- Notre Dame hosts Boise State for the first-ever matchup in program history.
- Irish offense averaging 480 yards per game behind quarterback CJ Carr.
- Defense showed progress by holding Arkansas to 13 points last week.
- Boise State brings a 3–1 record and a high-powered offense to South Bend.
After traveling to SEC country and embarrassing the Arkansas Razorbacks, Notre Dame Football heads back home to host Boise State. Last week, the Irish offense continued to prove why they are one of the best units in the country, while Chris Ash’s defense played its best football of the year. Boise State visits South Bend with a 3–1 record, where they will face an enthusiastic Fighting Irish team looking to make another statement in this year’s “Green Out” game.
Essential Game Info
- Game Time: Saturday, October 4, 2025, at 3:30 PM ET on NBC
- Location: Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend, Indiana
- Matchup History: This will be the first all-time meeting between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Boise State Broncos.
- Odds: Notre Dame –17.5
Details
- Conference: Mountain West
- Head Coach: Spencer Danielson
- 2025 Record: 3–1 (1–0)
- 2024 Record: 12–2 (8–0)
Boise State Storylines
Four games into the season, Boise State has lost at South Florida 34–7, beaten Eastern Washington 51–14, defeated Air Force 49–37, and beaten Appalachian State 47–14. The Broncos made the College Football Playoff last fall, and their only two losses on the season were to Penn State and Oregon.
The Broncos offense is led by quarterback Maddux Madsen. In 2025, Madsen is 79-for-132 (60%) with 1,129 passing yards, 9 passing touchdowns, 1 interception, and 2 sacks taken. On the ground, he has 17 attempts for 52 yards (3.1 yards per carry) with 1 rushing score.
Boise State’s top receiving threats are wide receivers Latrell Caples and Chris Marshall. This fall, Caples has 15 receptions for 240 yards and 2 touchdowns, while Marshall has 10 catches for 216 yards and 1 touchdown.
Notre Dame Storylines
Are the College Football Playoff still within reach? Before Irish fans get ahead of themselves, let’s think this through. A team with two losses can certainly make the College Football Playoff, but it will be extremely difficult with the Fighting Irish not having any currently ranked opponents left on the schedule nor playing in a conference championship game.
If Marcus Freeman’s team can finish the season 10–2—and let me emphasize if—then they will have a fair chance at the playoffs. Most programs across the country are getting into their conference play, rivalry weeks, etc., and there is a lot of losing left for teams ahead of Notre Dame.
The Irish must play like they did against the Razorbacks and run up the score every week. But again, they must take it “one game at a time.”
The Notre Dame offense is elite. Mike Denbrock has everything he could ever want in an offense. CJ Carr is becoming an elite passer, Notre Dame has the two best running backs in the country, and the Irish have a lot of depth at wide receiver. I do not see any team on Notre Dame’s schedule stopping this group.
The Irish defense shows signs of improvement. Yes, Arkansas had several self-inflicted miscues in the matchup. But the Notre Dame defense held an offense averaging 552 yards to only 367 yards and 13 points. After struggling to get pressure on the quarterback in the first few games, the Irish tallied 3 sacks in Fayetteville.
Yes, there is still work to be done. But in the second half of the Purdue game and the entirety of the Arkansas matchup, this defense looked different.
Head-to-Head Matchups
Notre Dame Offense vs. Boise State Defense:
The Fighting Irish offense is averaging 480 yards per game, while the Broncos defense is allowing 338 yards per matchup.
Mike Denbrock’s offense has the clear advantage in this category. I cannot recall the last time Notre Dame punted (not including the fake punt). It certainly helps the Irish have the best running backs in the country with Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price.
Advantage: Notre Dame
Boise State Offense vs. Notre Dame Defense:
The Boise State offense is averaging 520 yards per contest, while the Notre Dame defense is allowing 390 yards per game.
Besides their first game of the year, the Broncos have not struggled to put up points. Notre Dame’s defense played a lot better last Saturday, but there has not been a large enough sample size to give them the advantage this weekend.
Advantage: Tie
Special Teams:
Boise State’s Colton Boomer is 2-for-3 this year, with his longest conversion at 40 yards. Conversely, Noah Burnette is 3-for-3 with his longest conversion at 39 yards.
There is no distinct advantage on special teams.
Advantage: Tie
My Prediction
If Notre Dame Football plays like they did in Fayetteville, the rest of this season is going to be exciting. Typically, Irish offenses struggle early in the season and take off in the second half of the schedule. But this fall, it seems as though the Irish defense could be making the adjustments. It sounds like an excuse, but I definitely would have loved to see the Irish play some warmup games before facing their best competition in Week One and Week Two—but that is college football.
I have no worries about the Irish offense. This group can light up the scoreboard. My only hesitation in this matchup is the Irish defense. Will they build off last week’s performance? This Saturday afternoon, I believe Notre Dame will give up some points to the Broncos but ultimately continue to build off their solid game at Arkansas.
I have the Fighting Irish winning by 25 points.
Prediction: Notre Dame 42, Boise State 17
