SOUTH BEND, IN – Notre Dame scored 26 unanswered second-half points to turn a competitive game into a convincing 36-7 victory over NC State on Saturday at Notre Dame Stadium. The Fighting Irish capitalized on four NC State turnovers and exploited a depleted Wolfpack secondary to snap a brief losing streak and improve to 4-2 on the season.
The Wolfpack (4-3, 1-2 ACC) held firm through much of the first half, trailing just 10-7 at intermission after limiting Notre Dame to 59 first-half rushing yards. But the game unraveled in the third and fourth quarters as quarterback CJ Bailey threw three interceptions and the offense managed just 233 total yards—the lowest output of the season for NC State.
Bailey completed 17 of 30 passes for 186 yards with one touchdown and three picks. He was sacked four times and repeatedly pressured by a Notre Dame defensive front that registered five tackles for loss and four sacks. The Irish defense also forced a fumble that resulted in a safety, capping a brutal stretch in the fourth quarter where NC State turned the ball over on four consecutive possessions.
Running back Hollywood Smothers, the ACC's leading rusher entering the game, was held to 46 yards on 12 carries—his lowest total of the season. As a team, NC State rushed for just 51 yards on 28 attempts, a season-low mark that reflected the absence of offensive lineman Anthony Carter Jr., who left the game early and did not return due to injury.
Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr threw for 342 yards and two touchdowns on 19-of-31 passing. He connected with tight end Eli Raridon seven times for 109 yards and found wide receiver Will Pauling four times for 105 yards and a score. Running back Jeremiyah Love added 86 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, including a one-yard plunge late in the fourth quarter that capped the scoring.
The Irish (4-2) piled up 485 total yards—the second-most allowed by NC State this season—and converted 6 of 14 third downs. They were 5-for-8 in the red zone, while NC State never reached the 20-yard line and scored its only touchdown from 45 yards out.
Notre Dame opened the scoring midway through the first quarter with a six-play, 58-yard drive that ended with Love's two-yard touchdown run. The Irish converted a long third down on a 32-yard pass to Pauling and moved methodically downfield before Love punched it in to make it 7-0.
NC State answered on its next possession after forcing a turnover on downs. Notre Dame faced fourth-and-one at the Wolfpack seven-yard line late in the first quarter, but Carr was sacked for a 10-yard loss by linebacker Travali Price and defensive end Caden Fordham, who combined to drop the quarterback well behind the line of scrimmage.
The Wolfpack capitalized on the stop with an 11-play, 83-yard touchdown drive that featured multiple third-down conversions. Bailey hit running back Jayden "Duke" Scott for 15 yards on third-and-nine to keep the drive alive, then found wide receiver Terrell Anderson for a 45-yard touchdown strike with 13:48 remaining in the second quarter. Kanoah Vinesett's extra point tied the game at 7-7.
Notre Dame appeared poised to retake the lead late in the half when they drove to the NC State eight-yard line, but Bailey intercepted Carr in the back of the end zone on fourth down. The pick marked the first career interception for Brown, a redshirt freshman safety who made the most of his opportunity.
The Wolfpack, however, could not capitalize on the turnover and punted back to the Irish with under two minutes remaining. Notre Dame took over at its own 30-yard line and quickly moved into field-goal range. Carr completed passes of 20 yards to Malachi Fields and 23 yards to Raridon before kicker Noah Burnette connected on a 48-yard field goal as time expired to give the Irish a 10-7 halftime lead.
The turning point came early in the third quarter. Notre Dame took the opening kickoff and marched 90 yards in 11 plays, converting a fourth-and-two with a quarterback sneak and overcoming two pass interference penalties on NC State. Carr capped the drive with an 18-yard touchdown pass to tight end KK Smith, extending the lead to 17-7.
On the ensuing possession, NC State went three-and-out and punted. The Irish responded with another touchdown drive, this time needing just five plays to cover 80 yards. Love broke free for a 24-yard run, and Carr followed with a 31-yard completion to Smith. Two plays later, Carr found Pauling for a 12-yard touchdown with 2:46 left in the third quarter, pushing the lead to 24-7.
The fourth quarter devolved into a series of miscues for the Wolfpack. Bailey's third interception, thrown on fourth-and-11 from midfield, was returned 44 yards by safety Adon Shuler to the NC State 17-yard line. The Irish settled for a 34-yard field goal by Burnette to make it 27-7.
On the next possession, Bailey threw another interception while attempting to throw the ball away under pressure. Notre Dame took over at the NC State 20-yard line but fumbled at the two-yard line, where it was recovered by Wolfpack defensive lineman Cian Slone.
Any momentum the defense created evaporated on the next snap. Bailey fumbled a snap in the end zone, and after an official review, the play was ruled a safety. The sequence marked NC State's third turnover in a span of six plays and gave Notre Dame a 29-7 lead with 9:37 remaining.
The Irish added one final touchdown with a 10-play, 82-yard drive that chewed up 3:41 of game time. Love capped the drive with his second rushing touchdown of the day, a one-yard plunge with 5:13 left in the game. The Wolfpack turned the ball over one more time on an interception by cornerback Karson Hobbs, and Notre Dame ran out the clock to seal the victory.
Fordham led the NC State defense with 10 tackles and a sack, while safety Ronnie Royal III added 10 tackles. Brown finished with nine tackles and the interception. But the Wolfpack defense allowed 342 passing yards and 143 rushing yards, and the injury to Anderson—who caught three passes for 57 yards and a touchdown before leaving the game—further thinned an already shorthanded secondary.
Notre Dame linebacker Tae Johnson paced the Irish defense with seven tackles, while safety Drayk Bowen also recorded seven stops. Defensive end Boubacar Traore tallied two sacks for 21 yards, and the Irish held NC State to 5-of-16 on third down.
The loss drops NC State to 2-3 all-time against Notre Dame. The Wolfpack will have a bye week before traveling to face Pittsburgh on October 25.
Key Performers:
- CJ Carr, Notre Dame: 19-of-31 passing, 342 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT
- Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame: 18 rushes, 86 yards, 2 TDs
- Eli Raridon, Notre Dame: 7 receptions, 109 yards
- Will Pauling, Notre Dame: 4 receptions, 105 yards, 1 TD
- CJ Bailey, NC State: 17-of-30 passing, 186 yards, 1 TD, 3 INTs
- Hollywood Smothers, NC State: 12 rushes, 46 yards
- Caden Fordham, NC State: 10 tackles, 1 sack
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