Notre Dame’s next two opponents are already off to winning starts, and both did it in very different ways.
Rice, the Irish’s Week 2 opponent on Sept. 12, leaned hard on the run and rolled past Houston Christian, 31-3. Michigan State, which comes to South Bend the following week on Sept. 19, survived a tougher afternoon and beat Toledo 30-20 in Pat Fitzgerald’s coaching debut at his new school.
Rice’s opener stood out most for how thoroughly it controlled the line of scrimmage. The Owls piled up 465 rushing yards on 70 carries and held Houston Christian to a lone field goal.
Tyvonn Byars set a career high with 104 yards on 16 attempts, and Rice spread the workload around with 11 different rushers. That kind of production gives Notre Dame a clear early challenge to prepare for on defense.
Michigan State’s win was less one-sided, even though the Spartans carried a 19-7 halftime lead. Toledo clawed back to tie the game in the fourth quarter before quarterback Alessio Milivojevic answered with a fourth-down conversion with 10:37 left to put Michigan State back in front. Milivojevic finished 26 of 34 for 247 yards, and the Spartans outgained Toledo 397-273 while also owning a 26-10 edge in first downs.
Notre Dame will host Rice at 3:30 p.m. ET on Sept. 12, then take on Michigan State at 7:30 p.m. ET on Sept. 19 in the return of the Megaphone Trophy rivalry.
In Other News...
Notre Dames Next Opponent Just Lost Its Biggest Offensive Threat
Rices offense took a significant hit in Week 1, when running back Quinton Jackson suffered an injury during the game against Houston Christian and will be sidelined for an extended period. Head coach Scott Abell said the injury happened as Jackson scored his second touchdown, and it was the only injury Rice had coming out of the opener.
For Notre Dame, the timing matters. Jackson had been expected to be a centerpiece of the Rice attack after his breakout season in 2025, so his absence changes the look of an offense the Irish were already preparing to face. It leaves Rice with a major void to fill as it heads into the matchup, and one of the clearest threats Notre Dame had to account for is now off the board. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame Fans Got An Early Reality Check On Two Rookie Backs
Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price gave Notre Dame fans plenty to dream about during their rookie summers, but the first official NFL depth charts offered a quick reminder of how steep the climb can be. Neither back is opening the season as a starter, with Love settling in as the second running back for the Arizona Cardinals and also appearing as the third kick returner, while Price sits behind George Holani on the Seattle Seahawks depth chart.
For Irish fans, the setup is familiar enough: the college pedigree is obvious, the professional pecking order is not. Loves placement may reflect the preseason ankle issue that slowed his push for a larger role, and Prices spot comes even after reports of a strong preseason showing, which only adds to the intrigue around how quickly both backs can force their way into bigger opportunities once the games start to count. [Read more 🡒]
Marcus Freeman Sees A Chance To Change Notre Dame's Home Story
Notre Dame opened the season with a 41-13 win over Wisconsin in the Shamrock Series at Lambeau Field, a strong start for Marcus Freemans team before it turns home for the first time against Rice. Freeman spent part of the buildup to the home opener talking about what the opener said about his group, and the takeaway went beyond the final score. The Irish showed they could handle the stage, settle in and finish, which is the kind of early-season evidence coaches like to point to when they start judging a teams identity.
Freeman also made a point of discussing sophomore running back Nolan, whose work in the passing game added another layer to Notre Dames offense in Green Bay. His long touchdown stood out not just as a splash play, but as the payoff for embracing that role and sticking with it. As the Irish return to South Bend, that kind of versatility may matter as much as the result itself, especially if Freemans team is trying to turn an encouraging opener into a different kind of home story. [Read more 🡒]