Irish Dominate in Arkansas: Offense Rolls, Defense Responds

Notre Dame walked into Reynolds Razorback Stadium on Saturday morning with questions swirling after an uneven September. By the time the final whistle sounded, those questions were met with a resounding statement. The Irish dismantled Arkansas 56–13, piling up 641 yards of total offense while a much-maligned defense settled in and delivered its sharpest performance of the season.

For Marcus Freeman, the win was as much about mentality as it was about execution.
“No, as I told the group, [I’m] extremely proud of just the way they prepared, was able to really kind of block out a lot of noise and and go to work,” Freeman said afterward. “The ability to handle success is a challenge. And the ability to handle criticism is always a challenge. And so I’m proud of both sides of the ball really being able to do that.”

Carr in Control

Freshman quarterback CJ Carr was at the center of the Irish offensive onslaught. The Michigan native completed 22 of 30 passes for 354 yards and four touchdowns without a turnover, carving up the Razorbacks with efficiency and poise. He spread the ball to seven different receivers, showing the depth of a group that is rapidly becoming one of Notre Dame’s strengths.

“It’s unbelievable,” Carr said of his weapons. “There’s guys that will win one-on-one matchups and I thought we showed it out there today. And there are still three or four balls left on the table that we can come down with and that I can make better throws on. The talent in that receiver room is unbelievable.”

Carr wasn’t just sharp throwing the ball. He orchestrated two back-breaking scoring drives to close the first half, hitting Jeremiyah Love for a three-yard touchdown before finding Jadarian Price on a 35-yard screen just seconds before the break. What had been a competitive game turned into a rout in a matter of minutes.

“It was a step in the right direction,” Carr said of Notre Dame’s improved execution in the middle eight. “I thought we handled the end of that first half really well. Put two touchdowns back on the board and then the next step is, okay, how can we come out of half and start faster than we did? The middle eight is so important and I thought we took a step in the right direction today for sure.”

Balance on Offense

The Irish ran for 210 yards and four scores, led by Price (86 yards, one TD rushing, one TD receiving) and Love (57 yards rushing, 70 yards receiving, four total TDs). Aneyas Williams added a 17-yard touchdown burst in the fourth quarter to cap the scoring.

The stat sheet told the story: 32 first downs, 8.9 yards per play, and a perfect 5-for-5 in the red zone. Just as important, Notre Dame’s offensive line kept Carr upright, surrendering only one sack against an Arkansas front that had created problems for SEC opponents.

Defense Responds

While the offense lit up the scoreboard, Notre Dame’s defense showed the response Freeman had been demanding. Quarterback Taylen Green was limited to 207 passing yards, threw an interception to Luke Talich, and was sacked three times.

For Freeman, the turnaround started with accountability. “It’s not Chris Ash’s, it’s not one person’s — it’s all of ours. We own this thing,” Freeman said. “And if you have that mentality, then you’re willing to fix it. If you want to pass blame, then you’re never going to do the things it takes to fix it. The leaders on the defense didn’t point the finger. They pointed it at themselves. And I was very confident they would stay together.”

The secondary, much maligned over the first two weeks and playing without Leonard Moore once again, showed noticeable growth. Safeties Adon Shuler and Tae Johnson set the tone with physical play, while cornerbacks held Arkansas receivers in check after some early gains. Shuler’s forced fumble late in the first half flipped momentum and set up Notre Dame’s quick-strike touchdown before the break.

“Just attention to detail,” Shuler explained. “Definitely coaches and players had to harp on just details and finishing. And having a lot of young guys playing, it was about keeping them confident, keeping their confidence up, and just telling them that when you’re out there, you won.”

Notre Dame also stiffened in the red zone, holding Arkansas to a pair of field goals after deep drives in the first half. “Those are four-point swings,” Freeman said. “Those were huge by our defense — the game plan, but also the execution of it.”

For all the positives on defense, Irish fans would be wise to caution themselves from thinking the 2024 defense is back already. Arkansas squandered multiple early opportunities with bad, off-target throws and drops. Once the Irish built some cushion the defense locked in, but early on it looked like a lot of the same issues from the first few weeks were going to rear their ugly heads again.

Handling Success

For all the positives, Freeman cautioned against letting one lopsided victory create complacency. He referenced Notre Dame’s struggles a year ago after a hot start as a reminder of how fragile progress can be.

“I still think it’s a lot harder to handle success than it is adversity,” Freeman said. “When people compliment you all the time and tell you how good you are, it allows you to maybe become complacent. And once you become complacent, you start to have habits that are below the standards you’ve set for yourself. That’s the challenge.”

It’s a message Carr has clearly taken to heart. “Here’s the thing with CJ,” Freeman said. “It’s more important for us to win than it is for him to play well. That’s his mindset. He wants to do whatever it takes to make sure this offense performs well and we win. That’s more important than how many yards he throws for. He’s one of those rare individuals who is just ultra-competitive. That’s the driving force to his preparation.”

Looking Ahead

The win pushes Notre Dame back to .500 at 2–2 and provides a jolt of confidence before the Irish return home. For a team that was battered by criticism after defensive breakdowns in the first two weeks, the rout of Arkansas offered proof that they can respond with resolve.

“We stuck together,” Freeman said. “It was a challenging week, but the leadership from coaches to players really helped us get through it and perform better.”

Notre Dame didn’t just win on Saturday — they looked like the team Freeman envisioned. If they can handle success as well as they handled criticism, the Irish may have just turned a corner.