Notre Dame football is off to a great start in the 2026 season, as this weekends win over Stanford puts them at 6-0 and ranked No. 2 in the US LBM Coaches Poll.
The Irish have been great on both sides of the ball, and it should come as no surprise that they’re among the leaders nationally in team statistics on offense and defense according to NCAA.com. Starting with the elite defense, Notre Dame is No. 1 in total defense, allowing just 4.08 yards-per-play while along a nation leading 214 yards-per-game. The Irish are No. 4 in scoring defense, allowing just 11 points-per-game, just a few spots away from the leader Miami, as the two will meet up at the beginning of next month.
Notre Dame is No. 3 nationally in turnover margin, a plus-2.17-per-game,
having taken the ball away 14 times and giving it up just one all year. This shows that the Irish don’t give their opponents extra possessions and they’re getting over two extra each game.
Looking at offense, Notre Dame ranks No. 4 overall is scoring with 44 points-per-game. Just Miami, Georgia and Alabama score more than the Irish. There is a bit of a dip with its total offense, as they rank No. 28 with 466.7 yards-per-game but that doesn’t tell the whole story. Due to the defense, the Notre Dame offense has had multiple short fields and hasn’t been able to pile up the yardage.
Overall, statistically, the Irish are one of the top teams in the country, and are ranked that way. The road gets much tougher as the season continues on, with a top-8 matchup against BYU and a potential top-3 contest against Miami at the start of next month. If Notre Dame can keep up its dominance, it will stay near the top of many categories nationally.
Leaving our mark 🏈#GoIrish☘️ pic.twitter.com/GrffNjEC6I
— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) October 11, 2026
Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page onFacebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes and opinions.
Follow Mike on X: @MikeFChen
This article originally appeared on Fighting Irish Wire: Where Notre Dame ranks nationally in offense and defensive categories
