Notre Dame

2-0AP #3
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Notre Dame Updates Depth Chart for Rice Amid Injury Concernsour readNotre Dame’s Marcus Freeman says he doesn’t see himself ‘coaching anywhere else’ as NFL looks on - The New York Timesour readThe USC rivalry

FBS Independents · Marcus Freeman, year 6 (45-12) · Notre Dame Stadium · 80,795 · 77,622 avg in 2026

The nationAP #3 · Coaches #3no change
The model#2 CFB ZeitgeistSP+ #3 (+26.8) · FPI #3
The marketNotre Dame by 30vs Michigan State · our model 98% Notre Dame · a number, not a pick

LastW 52–0 vs Rice · Sat Sep 12 · CJ Carr 253 pass yds, 4 TD

Nextvs Michigan State · Sat Sep 19 · 7:30 pm ET · Notre Dame Stadium · Notre Dame by 30 · series 44-28-1 · Game preview

Updated Tue Sep 15 · through week 2

Key stats — 2026 — FBS rank
Points/game
46.5
Pts allowed/game
6.5
Total yards/gmT-#72 / 138 · 48th pct
414.0
Rush yards/gmT-#117 / 138 · 15th pct
114.5
Pass yards/gm#34 / 138 · 76th pct
299.5
Yards allowed/gm#13 / 138 · 91st pct
206.0
Rush yds allowed/gmT-#14 / 138 · 90th pct
65.5
SacksT-#80 / 138 · 33rd pct
3
InterceptionsT-#63 / 115 · 23rd pct
1
3rd-down conv#45 / 138 · 68th pct
47.6%
All 79 stats
Offense / Defense
Total yards
Team
828414.0/gm6.57/playT-#72 / 138 · 48th pct#43 / 69 · 38th pct#13 / 13 · 8th pct
Opp
412206.0/gm3.85/play#13 / 138 · 91st pct#12 / 69 · 83rd pct#1 / 13 · 100th pct
Rush yards
Team
229114.5/gm1.82/playT-#117 / 138 · 15th pct#61 / 69 · 12th pct#13 / 13 · 8th pct
Opp
13165.5/gm1.22/playT-#14 / 138 · 90th pctT-#13 / 69 · 81st pct#1 / 13 · 100th pct
Rush carries
Team
6432.0/gmT-#110 / 138 · 20th pctT-#56 / 69 · 19th pct#13 / 13 · 8th pct
Opp
6532.5/gmT-#50 / 138 · 62nd pctT-#33 / 69 · 49th pct#1 / 13 · 100th pct
Rush TDs
Team
42.0/gmT-#51 / 138 · 54th pctT-#34 / 69 · 44th pct#13 / 13 · 8th pct
Opp
00.0/gmT-#1 / 138 · 92nd pctT-#1 / 69 · 88th pct#1 / 13 · 100th pct
Net pass yards
Team
599299.5/gm4.75/play#34 / 138 · 76th pct#19 / 69 · 73rd pct#13 / 13 · 8th pct
Opp
281140.5/gm2.63/playT-#21 / 138 · 84th pctT-#18 / 69 · 74th pct#1 / 13 · 100th pct
Pass attempts
Team
6231.0/gmT-#59 / 138 · 57th pctT-#33 / 69 · 51st pct#13 / 13 · 8th pct
Opp
4221.0/gmT-#11 / 138 · 92nd pctT-#7 / 69 · 90th pct#1 / 13 · 100th pct
Completions
Team
4422.0/gmT-#46 / 138 · 65th pctT-#24 / 69 · 62nd pct#13 / 13 · 8th pct
Opp
2713.5/gmT-#21 / 138 · 85th pctT-#13 / 69 · 81st pct#1 / 13 · 100th pct
Pass TDs
Team
63.0/gmT-#17 / 138 · 83rd pctT-#14 / 69 · 74th pct#13 / 13 · 8th pct
Opp
10.5/gmT-#13 / 138 · 80th pctT-#11 / 69 · 72nd pct#1 / 13 · 100th pct
Passer rating#15 / 115 · 87th pct#14 / 59 · 77th pct#1 / 13 · 100th pct
180.8180.8
Interceptions thrown
Team
00.0/gmT-#92 / 138 · 17th pctT-#42 / 69 · 20th pct#13 / 13 · 8th pct
Opp
10.5/gmT-#24 / 138 · 64th pctT-#11 / 69 · 64th pct#1 / 13 · 100th pct
Sacks (def)
Team
31.5/gmT-#80 / 138 · 33rd pctT-#49 / 69 · 22nd pct#11 / 11 · 9th pct
Opp
10.5/gmT-#9 / 138 · 86th pctT-#6 / 69 · 83rd pct#1 / 11 · 100th pct
Tackles for loss
Team
147.0/gmT-#29 / 138 · 73rd pctT-#18 / 69 · 68th pct#11 / 11 · 9th pct
Opp
42.0/gmT-#8 / 138 · 93rd pctT-#7 / 69 · 89th pct#1 / 11 · 100th pct
First downs
Team
4422.0/gmT-#65 / 138 · 53rd pctT-#40 / 69 · 42nd pct#13 / 13 · 8th pct
Opp
2311.5/gmT-#12 / 138 · 91st pctT-#11 / 69 · 83rd pct#1 / 13 · 100th pct
3rd-down conv
Team
105.0/gmT-#71 / 138 · 44th pctT-#42 / 69 · 35th pct#13 / 13 · 8th pct
Opp
73.5/gmT-#29 / 138 · 76th pctT-#20 / 69 · 67th pct#1 / 13 · 100th pct
3rd-down att
Team
2110.5/gmT-#114 / 138 · 15th pctT-#57 / 69 · 15th pct#13 / 13 · 8th pct
Opp
2512.5/gmT-#33 / 138 · 73rd pctT-#14 / 69 · 76th pct#1 / 13 · 100th pct
4th-down conv
Team
21.0/gmT-#51 / 138 · 51st pctT-#28 / 69 · 49th pct#13 / 13 · 8th pct
Opp
31.5/gmT-#104 / 138 · 19th pctT-#56 / 69 · 15th pct#1 / 13 · 100th pct
4th-down att
Team
31.5/gmT-#66 / 138 · 41st pctT-#35 / 69 · 43rd pct#13 / 13 · 8th pct
Opp
31.5/gmT-#54 / 138 · 52nd pctT-#30 / 69 · 49th pct#1 / 13 · 100th pct
Time of possession
Team
63:5431:57/gm#52 / 138 · 63rd pct#25 / 69 · 64th pct#13 / 13 · 8th pct
Opp
56:0628:03/gm#43 / 138 · 69th pct#25 / 69 · 64th pct#1 / 13 · 100th pct

FBS rankings · 2026 season · all stats vs 136 FBS programs

Player stats — 2026 season
Quarterbacks
Player#GCmp/AttPctYdsY/ATDINTRateZPRQBRAdj ANY/ASack%
+0.56 EPA/play13235 / 4971.4492
#45 FBS		10.06
#14 FBS		0196.2—88.5——
1017 / 1163.6787.100123.2—25.1——
Running Backs
Player#GCarYdsAvgTDLongStuff%10+%
+0.33 EPA/play222291194.12
#43 FBS		16——
Receivers
Player#GRecYdsAvgTDLong
+0.89 EPA/play62813516.92
#24 FBS		30
+1.48 EPA/play14258116.2139

2026 stat leaders · Notre Dame

through 2 games

C.J. Carr leads Notre Dame with 492 passing yards through 2 games.

1. C.J. Carr QB 492 passing yards
2. Jaiden Ausberry LB 12 tackles
3. Jordan Faison WR 135 receiving yards
4. Drayk Bowen LB 11 tackles
5. Adon Shuler S 9 tackles
How They Play · 2025

Notre Dame fields an elite explosive, big-play offense behind an elite defense.

Offense
96th pct EPA/play
Tempo
99th pct explosiveness
Defense
92nd pct EPA allowed

Percentile vs all FBS, based on this season's per-game production. Bar = where this team ranks — right is better.

The Savant Card · Notre Dame · 2025

Notre Dame reads strongest in explosive plays (top 1%) and epa / play (top 5%); the crux lives in explosive plays allowed, where Notre Dame sits at the 50th percentile.

offense · strengths lead

EPA / play +0.34
96th
Success Rate +0.46
81st
Explosive Plays +1.52
99th
Rushing EPA +0.25
94th

defense · higher bar = harder to play against

EPA Allowed +0.03
92nd
Success Rate Allowed +0.36
87th
Explosive Plays Allowed +1.26
50th
Passing EPA Allowed +0.03
94th

hidden math · special situations

Passing EPA +0.47
93rd
Rushing EPA Allowed +0.03
71st
Elite · 90+Strong · 70+Average · 40-70Concern · 10-40Bottom · <10
Sources · CFBD tier-2 advanced stats · per-game production · 12 games this season · percentiles vs. up to 136 FBS peers

Home-field advantage · Notre Dame · 2018–present · FBS opponents

Notre Dame is worth +3.5 points more at home than on the road.

Middle of FBS, 38th percentile of 133 programs

88% at home, 79% away against FBS opponents since 2018 (46–6 home, 27–7 away). Interval ±3.9.

95% intervalmodel 2.3 · books ~3Weakest home edge in FBSStrongest

Our model gives every stadium the same flat 2.3-point home edge — per-team modelling was tested and did not survive scrutiny (why) — and the books use about 3. Against the closing line, Notre Dame has beaten the number by −2.3 more at home than away over 66 games — inside the ±8.1 that many games can resolve. Results here cannot tell the flat number apart from the building, and that is the honest reading of nearly every FBS stadium.

Notre Dame Stadium seats 80,795 and has averaged 96% full (77,304, 27 games reported). Visitors cover a median 523 miles to get here since 2018 — 41st-longest of 135 FBS venues, inside the ordinary range. 14% of the 2026 roster (15 of 106 located players) grew up inside 100 miles of the stadium.

Edge = half the gap between average home margin and average road margin, FBS opponents only, non-neutral games since 2018; the interval is 95%. Market line: closing spread, seasons with lines on file. Trip length is straight-line miles from the visiting team's campus to the venue, measured across all 53 home games since 2018.

Home46–6Away27–7Edge+3.5 ±3.9Visitor trip523 mi

More in this tab

Tendency driftHow this coordinator's calls have drifted since arriving.

Season by season

How Notre Dame’s current staff calls plays, year over year

Offense: Mike Denbrock (2024–2026)
1st-down pass rate
2024: 40% → 2026: 55% · 16-pt range · #41 of 184 · more than most
Red-zone pass rate
2024: 30% → 2026: 33% · 5-pt range · #167 of 182 · less than most
4th-down go rate
2024: 33% → 2025: 67% · 33-pt range · #16 of 172 · more than most
RatingsWhere the public rating systems put this team.

Model Consensus

Where the Models Rank Notre Dame

CFB Zeitgeist

#2

+15.0

SP+

#3

+26.8

FPI

#3

+27.9

Elo

#2

2070

The national models put Notre Dame between 2nd and 3rd nationally — CFB Zeitgeist agrees, slotting them 2nd.

National rank of 138 FBS teams · 2026 season. SP+/FPI/SRS published; Elo & CFB Zeitgeist ranked by rating.

Comparable teamsPrograms built like this one — tier, prestige band, kind of fanbase, roster size. Not a stat match.

Most similar programs · Notre Dame

Reads like

ClemsonACCSame tier of program · Same prestige band · Similarly-sized rosters up frontUSCBig TenSame tier of program · Same prestige band · Roughly similar size up frontLSUSECSame tier of program · Similarly-sized rosters up front

Matched on how the programs are built — tier, prestige band, kind of fanbase, conference, voice and roster size — not on this season's stats. A calibration, not a prediction.

ConditionsThe weather and altitude visitors have to deal with.
Venue texture

61°F average kickoff temp; 11% of games had measurable precipitation; 10 mph average wind.

Based on 79 home games with weather data.

This page may include content derived from public news sources, social media, and fan communities. We relay these sources as-is — we are not reporting them. Sources may be summarized or quoted imperfectly; for anything that matters, go look at the original source directly. The original source may also be wrong. AI-generated content is labeled and may contain factual errors. All analysis is editorial opinion, not professional reporting. Data sources · About this site