Notre Dame’s First Quarter: High Hopes, Harsh Lessons, and a Season Derailed Early
For a program with national championship aspirations, Notre Dame’s 2025 campaign began with the kind of gut punches that can define - or derail - an entire season. Coming off a trip to the national title game the year before, expectations were sky-high in South Bend. But the first three games of the season told a different story - one of missed opportunities, defensive breakdowns, and a steep learning curve for a young quarterback.
Let’s break down the opening quarter of the Irish’s regular season - a stretch that ultimately shaped the trajectory of the year.
Week 1: Miami 27, Notre Dame 24 - A Harsh Welcome for the New Era
The season opener was billed as a heavyweight clash: No. 6 Notre Dame heading to Miami Gardens to face the 10th-ranked Hurricanes.
The Irish were turning the page to a new chapter at quarterback, handing the reins to redshirt freshman CJ Carr. Miami countered with seasoned SEC transfer Carson Beck, and the difference in experience showed early.
Notre Dame’s offense sputtered out of the gate, struggling to find rhythm behind a shaky offensive line performance. On the other side, the Irish defense, now under the direction of new play-caller Chris Ash, couldn’t get key stops when it mattered most. Despite a furious 17-point fourth-quarter comeback, Notre Dame ran out of time - and answers - falling just short in a 27-24 loss.
It was a game that revealed both promise and problems. Carr showed flashes of poise late, but the slow start and lack of defensive resistance proved too much to overcome. The offensive line, a traditional strength for the Irish, delivered one of its weakest performances in recent memory, and Ash’s debut coordinating the defense left plenty of questions.
Week 2: Texas A&M 41, Notre Dame 40 - A Shootout Ends in Heartbreak
After an early bye week, Notre Dame returned home hoping to bounce back against No. 16 Texas A&M. The Irish dropped to No. 8 in the AP Poll, but the atmosphere was electric as they looked to reset the tone of the season.
For a while, it looked like they might do just that. Notre Dame raced out to a 24-14 lead midway through the second quarter, only to see it slip away before halftime. The Aggies took a 28-24 lead into the break, and from there, the two teams traded blows in a high-scoring, back-and-forth affair.
With under three minutes to play, Notre Dame took a 40-34 lead - but a mishandled hold on the extra point loomed large. That single point would prove costly. Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed orchestrated a 13-play, 74-yard drive, capping it off with a go-ahead touchdown with just 13 seconds remaining.
The 41-40 loss dropped Notre Dame to 0-2, and it stung for several reasons. The defense once again struggled in key moments, giving up one of its worst home performances in nearly a decade. The Irish also fell to 1-3 in home openers under Marcus Freeman, a trend that continues to haunt the program.
Week 3: Notre Dame 56, Purdue 30 - Finally, a Spark
It wasn’t until Week 3 that Notre Dame finally put a win on the board - and even then, it wasn’t without some drama. Hosting in-state rival Purdue, the Irish found themselves in another shootout early, giving up 23 first-half points to a Boilermaker offense that, on paper, shouldn’t have had much success against Notre Dame’s talent-rich defense.
But this game turned on a dime. After a weather delay, Jadarian Price broke things wide open with a 100-yard kickoff return touchdown - a momentum swing that ignited the Irish on both sides of the ball.
From that point forward, Notre Dame took control. The defense tightened up, holding Purdue out of the end zone for most of the second half, while the offense exploded.
CJ Carr turned in a near-flawless performance, completing 10 of 12 passes for 223 yards. Price was electric, scoring four total touchdowns, and Jeremiyah Love added two more while notching his first 100-yard rushing game of the season.
It was the kind of performance fans had been waiting for - explosive, balanced, and confident. The Irish finally looked like the team many expected them to be from the jump.
The Big Picture: A Season Shaped in the First Three Weeks
Looking back, the first quarter of Notre Dame’s season was more than just a rocky start - it was the stretch that ultimately kept them out of the College Football Playoff. Two losses by a combined four points to eventual playoff teams? That’s a tough pill to swallow for a program that was inches away from a second straight postseason berth.
There were flashes of brilliance - Carr’s growth, the playmaking of Price and Love, and the offensive ceiling when everything clicked. But the early defensive lapses and inability to close out tight games proved costly.
As Notre Dame turns the page to the offseason, the lesson is clear: in a sport where every week counts, you can’t afford to stumble out of the gate. Next season, the Irish will need to come out swinging - because as this year proved, the first quarter can make or break a championship run.