Notre Dame football got a solid win on Saturday afternoon, and while the 37-26 score won’t inspire many, North Carolina is better than its 2-2 record.
The Irish are still undefeated at 5-0, and are squarely in the mix for a spot in the College Football Playoff. Games like these happen every weekend in college football, but it was still another double-digit victory for Notre Dame, as streak of now is at fourteen games, and the win streak is at fifteen.
There was plenty of good that we saw from the Irish on Saturday, and some bad as well. After getting a chance to digest the win, here are some thoughts wrapping up Notre Dame’s win at North Carolina.
Was this a College Football Playoff championship level performance from Notre Dame?
Got it done 👍#GoIrish☘️ pic.twitter.com/E2h90WS9w5
— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) October 4, 2026
The end score was not, but it was helped by yet
another garbage time touchdown by an opponent. Those still count, but it really doesn’t tell the whole story of the game. There were flashes of a CFP title team, the response when it was 21-20 at the start of the third quarter, an improving run game along with CJ Carr being brilliant yet again. Notre Dame did not play a complete game, but the talent to get there is present.
Notre Dame’s run game dominated the second half
Jonaz Walton has his first 100+ yard game.
— ☘️ (@WeAreNDFans) October 3, 2026
That’s RB1.
Early on when the weather was dry, the Irish struggled to run the ball, especially in the middle of the line. That all changed as the game plan did with the rain, as the offensive line established itself and saw multiple solid runs through the interior. The way was paved by freshman Jonaz Walton, then Nolan James Jr. got through some tight windows as well. Overall, the Irish showed a much improved attack with the back accounting for 227 yards, as Walton has his first-career 100-yard rushing game with 120. There weren’t many explosive runs, but the ground and pound worked well against the Tar Heels.
Luke Talich’s injury didn’t slow him down at all
Billy Edwards Jr. throws his second pick of the day, and Luke Talich comes away with the interception for Notre Dame! pic.twitter.com/TJFDE4KxLz
— Jordan On Sports (@JordanOnSports1) October 3, 2026
After missing last week’s game against Purdue with a hand injury, Talich’s return showed he isn’t fazed with having to wear a cast. He’s pick off a pass, and block an extra point while having impact tackles in the run game. Talich wasn’t expected to be this big of a contributor this season, but his emergence shows the top-end depth that Notre Dame has.
CJ Carr was great once again
Absolute dot by CJ Carr pic.twitter.com/c5Fk4HUV0a
— Billy M (@BillyM_91) October 3, 2026
It cannot be understated how good Carr has been this season, even without putting up monster stats. He’s super consistent, doesn’t turn the ball over, and put the ball in spots where only his receivers can make a play. Carr’s anticipation on throws is elite, as he lead more than a few to open spots on the field. I think there was just two or three throws that he’d like to have back out of 29 attempts, which is a pretty good day.
Notre Dame played to the conditions in the second half
In the third quarter today against UNC @NDFootball rushed 20 times for 122 yards and possessed the ball for 13:18 of the quarter's 15 minutes.
— Notre Dame Football PR Team (@NDFootballPR) October 3, 2026
It was the right move, as the rainy conditions made it hard for the ball to be gripped. Notre Dame made the choice to run the ball, and the whole team responded. As noted above, the backs took over and it was great to see. This is about the coaching staff, knowing that the players could play an old school-type game to carve out a win. It was a great strategical move by Notre Dame, and it paid off.
Notre Dame’s special teams were a mixed bag
Jasper Scaife with a brutal afternoon . Dropped punt. Dropped hold. Surely it rains in Australia?
— Pete Sampson (@PeteSampson_) October 3, 2026
We are accustomed to the Irish being the better special teams unit in every game, but this one didn’t go their way. The biggest play was a 97-yard kickoff touchdown return to start the second half, but Jasper Scaife has trouble holding onto the ball all game. His mishandled a snap early and it was almost blocked, then couldn’t get another on an extra point. Spencer Porath was perfect on the day, making his lone field goal try and all four extra points. Talich had the block, but it wasn’t perfect and could have cost the Irish. This will need to be shored up, but some it the problems can be attributed to the rain.
Notre Dame lost the middle 8
JADEN JEFFERSON OPENS THE SECOND HALF WITH A HOUSE CALL 💥
— ACC Football (@ACCFootball) October 3, 2026
📺 @espn x @UNCFootball pic.twitter.com/DVA3nRIfUs
Freeman has long talked about winning the middle eight, the final four minutes of the first half and first four of the second, which the Irish did not accomplish yesterday. North Carolina scored with 0:21 seconds before the half, cutting the lead to 21-14. They’d return the opening kickoff of the second half for another score, but luckily missed the two-point try due to a bad snap. The Tar Heels were squarely in the game at this point, and against a better team, this could have been a major disaster.
This article originally appeared on Fighting Irish Wire: Morning after: Final thoughts on Notre Dame’s rainy win over UNC
