By Garin Turner
The No. 22 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (1–2) look to even their record when they travel to Fayetteville on Saturday to face the Arkansas Razorbacks (2–2) in a noon EST kickoff on ABC.
Fighting Irish so far
Notre Dame’s season started with heartbreak. The Irish dropped their opener 27–24 to then-No. 10 Miami before falling in another nail-biter, 41–40, to then-No. 16 Texas A&M. Last week finally brought relief, as Notre Dame broke into the win column with a 56–30 victory over Purdue.
Quarterback CJ Carr has been steady, throwing for 737 yards and five touchdowns across three games. On the ground, Jeremiyah Love leads with 284 yards and three scores on 52 carries, while Jadarian Price has been a red zone threat with five rushing touchdowns to go along with 187 yards.
In the receiving corps, Malachi Fields has emerged as a deep threat, hauling in 10 passes for 203 yards. Eli Raridon adds nine catches for 182 yards, and Jordan Faison has 12 grabs for 155 yards and two touchdowns.
Defensively, Drayk Bowen and Jalen Stroman pace the team with 15 tackles each. Up front, Boubacar Traore has recorded two sacks, while Leonard Moore, Dallas Golden, and Christian Gray have all notched interceptions.
Key questions
Protection will be critical. Carr has been sacked six times already, and the Irish offensive line will need to keep him upright against an aggressive Arkansas front.
On defense, Notre Dame faces its stiffest challenge yet. The Razorbacks enter ranked eighth nationally in total offense at 552 yards per game and 15th in scoring at 43.5 points per contest. The Irish secondary will need to limit explosive plays while the front seven tries to disrupt timing in the backfield.
Prediction
Both teams can score in bunches, and this matchup has the potential to turn into a shootout. Expect Notre Dame to lean on balance, protect Carr just enough, and make timely defensive stops to escape Fayetteville with a much-needed win.
Final Score: Notre Dame 34, Arkansas 31
