Notre Dame’s offense has looked dangerous through two games, but the balance still isn’t there.
The Irish have put up 41 points and then 52 points to open the 2026 season, and the ball has moved well enough against Wisconsin and Rice. But the passing game, driven by junior quarterback CJ Carr, has done most of the heavy lifting. On the ground, Notre Dame has been stuck in neutral.
Through two games, the Irish have rushed for 229 yards total, averaging 114.5 yards per game and 3.6 yards per carry. Both numbers rank No. 116 in the country.
That kind of start sounds familiar from last season, though this year’s challenge comes with a different cast. Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price are no longer waiting in the backfield.
That’s why Marcus Freeman is treating this week like a reset point. Michigan State is next, and the head coach made it clear the run game has to become more dangerous.
"We want to be more explosive," Freeman said bluntly. "We want to find ways to create some big plays out of our run game, which we've done in the past.
There's some really good things that they're doing. I want to make sure we say it.
But sometimes it takes going through seeing a different opponent, two different opponents, and saying ‘hey, how can we enhance this?’ And that's going to be the objective for our run game and we'll be intentional about trying to find ways to continue to make those big, explosive gains.”
The personnel is still there, even if the numbers haven’t shown it yet. Juniors Aneyas Williams and Kedren Young, sophomore Nolan James Jr. and freshman Jonaz Walton have all already flashed. Ja'Juan Seider, who coaches the running backs, believes the group can get there, but he also knows a young room has to grow into that kind of consistency.
"His leadership has been outstanding for a young room," Seider shared about the Missouri native. "That's the thing that nobody talks about.
All summer, he's been the one that got the guys together, doing the extra film and basically being a coach in that room. So for me, that was the biggest thing we needed because we're so young.
We're not afraid to hold each other accountable, right? But he'd also be the first one to tell you that there's fault where he did something wrong, and that's where your growth is."
There’s also a little timing working in Notre Dame’s favor. Last season’s ground game started slowly too, even with Love and Price available, and it didn’t really catch fire until the third game.
This Saturday night is the Irish’s third game of the year. If the run game is going to find its rhythm, this is the point where it needs to start showing up.
Freeman and Seider both sound confident, but they also know exactly what has to happen. The offense needs more than steady production. It needs explosive runs, and the offensive line has to set the tone in the latest battle for the Megaphone Trophy.
In Other News...
Notre Dame Backfield Rivalry Is About To Hit The NFL Stage
Notre Dames backfield tandem is already making its way into NFL storylines. Jadarian Price and Jeremiyah Love, who spent their college days sharing the spotlight in South Bend, opened their pro careers with encouraging first outings - Price with the Seattle Seahawks and Love with the Arizona Cardinals. Their next chapter comes quickly, with the two rookies set to line up against each other in an upcoming game, a fitting collision for a pair of backs who pushed one another long before either reached the league.
The matchup adds a little extra edge for Irish fans who watched the duo grow into one of the programs most intriguing backfield pairings. Their rivalry has always been a friendly one, and they already have a nod to the moment in mind: a jersey swap to mark their first NFL meeting. It is the kind of small but meaningful gesture that underscores how much the competition has meant, and how fast both players have gone from college teammates to opposing pros. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame Faces An Early Test With New Names In Focus
Notre Dames early schedule has already put it in a familiar but demanding spot, lining up against multiple Big Ten opponents before the season gets too deep. At 2-0, the Fighting Irish have opened with enough momentum to keep attention high, but the next stretch brings a different kind of examination, with Michigan State and Purdue both offering the sort of physical, conference-style test that can expose where a team really stands.
The matchup layers make it especially interesting because Notre Dame is still operating as an independent while effectively measuring itself against Big Ten competition week after week. That means the focus falls not just on the teams record, but on which players can carry the load in these games and which opposing names can swing the tone of the matchup, turning early September into a useful snapshot of where Notre Dames season may be headed. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame Has An Early Season Question Fans Can't Ignore
Leonard Moores early-season profile keeps rising in ways that matter beyond the box score. The junior Notre Dame cornerback has already been named to the 2026 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team and is a semifinalist for the Allstate Wuerffel Trophy, recognition that reflects the kind of off-field reputation programs like Notre Dame still value as much as on-field production. It is another reminder that the Irish have plenty going right as the season settles in.
On the field, Notre Dames case is just as strong, with the Irish sitting No. 3 in the SP+ ratings and No. 1 on offense after the early stretch of games. Even so, the bigger question fans cannot ignore is whether that profile can hold when the schedule eventually tightens, especially with the program also looking ahead to future marquee matchups like Nebraskas return to the slate in 2032 and 2033, the first meeting between the schools since 2001. For now, the Irish are stacking accomplishments, but the real test still waits down the road. [Read more 🡒]