Notre Dame plays host to the Rice Owls on Saturday in the first on-campus game of the season. The Fighting Irish are contending with a short week of practice after defeating Wisconsin on Sunday night in Green Bay. Rice breezed past Houston Christian University (HCU) by 31-3 last Saturday and showcased a dynamic rushing attack. The Owls racked up 458 rushing yards while throwing only 11 passes in that win. These teams have not met since 2014 and the Irish hold a lifetime 5-0 record in this matchup. Saturday’s game will be televised nationally by NBC beginning at 3:30 PM Eastern time.

Head Coach Scott Abell is in his second season at Rice after a 5-8 campaign in 2025. Abell previously completed a successful seven-year run at Davidson where he went 47-28. His option style attack has been extremely successful throughout his career. The Owls have 50 new players on the roster this season including 27 incoming freshmen and 23 transfers.

Coach Marcus Freeman’s Irish hope to hit the ground running after a  virtual first half stalemate last week. Poor field position often dictated conservatism. This week, the coaches need to open the playbook and implement a more aggressive attack.

Rice quarterback Jacurri Brown is primarily a runner who gained 100 yards on the ground last week. He also completed three of six passes for a mere 18 yards. A half dozen swift ball carriers surround Brown and saw meaningful action in their opener. This group is led by tailbacks Tyvonn Byars and D’Andre Hardeman. Several of the wide receivers are utilized in the running game with jet sweeps  or reverses. Quinton Jackson, a 5’9” speedster, is their most dangerous threat. Unfortunately, Jackson suffered a knee injury against HCU and will not play this week.

Regarding Notre Dame, the Irish lost Jason Onye (ankle) and Tae Johnson (foot) for several weeks. The depth of the defense will be tested with Tionne Gray and Luke Talich elevated to starting roles. Both played well last week. In a bit of good news, linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa is ready to play after sitting out against Wisconsin. Others such as wide receiver Quincy Porter and guards Charles Jagusah and Matty Augustine remain out indefinitely.

NOTRE DAME’S OFFENSE vs. RICE’S DEFENSE

Running the ball effectively is the focus this week for Notre Dame. Guard Sullivan Absher provided a boost last week when he started the second half. Others along the line including the tight ends also blocked reasonably well. The lack of explosive plays can be traced to weak downfield blocking by the wide receivers. This needs to be improved this Saturday and the coaching staff knows it.

Tailback Aneyas Williams was a bit too excited to start against Wisconsin. Initially, he resembled a Chinese robot – sprinting like a bat out of hell before crashing into the line. Later, he exercised patience in reading his blocks and moving through gaps. I would like to see more of Nolan James, who impressed whenever he touched the ball.

CJ Carr should be given the green light to throw more downfield passes. This offense needs to stretch the field after a very conservative opener. Hopefully, the wide receivers other than Jordan Faison will be targeted multiple times.

Rice lines up in a 4-2-5 defensive alignment that most teams have adopted. Their best player is edge rusher Chibby Nwajuaku, a Nigerian native in his fifth season. Abell brought in five transfers as starters this season since most of last year’s defense has moved on. Newcomers include both linebackers and three of the five members of the secondary. The corners are Kyren Condoll from Duke and Jamir Benjamin from UCLA. Neither had started at his previous school but they were apparently effective last week. Houston Christian managed only eight completed passes in 23 attempts against Rice despite trailing throughout.

 The vulnerability for the Owls is they are relatively small on defense. Notre Dame’s size advantage against the Rice front six should enable the Irish to run effectively. Should the Owls commit additional resources to the line of scrimmage, Carr can burn them over the top. Linebacker Stone Combs will make several tackles but will need others around him to raise their game.

RICE’S OFFENSE vs. NOTRE DAME’S DEFENSE

Coach Abell’s unique offensive scheme is an option attack run primarily out of the shotgun. It includes a lot of pre-snap motion and can confound defenses that lack discipline and preparation. Notre Dame might struggle early in the contest but should be able to make needed adjustments well before halftime. Tackling is always a key to success as defenders are often isolated in one-on-one situations.

With Tae Johnson out, the Irish must deploy younger defensive backs to match a four wideout formation. In addition to Talich and Adon Shuler on the back end, we will see a deep rotation of cornerbacks. Leonard Moore, DJ McKinney, Jayden Sanders, and Mark Zachary will see action. Christian Gray and Dallas Golden will handle the slot.

Rice lists three wide receivers with one running back in support of Brown. Any of these players can carry the ball from scrimmage. Statistically, Brown is a mediocre passer although he has not previously been a full time starter. He began his career in 2022 at Miami, FL before moving to UCF in 2024. This is his fifth season of college ball.

The Owl’s offensive line is young and short on experience at this level. Two of them started at Ivy League schools before transferring to Rice. Right tackle Luke Miller is a homegrown recruit from Texas who is the best of the bunch. The tight end is familiar to the Irish. Preston Zinter left South Bend in December, whereupon he was converted to offense by Abell. Zinter is used primarily as a blocker in this scheme.

Brown will shoulder most of the load now that Jackson is out. At 6’4” and 220 pounds, he is both powerful and elusive. The Owls will run their option attack out of the shotgun most of the time. If Notre Dame has difficulty stopping it, Rice will gobble up time of possession and score points. Coach Freeman understands the need for discipline on defense and sure tackling.

“You have got to be disciplined and there’s a job that you have to do on each play depending on what the offense does”, he said. “Your eyes will tell you what your responsibility is. If you don’t have disciplined eyes and you start trying to do something that’s not your job, that’s when big plays occur. Eye discipline is the most important key to accomplishing your responsibility.”

SPECIAL TEAMS

Irish kicker Spencer Porath passed his first test in Green Bay and appeared to be solid. Punter Jasper Scaife learned a painful lesson when he failed to shift in response to Wisconsin’s rush formation. I doubt that will happen again. Fans were disappointed that kickoffs did not reach the goal line. One was even yanked out of bounds. We will see if this is addressed this week. The return game lacked any hint of explosiveness, although Faison has that potential with punts. Blocking on returns requires effort and synchronization that usually takes a few weeks to develop.

Rice Senior Enock Gota made a short field goal last week but later missed a 51-yarder. Gota converted ten of 13 tries last season with a long of 49 yards. He is quite reliable inside 45 yards. Punter Charlie Durkin averaged 41 yards for Kent State in 2025. Last Saturday, he launched a 54-yarder in his only attempt.

SUMMARY

Notre Dame would like to utilize its depth on defense to combat Rice’s relentless option attack. Each defender must prove capable of remaining disciplined rather than going rogue. The Irish front four has an advantage in depth and talent. They should create havoc resulting in negative plays. Escapes and missed tackles will be costly, however, and Notre Dame must be able to get off the field.

For Rice, Brown is a terrific athlete that will challenge any opponent. The Irish must account for him on every play and bring him to the ground. They did a credible job last week against Wisconsin’s Colton Joseph but this task will be more difficult. If the Irish can force Rice to pass more than it desires, the game could get ugly.

When Notre Dame has the ball, there is no reason they should be denied scoring opportunities. Absent penalties and turnovers, Carr should be able to put points on the board on every possession.

Here are a few questions that will shed light on the outcome:

Will the Irish defense be adequately prepared for Rice’s complex option attack?

Can Carr hook up with multiple receivers downfield?

Will Notre Dame break off any rushes of 15 or more yards?

Can the Irish offense start fast and force Rice to play from behind?

Will Notre Dame clean up its special teams mistakes from last week?

Can the Irish defense continue to score points?

Which team will dominate time of possession?

Can Notre Dame take advantage when Brown is forced to pass?

PREDICTION

I would like to see the Irish unleash the full potential of its offense this week against a weak defense. Several backs and receivers need the confidence that comes with successful plays in live action. Notre Dame could reach the 50-point mark if the defense stifles the Owl option attack. The Owls and their helter-skelter scheme are not easy to defend, though. Chances are that Brown will make a few plays and stay competitive well into the second quarter.

NOTRE DAME 45  RICE 13