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%)
Frank Vitovitch has been Co-Owner and Editor in Chief of UHND.com since joining forces with Kyle Flavin in 1999. Since that time, he has written over 2,000 articles covering Notre Dame football, recruiting, and basketball. He also works with all staff and external writers on all articles published on UHND.com. Frank's love for Notre Dame football started at a young age watching Rocket Ismail give opposing coaches ulcers in the late 1980's. By day Frank works in marketing and holds a degree in Digital Media from Drexel University. Frank's work has been cited by online/print editions of NBC Sports, ESPN, and Sports Illustrated and has been quoted on air by ESPN's Collin Cowherd. He's conducted interviews with Notre Dame legends Rocket Ismail, Randy Kinder, Lee Becton, Reggie Brooks, Michael Stonebreaker, and Ned Bolcar among others over his 20+ years of covering Notre Dame football. He's also been published in the print edition of USA Today Sports Weekly and the USA Today College Football Preview multiple times. Other Published Works/Citations for Frank Three Reasons Notre Dame Will Beat Alabama - USA Today Notre Dame Suspends WR Kevin Stepherson, RB C.J. Holmes Indefinitely - Bleacher Report Notre Dame / Ohio State Fiesta Bowl Preview - Eleven Warriors Brace Yourself: The Fighting Irish are Relevant Again - Sports on Earth Interviews with the Enemy: A Q&A with Frank Vitovitch of UHND - Yahoo! Sports Five Good Minutes: Notre Dame Football Preview With UHND.com - BC Interruption Vicious Electronic Questioning with UHND - MGO Blog
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