Two Big Questions Notre Dame Must Answer vs Rice

The Irish are in for a unique September home challenge from a funky Rice offensive attack. What do we need to learn from Notre Dame?

Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman believes there's something about this Irish football team that won't fall into the trap of a Week Two letdown. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Notre Dame is off to a 1-0 start after a 41-13, second-half-heavy beatdown of the Badgers at historic Lambeau Field. I think everyone in the Irish ecosystem is relieved to have all of the unknowns that come with the first game in the rearview mirror with a win in hand.

Next up, the Rice Owls come to South Bend for the home opener, with the Irish being a huge favorite. While this game is expected not to be close, there are a couple of questions Notre Dame must answer in order to get to 2-0.

Marcus Freeman's September record is still in doubt

The first storyline for the Irish in their battle against the Owls relates to Notre Dame's struggles under Marcus Freeman in September, particularly in second games at home with midday kickoffs vs a non-marquee opponent. Northern Illinois and Marshall were both games that ended in complete disaster.

All of these combining factors for a repeat disaster are present in this game, and Freeman must show he's learned his lesson about overlooking an opponent.

Regarding a change of approach in these kinds of moments, it was reported earlier in the week that Freeman had decided to practice with pads and go heavy rather than take it easy on the team in the short week heading into this game.

That's a great sign that Notre Dame is taking this game more seriously than it has in past similar opponents and circumstances.

The sleepy September narrative will follow Freeman and Notre Dame around until the Irish prove they can take care of business. This game is a big step in furthering that mission.

3️⃣ in the AP Poll#GoIrish☘️ pic.twitter.com/gCwFFxdLhc

— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) September 8, 2026

How will Notre Dame handle Rice's unique offense?

The second main narrative of the Rice game has to do with their unique offense. The Owls run a version of the triple option, and even though Notre Dame has vastly superior talent, a couple of bad angles and missed tackles could result in some big chunk plays.

Notre Dame has been able to easily handle Navy's version of the option in recent years, and that's a good sign, but anytime you run into a quirky scheme, it does register as a potential issue.

While the above-listed concerns are real and valid, I expect Notre Dame to be able to dominate this game and win big. The Irish are just too deep, fast, physical, and athletic to slip up against this Rice team.

They are also very much aware of the September stumbles of the past and will go the extra mile to prevent it from happening again. I see the Irish winning big by a 49-10 score to move to 2-0.