, four touchdowns and a 252 passer rating.
WR Jordan Faison: 95 all-purpose yards, including 54 receiving yards and 41 kickoff-return yards. He also caught two touchdown passes.
Defense: Notre Dame surrendered only 128 total yards, recorded eight tackles for loss and one sack, and scored a touchdown on Traore’s fumble recovery.
Rice
QB Jacurri Brown: 8-of-12 passing for 64 yards.
What’s Next
Notre Dame will return to South Bend on Sept. 19 to host Michigan State, marking the Irish’s second Big Ten matchup in three weeks. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m., with the game airing on NBC and Peacock.
Rice will return home to Houston for a Sept. 19 matchup against Western Michigan. The game is scheduled for a 6 p.m. kickoff and will stream on ESPN+.
