Notre Dame’s defense gets a second straight dose of a run-first opponent, and this one brings a different kind of challenge.
After opening against Wisconsin, a team that is 15-0 under Luke Fickell when rushing for over 150 yards but is also now 1-22 in game where they rush for under 150 yards, the Fighting Irish now turn to Rice. The Owls are fresh off a 465-yard rushing performance against Houston Christian, but their approach is less conventional than the Badgers’. That’s where Chris Ash’s defense will be tested again, even after what has been a revitalized showing against the run.
If Notre Dame is going to handle Rice the way it expects to, the interior and the edges both have to hold up. Three names stand out: Bryce Young, Tionne Gray and Luke Talich.
Bryce Young is coming off his best outing in a Notre Dame uniform. The North Carolina native, listed at 6-6 and 260 pounds, was a major offseason talking point, and that work showed up in the opener against Wisconsin.
Now he faces an offense that leans heavily into its ground game and uses an old-school setup, with the offensive line rotating its starting group to the strong side of the formation. One of the main players in that look is offensive tackle Luke Miller, one of Rice’s only returning players from 2025.
Young and Miller should see plenty of each other, and Young’s job will be simple in theory and difficult in practice: set the edge, control the run, and chase quarterback Jacurri Brown if the chance opens up.
Inside, Notre Dame is asking Tionne Gray to step into a bigger role right away. The former Oregon transfer is making his first start in a Notre Dame uniform with 6th-year senior Jason Onye out for the next couple of weeks while he works back from a lower body injury.
Gray is the biggest interior defensive lineman on the roster at 6-6 and 320 pounds, and he’ll be right in the middle of a matchup that figures to be physical from the start. Rice’s interior line brings size of its own, with center Nate Bledsoe at 6-2, 315 pounds, right guard Cole Principe at 6-3, 310 pounds and left guard Patrick Valent at 6-2, 330 pounds.
Gray and the rest of the tackle rotation will have to stand firm as Tyvonn Byars pounds away between the tackles.
There’s another first-time starter to watch in the back end. Luke Talich is set for his first defensive start in a Notre Dame uniform because star safety Brauntae Johnson is out.
Talich has been part of the secondary for the last couple of seasons, but this is his chance to start in his fourth year in the home opener. The timing fits the opponent.
Rice is not shy about running the ball - not after 70 carries, 465 yards and four touchdowns against Houston Christian. Talich’s background in run support should matter here, especially with Jacurri Brown bringing a dynamic running element at quarterback.
At 6-4 and 222 pounds, Talich has the size and range to make plays in the open field, and he also came up in the high school ranks against different forms of triple option offenses. That makes this feel like a familiar kind of assignment. Against a Rice attack that wants to keep hammering away, Talich could end up with plenty of chances to show it.
In Other News...
Kenny Minchey Just Changed How Notre Dame Fans See That QB Battle
Kenny Mincheys first start at Kentucky was the kind of debut that gets remembered, especially for Notre Dame fans who watched him leave with unfinished business. Against Youngstown State, the former Irish quarterback threw for 301 yards and four touchdowns without a turnover, flashing the arm talent that made him a highly rated recruit in the first place. It also put him in rare company by matching a statistical benchmark not seen at Kentucky since Tim Couch nearly 30 years ago.
For Notre Dame, the performance inevitably reopens the conversation about what might have been, and what the quarterback picture looked like while Minchey was still in South Bend. He had limited playing time with the Irish before transferring, but now he has a start that gives his new program a clear jolt and gives his old one another reminder that quarterback evaluations rarely feel settled in the moment. Even one game can change the way a fan base remembers a battle, and this one certainly did. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame Fans Have A Strong New CFP Argument Against Critics
Notre Dames path to the College Football Playoff is getting judged through the same old lens, but the broader scheduling picture around the sport suggests the criticism is not as simple as it sounds. The Irish are once again being framed by some as a team that cannot afford a loss because of its schedule, yet the comparison with Miami shows how selective that argument can be when other contenders also go through stretches with relatively few highly ranked opponents on the slate.
A closer look at Power 4 schedules only reinforces the point: plenty of conference teams line up against few preseason AP Top 25 opponents, and that is often the reality of playing inside a league schedule. For Notre Dame fans, it creates a stronger response to the familiar skepticism, because the issue is not whether the Irish are alone in avoiding elite matchups so much as whether their schedule is being held to a standard other contenders are not forced to meet. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame Finally Has A Plan For Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa's Return
Notre Dame is finally moving toward getting Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa back on the field, with the linebacker expected to see limited snaps in the upcoming game against Rice. He has been out since last season because of an ACL tear, and Marcus Freeman said his practice volume has risen enough that he is trending toward being ready to play.
For a defense that has been waiting on his return, the key now is not just getting him back, but managing how quickly he is asked to do too much. The Irish plan is clearly cautious, with the staff aiming to bring him along gradually and let his role grow as he settles back in after a long absence. [Read more 🡒]