Second-Half Surge Powers Notre Dame Past NC State

The first handful of minutes couldn't have gone better for Notre Dame on Saturday, forcing a North Carolina State three-and-out before skipping right down field and scoring a touchdown of its own. It appeared Notre Dame would roll the Wolfpack but the rest of the first half was at best a draw, as NC State found the end zone itself before a Noah Brunette field goal gave the Irish a 10-7 lead on the last play before halftime.

The win moves Notre Dame to 4-2 on the year and one step closer to a potential College Football Playoff bid. The Irish had flashes but were far from perfect in the victory.

Here's a handful of instant takeaways from the 36-7 victory over NC State.

Props to Notre Dame Defensive Coordinator Chris Ash

It wasn't even a month ago that a large number of Notre Dame fans wanted new defensive coordinator Chris Ash fired. After a somewhat shaky first half that saw NC State move the ball and essentially try and shorten the game, Notre Dame's defense came up huge.

Notre Dame allowed just seven points Saturday, keeping up a hot streak that has been going on since the second half of the Purdue contest. Since that second half against Purdue, Notre Dame has allowed only 34 points over the last 14 quarters played, or less than three points per 15 minutes.

More Defensive Praise for Notre Dame

Taking it a step further, Notre Dame allowed NC State to total just 233 total yards and intercepted three passes. Pressuring the opposing quarterback has been significantly better in recent weeks, but the run defense has been outstanding as well. NC State was able to muster just 51 yards on 28 carries (1.8 yards per carry), as the Irish dominated defensively as the game went on.

Eli Raridon Comes up Huge for Notre Dame

Best game of Eli Raridon's career today. His work over the middle of the field and on that corner route has been exceptional.
— Jack Soble (@jacksoble56) October 11, 2025

While the issue was still in doubt, CJ Carr used old reliable to help extend the lead and essentially put Saturday's game on ice. Tight end Eli Raridon was Carr's favorite target in the second half, and despite the big fella not getting in the end zone, he did end up with seven receptions for 109 yards in what was a game-changing performance.

Short Yardage Issues for Notre Dame

Notre Dame's offense in short-yardage situations remains an issue. We've seen the Wildcat implemented during the year, and there have been plenty of issues. Those showed up again in Saturday's victory, as Notre Dame was again stopped in a fourth-and-1 situation deep in opponents' territory early, before again being stopped in similar fashion late in the second quarter. Notre Dame continues to make the decision to go for it in these situations, while the lack of Riley Leonard in them clearly remains an issue.

Clean it Up, Irish

The penalty numbers were better overall for Notre Dame Saturday, but a few of the missteps were costly. Drive killers on a holding and false start in the first half was essentially points off the board and something that will prove more costly when a more complete team is lining up against the Irish. Six penalties for 55 yards Saturday was better than a week ago, but still shows a lot of cleaning up needs to be done.

Ultimately, a Cover by Notre Dame

Watching a game live brings emotion and frustration, but at the end of the day, Notre Dame didn't just win but went on to cover against NC State. The Fighting Irish aren't the sexiest of teams to start games and might seem like they're playing with their food a bit, but 60 minutes later, they're acting the part of a python and simply suffocating opponents.

A real test and perhaps the last fairly big-time opponent Notre Dame will play this season comes to South Bend next week in the form of USC, in what could be the final regular season game played between the two.

Notre Dame might not enter that game with the ranking anyone wanted it to have before the season, but it remains in the College Football Playoff chase and is looking more and more the part of a very special team.