Consistency Defines No. 22 Notre Dame's Matchup Against Arkansas

Liam Farrell
Sep 26
4 min read

Marcus Freeman and No. 22 Notre Dame are looking for more consistency on the defensive side of the football, while replicating their extreme efficiency on offense.

Photo by Arkansas Athletics

As Notre Dame enters their fourth matchup of the season, the Fighting Irish are looking at a must-win game in the heart of SEC territory.

The Arkansas Razorbacks are entering this game with a 2-2 record and are in a very similar boat to the Fighting Irish. In the Razorbacks' two losses, they have lost by a combined seven points, one of which was in heartbreaking fashion to Memphis, and the other a six-point loss on the road against Ole Miss.

Let's look at the three biggest keys in the game.

Limiting Taylen Green

In their first four games, Arkansas is averaging 43.5 points per game and are led by their superstar quarterback Taylen Green. Green is the team's leading passer and rusher, accumulating 1,191 yards throwing while adding 360 yards on the ground.

The biggest area where Green terrorizes defense is through his improvisation skills outside the pocket. Green has been masterful on extended plays this season, as the lengthy quarterback does an excellent job of keeping his eyes downfield when the original play breaks down. However, Green has had his fair share of issues trying to force balls into tight situations.

This season, Green has already thrown four interceptions, which has been a lingering issue, as in the 2024 season, he threw nine. While he is extremely talented, if the Irish could force at least one turnover this game, it could be the difference maker in a potential shootout.

Quieting The Home Crowd

Arkansas transfer, Ty Ty Washington, stated that the environment in Fayetteville, Ark. will be "hectic", but added "if you really shut them out quick, it will be done. The fan base will be quiet, and everybody will go home."

Knowing this, a fast start is imperative, especially if this will be a battle between offenses. Being able to capitalize on every possession will be key, and offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock will certainly continue to lean on his two superstar running backs.

This will be the Irish's first away game since their season-opener, and it should be interesting to see how much different of a game Denbrock calls for his first-year quarterback, CJ Carr.

Carr's development from week one has been astronomical, and it should be interesting to see the juxtaposition in play calling from Denbrock, compared to his ultra-conservative nature against Miami.

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Making Arkansas One Dimensional

The Arkansas offensive unit has been explosive this year, averaging 43.5 ppg while being extremely efficient on 3rd down as well, converting 61.91% of the time.

However, the kryptonite of the Razorbacks offense is forcing them to be one-dimensional. Last week in the second half against Purdue, the Irish completely stagnated the Boilermakers' attempt in running the ball.

Arkansas has an extremely-talented running back room as well, which is led by Senior Mike Washington Jr. Washington is a big, physical back standing 6-foot-2, 223 pounds, and is exceptional at getting north-to-south. If the Irish can stop the run early, Sam Pittman and the Arkansas offense are very quick to abandon the run and will live with the game resting on the shoulders of their veteran quarterback.

Making Arkansas one-dimensional will certainly be a big task, especially for the linebacking unit for the Fighting Irish. Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa has been phenomenal and the most underrated player this season for the Fighting Irish, while Madden Faraimo has played beyond his true freshman year during his limited snaps as well.

This game could be won on the defensive line of scrimmage for the Fighting Irish as well. Gabriel Rubio has been trending upwards this entire season, and if Rubio could be paired with a healthy Jared Dawson, then Notre Dame will be in business up the middle. In terms of EDGE rushers, Boubacar Traore and Bryce Young need to jump on the scene sooner rather than later. If the Irish can get good performances from their two best athletes in that room, then sending extra pressure with a linebacker like Jaylen Sneed can be more fruitful for Chris Ash's unit.

If Notre Dame can limit Green, quiet the crowd early, and force Arkansas into obvious passing situations, they’ll leave Fayetteville with their second straight win.

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