Notre Dame Delivers An All-Around Performance, Routs Arkansas
- Liam Farrell
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
No. 22 Notre Dame had their best game of the season, as they went into a hectic SEC environment, and exited with a 56-13 victory.
Photo by Notre Dame Athletics
Notre Dame put together a complete performance on both sides of the ball in their dismantling of the Arkansas Razorbacks, which impressed head coach Marcus Freeman.
"The ability to handle success is always a challenge, and the ability to handle criticism is always a challenge. I'm proud of both sides of the ball."
The Irish finished today's game with 642 total yards, while putting up 56 points. Offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock called a beautiful game, as Notre Dame put up 42 points in the first half to sink the Razorbacks.
CJ Carr was masterful in this game, showing extreme poise and accuracy under pressure. Carr finished the game 22/30 for 354 yards and four touchdowns. Carr's 354 yards are the most passing yards in a single game for a Notre Dame quarterback since Jack Coan in 2021.
"(Carr's) one of those rare individuals."
Jordan Faison has improved week-in and week-out, and today, Faison was the Irish's lead receiver with seven receptions for 89 yards. Malachi Fields and Jaden Greathouse were reliable options as well, and captain Will Pauling recorded his first touchdown catch of the season. Carr was extremely complimentary of his wide receiver unit.
"Everywhere I look there's someone who can win one on one."
Even with Carr's performance, the Notre Dame running backs continued to steal the show. Jeremiyah Love built upon his dominant Junior year, with four total touchdowns, two coming on the ground and the other two through the air. Love ended the game with 127 total yards and dazzled with his elusiveness and athleticism.
Jadarian Price followed up his four-touchdown outing against Purdue with two touchdowns of his own. Price's 35-yard touchdown right before half was the knockout blow that ended any hope for the Razorbacks, and he finished with 121 total yards.
Aneyas Williams also made the most of his opportunity as he added a 17-yard touchdown that furthered the rout in Fayetteville.
While the Fighting Irish defense did struggle early, they made enough key plays to halt Arkansas drives, especially within the red zone. Without Leonard Moore, Mike Mickens' secondary unit delivered their most impressive performance to date, holding star quarterback Taylen Green to 207 yards, on 17/32 throwing.
It is evident that the younger players in the secondary are getting more and more comfortable as the season goes on. Tae Johnson looks to have certified star potential, and Mark Zackery IV is making tremendous strides as a true freshman. The return of Devonta Smith was impactful, and Christian Gray did a great job anchoring down the boundary. Luke Talich even recorded a late-game interception.
The defensive line did struggle against the run early on, but improved as the game went along. Boubacar Traore played more instinctively, along with Gabriel Rubio who has cemented himself as the best player in the middle of the defensive line. The defense also pitched a shutout in the second half against the Razorbacks as Chris Ash showed some improvements.
As a whole, this game felt eerily similar to the Purdue game from the 2024 season. The Irish have started to find their stride and if they can continue to elevate every week, Notre Dame is in a good position to run the table.
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