Notre Dame’s fourth straight win came with a familiar mix of dominance and frustration. The Irish rolled up 485 total yards, forced three interceptions, and held NC State to just 51 rushing yards, yet still came away knowing it could have been worse for the Wolfpack.
CJ Carr threw for 342 yards and two touchdowns, connecting with KK Smith on an 18-yard strike and Will Pauling on a 12-yard score — both in the third quarter as Notre Dame broke the game open. Jeremiyah Love added 86 rushing yards and two touchdowns, including the game’s first and last scores, while the defense pitched a second-half shutout capped by a safety and three takeaways from Adon Shuler, Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, and Karson Hobbs.
It wasn’t perfect — the Irish went just 5-for-8 in the red zone and committed six penalties for 55 yards — but it was convincing. Notre Dame improves to 4-2 and remains unbeaten at home under Marcus Freeman against ACC opponents (now 9-0).
Key Stats
- Total Yards: Notre Dame 485, NC State 233
- Rushing Yards: Notre Dame 143, NC State 51
- Passing: CJ Carr 19-of-32, 342 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT
- Receiving Leaders: Eli Raridon 7 rec, 109 yds; Will Pauling 4 rec, 105 yds, 1 TD
- Turnovers: Notre Dame +2 (3 INTs, 1 lost fumble)
- Sacks: Notre Dame 4, NC State 2
- Time of Possession: Notre Dame 31:13, NC State 28:47
- Red-Zone Efficiency: Notre Dame 5-of-8 (62.5%)
