Irish Look to Stay Undefeated as Rice Comes to South Bend
Notre Dame Stadium opens its doors for the first time this season as the Fighting Irish host the Rice Owls in a matchup that, on paper, looks lopsided — but comes with just enough red flags to keep Irish fans from fully exhaling.
Notre Dame (1-0) vs. Rice (1-0)
Saturday, September 12, 2026 @ 2:30 p.m. ET
Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend, IN
TV: NBC/Peacock
What's at Stake
For Notre Dame, this is about business, not drama — but business has bitten the Irish before. Marcus Freeman's team enters this one still living down last year's snub from the College Football Playoff despite closing the regular season on a 10-game winning streak, and the mandate under Freeman has been clear: leave no doubt. That mandate has a history of being tested early. Northern Illinois shocked Notre Dame in South Bend in 2024, and Marshall did the same in Freeman's first home game as head coach back in 2022. A three-touchdown favorite over an option-heavy, unconventional Rice attack is exactly the kind of trap game that has bitten the Irish before, and taking care of business cleanly matters for a team with national championship aspirations and a resume the committee will be watching from Week 1.
For Rice, this is the chance of a season — maybe a program. The Owls have never beaten Notre Dame in five tries dating back to 1915, and they're walking into one of college football's most storied venues as a three-score-plus underdog. A win would be the signature victory of the Scott Abell era and one of the biggest upsets in school history; even a competitive showing would validate the ground-and-pound identity Abell has been building in Houston.
The History
Notre Dame holds a perfect 5-0 record in this series, which dates back to 1915, when the Irish throttled Rice 55-2 in Houston. The teams didn't meet again for nearly six decades, with Notre Dame blanking the Owls 28-0 in 1973. Rice's lone bright spot came a year later, stunning the Irish 10-3 in 1974 on a late touchdown. Notre Dame reasserted itself in the only meeting most current fans remember, a 48-17 win in 2014 in South Bend. This is the sixth all-time meeting and Rice's first trip to Notre Dame Stadium.
Players to Watch — Notre Dame Offense
QB CJ Carr — The second-year starter had an up-and-down season debut against Wisconsin, throwing for 239 yards and two touchdowns on 19-of-29 passing, including a go-ahead scoring drive stretch in the second half. He'll look to build rhythm early against a much lighter Rice defensive front.
RB Aneyas Williams — With Heisman finalist Jeremiyah Love and first-round pick Jadarian Price both off to the NFL, the backfield is Williams' to seize. He answered emphatically versus Wisconsin, rushing for 90 yards and two touchdowns and growing stronger as the game wore on — exactly the profile Notre Dame needs against a lighter Rice front seven.
WR Jordan Faison — Carr's clear go-to target, Faison hauled in four catches for 81 yards against the Badgers, including a 39-yard gain after the catch, and looks like the security blanket of this passing offense.
Players to Watch — Notre Dame Defense
CB Leonard Moore — A preseason All-American and one of the most talked-about players in the country, Moore is a lockdown corner who can erase half the field. Wisconsin barely tested him, which says as much about his reputation as anything he does on tape.
S Adon Shuler — A physical presence in the box who delivered a big hit against Wisconsin's quarterback run game; his ability to set the edge will matter against an Owls offense built on misdirection and option runs.
DB DJ McKinney — The corner opposite Moore turned in the defining defensive play of Week 1, a 55-yard pick-six that swung momentum against Wisconsin. He'll be tasked with limiting whatever Rice can generate through the air.
Players to Watch — Rice Offense
QB Jacurri Brown — A dual-threat quarterback who started the Owls' opener and racked up 98 rushing yards alongside his passing work, Brown is the engine of Scott Abell's option-based attack and the key decision-maker in an offense that wants to run first and often.
RB Tyvonn Byars — Byars paced Rice's 465-yard rushing outburst against Houston Christian with 104 yards on the ground, part of an offense that attempted only 10 passes in the opener. If Rice hangs around, it'll be because Byars and this run game are wearing down Notre Dame's front.
RB Quinton Jackson — A dual threat as a runner and kick returner, Jackson scored twice against Houston Christian and gives the Owls another weapon in an offense that leans heavily on the ground.
Players to Watch — Rice Defense
Defensive coordinator Jon Kay's front seven — Rice plays a conventional, physical defensive scheme, and its identity starts up front. The Owls will need disruptive line play and quick linebacker reads to have any shot at slowing down Notre Dame's rushing attack behind Williams.
Secondary — After surrendering the passing lanes that let Houston Christian generate six trips into Rice territory in Week 1, the Owls' defensive backs will be under pressure against a Notre Dame passing game that found its footing in the second half against Wisconsin.
Why Notre Dame Wins
The talent gap here is significant, and it starts up front. Notre Dame has one of the most complete rosters in the country, while Rice is still rebuilding institutional depth under a second-year coaching staff. The Owls' spread-option offense is unconventional and can cause early-season discomfort for a defense seeing it for the first time, but Chris Ash's unit showed against Wisconsin that it can tighten up after a slow start, holding the Badgers to just three points in the second half and forcing a pick-six along the way. Notre Dame's offensive line and run defense should be able to match Rice's physicality even if the option scheme creates some hiccups.
Offensively, Aneyas Williams looked more comfortable as the Wisconsin game progressed, and against a lighter Rice front that gave up 465 rushing yards to an FCS opponent in Week 1, the matchup favors Notre Dame's ground game breaking through early and often. Add in home-field advantage at Notre Dame Stadium, a bye-week's worth of extra preparation for Rice's unusual scheme, and a roster that simply has more high-level players at every level, and the Irish should be able to wear the Owls down in the second half the way they did Wisconsin — regardless of how uncomfortable the first quarter or two might look.
Prediction: Notre Dame wins comfortably, pulling away in the second half.
Go Irish!
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