Notre Dame vs. Rice: Biggest Storylines, Players to Watch and Predictions

Notre Dame returns to South Bend this weekend for its first home game of the 2026 season, and the expectations could hardly be higher. After opening the campaign with an impressive 41-13 victory over Wisconsin at Lambeau Field, the No. 3 Fighting Irish welcome Rice to Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, September 12.

On paper, this is a game Notre Dame should control from start to finish. The Irish enter as overwhelming favorites, while Rice is coming off a 31-3 victory over Houston Christian. Still, the matchup presents several interesting questions for Marcus Freeman’s team.

Notre Dame is not simply looking for another win. The Irish are trying to build a team capable of competing for a national championship, and every early-season game provides an opportunity to identify areas that need improvement.

The biggest questions against Rice will center on Notre Dame’s running game, its young and developing skill-position players, and how well the defense handles an unusual option-oriented attack.

Notre Dame Looks to Build on Strong Start

The Irish could not have asked for a much better opening night.

Notre Dame defeated Wisconsin 41-13 at Lambeau Field, overcoming a relatively quiet first half before pulling away decisively after halftime. The result helped Notre Dame move to No. 3 in the AP Top 25 and immediately strengthened the belief that this year’s team has legitimate championship potential.

Quarterback CJ Carr looked comfortable in his second season as the starter, while the defense once again demonstrated why it is expected to be one of the team’s greatest strengths.

However, there was one area that did not look quite as polished: the running game.

Notre Dame averaged just 3.5 yards per carry against Wisconsin. That number stands out because the Irish were one of the nation’s most productive rushing teams in 2025, averaging 5.7 yards per attempt. The departure of Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price to the NFL naturally created questions about how the backfield would look in 2026.

Rice provides the Irish with an ideal opportunity to answer some of those questions.

Aneyas Williams Has a Chance to Shine

One of the most important players to watch Saturday will be running back Aneyas Williams.

Williams entered the season as one of the leading candidates to take over a larger role after serving behind Love and Price. Against Wisconsin, he received 20 of Notre Dame’s 32 rushing attempts and finished with 90 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

That workload demonstrated how much confidence the coaching staff already has in him.

The next step is turning those opportunities into consistent production.

Rice’s defense will present a different challenge from Wisconsin, and Notre Dame should have more opportunities to establish its offensive line and running game. If Williams can consistently gain positive yardage and create explosive plays, the Irish could have a much more balanced offense than they showed in the opener.

A strong performance could also settle some of the questions surrounding Notre Dame’s post-Love and Price backfield.

CJ Carr Remains the Offensive Leader

While the running game deserves attention, Carr remains the centerpiece of Notre Dame’s offense.

The quarterback entered 2026 with considerable expectations after an impressive freshman season. Notre Dame believes he has the accuracy, decision-making and composure necessary to lead a championship-caliber team.

Against Wisconsin, Carr threw for 239 yards and two touchdowns.

Rice’s defense could give him an opportunity to build on that performance.

The Owls’ secondary has been significantly reworked, with several new players taking prominent roles. That could create opportunities for Carr to connect with Notre Dame’s talented group of receivers.

Jordan Faison, Jaden Greathouse and Mylan Graham are among the receivers who could make their presence felt.

Mylan Graham, in particular, is an intriguing player to watch. He has the talent to become a major contributor, and Rice could provide an ideal setting for a breakout performance. Some Notre Dame observers have even identified him as a potential 100-yard receiving candidate in this matchup.

Leonard Moore Leads a Dangerous Defense

If Notre Dame has a clear advantage entering the game, it is on defense.

The Irish return a large portion of a unit that finished the 2025 season strongly. Cornerback Leonard Moore is one of the most recognizable stars on the roster and is capable of changing the way an opposing offense approaches the field.

Moore was rarely tested against Wisconsin but still finished with five tackles without missing one. He also figures to play an important role against Rice’s unusual offensive system.

The Owls are expected to rely heavily on the running game, meaning Notre Dame’s defensive discipline will be tested more than its coverage skills.

Linebacker Drayk Bowen is another player to watch. Bowen led the Irish defense with nine tackles against Wisconsin and should have plenty of opportunities against an offense that wants to run the football repeatedly.

Boubacar Traore could also create problems for Rice. He recorded a sack and two tackles for loss against Wisconsin and was Notre Dame’s leading sack producer in 2025 with 7.5 sacks.

Rice Will Try to Make the Game Ugly

Rice will not enter Notre Dame Stadium simply hoping to survive.

The Owls have a very specific offensive identity under head coach Scott Abell. They want to run the football, control possession and limit the number of opportunities their opponent gets.

That strategy worked extremely well in Rice’s season opener.

The Owls rushed for 465 yards on 70 attempts against Houston Christian while completing only four passes for 28 yards. Eleven different Rice players carried the ball, illustrating just how committed the team is to its ground-heavy approach.

Quarterback Jacurri Brown is an important part of that system.

The former Miami and UCF transfer rushed for 98 yards in Rice’s opener and brings another dimension to an offense that can put pressure on defenders through option concepts and quarterback runs.

That makes this matchup more interesting than the point spread might suggest.

Notre Dame’s defense must remain disciplined. One missed assignment against an option offense can turn into a long touchdown.

Rice Has a Significant Injury Concern

The Owls will also have to adjust because running back Quinton Jackson suffered a significant injury in the opener.

Jackson scored twice before leaving the game, but Rice will now turn to players such as Tyvonn Byars and D’Andre Hardeman Jr. Byars rushed for 104 yards against Houston Christian, while Hardeman contributed 77 yards.

That depth is useful, but replacing a featured player against a defense as talented as Notre Dame’s will be difficult.

Rice’s passing game is another major concern.

Completing only four passes for 28 yards against Houston Christian is not sustainable against a top-three opponent. The Owls will likely need to find a few explosive passing plays to prevent Notre Dame from loading the box and attacking the running game.

The Irish Must Avoid Looking Ahead

The biggest danger for Notre Dame may not be Rice itself. It could be complacency.

The Irish are overwhelming favorites, and the schedule becomes significantly more demanding later in the season. Notre Dame has Michigan State next, followed by Purdue, North Carolina, Stanford and eventually BYU, Miami and other challenging opponents.

There is also recent history that should keep the Irish focused.

Notre Dame has experienced surprising losses in home openers in recent seasons, including defeats to Marshall in 2022, Northern Illinois in 2024 and Texas A&M in 2025.

That history is precisely why Freeman cannot afford to allow his players to treat Rice as an afterthought.

The goal should be to establish control early, execute cleanly and get the starters out of the game if the score allows.

Notre Dame’s Injuries Are Worth Watching

The Irish also enter the game with a few injury-related questions.

Safety Brauntae Johnson and defensive tackle Jason Onye are expected to miss several weeks after injuries suffered against Wisconsin. Ethan Long and Joey O’Brien are among the players expected to see expanded roles, while Francis Brewu could receive more snaps along the defensive line.

Those absences may not change the overall outlook against Rice, but they give younger players an opportunity to gain meaningful experience.

That could prove valuable later in the season.

Notre Dame’s championship aspirations will ultimately depend on depth, and games like this are where that depth can develop.

Key Matchup: Notre Dame’s Defensive Front vs. Rice’s Option Attack

This may be the most important tactical battle of the afternoon.

Rice wants to run. Notre Dame wants to stop the run.

Simple enough.

The Irish will need to maintain their assignments, avoid overcommitting to the wrong ball carrier and tackle consistently in space. If they do that, Rice could struggle to sustain drives.

Notre Dame has also demonstrated that it can handle option-oriented teams. The Irish defeated Navy twice in recent seasons by a combined 100-24 and routed Army 49-14 in 2024.

Rice’s offense is different, but Notre Dame’s experience against similar concepts should help.

If the Irish defense forces Rice into obvious passing situations, the game could become one-sided very quickly.

Prediction: Notre Dame 45, Rice 7

Rice deserves credit for its impressive opening-week performance, and the Owls’ rushing attack could cause Notre Dame some problems early.

But the talent gap is substantial.

Notre Dame has the better quarterback, a deeper roster, an experienced defense and home-field advantage. The Irish also have something to prove after an inconsistent running performance against Wisconsin.

Look for Freeman to emphasize the ground game early.

Williams should receive plenty of opportunities, while Carr will likely have chances to attack a rebuilt Rice secondary. If Notre Dame establishes the run, the rest of the offense should open up.

Defensively, the Irish should eventually overwhelm Rice’s offensive line and force Brown and the Owls’ other quarterbacks into uncomfortable situations.

A prediction of 42-7 has already emerged from one preview, while another Notre Dame-focused projection has the Irish winning 52-7.

A reasonable middle ground is Notre Dame 45, Rice 7.

The Irish should win comfortably, but the more important outcome will be what they learn from the game.

If Notre Dame can improve its rushing efficiency, continue Carr’s development, get more receivers involved and handle Rice’s unusual offense without major mistakes, the afternoon will be considered a success.

Final Thoughts

Notre Dame versus Rice is not expected to be a classic, but it could be an important developmental game for the Fighting Irish.

The spotlight will be on Carr, Williams, Moore and Traore, but the bigger story may be how the supporting cast performs. Notre Dame has national championship ambitions, and championship teams need more than a handful of stars.

They need depth. They need consistency. They need discipline.

Most importantly, they need to take care of the teams they are supposed to beat.

Saturday’s game at Notre Dame Stadium provides the Irish with their first opportunity to do exactly that in front of their home crowd in 2026. If Notre Dame handles Rice convincingly, attention will quickly turn toward the tougher challenges waiting later on the schedule.

For now, the mission is simple: play clean football, establish the run, defend the option and leave no doubt.