Notre Dame edged out North Carolina 37-26 at Kenan Memorial Stadium on October 3, securing their fifth consecutive win and their first against an ACC opponent this season. The Irish managed to pull away in the final quarter despite weather conditions that made the game a slippery contest.
North Carolina opened the scoring, but Notre Dame responded with two touchdowns to lead 14-7 after the first quarter. The teams traded scores in the second, each putting up seven points, and the rain-soaked third quarter ended with both sides adding a touchdown but failing on their conversions, leaving Notre Dame ahead 27-20 entering the final quarter. The Irish outscored the Tar Heels 10-6 in the fourth to seal the victory.
Notre Dame’s offense gained 475 yards, their second-highest total this season after a 478-yard game against Rice in Week 2. The Irish put up 241 rushing yards on 45 carries, an average of 5.4 yards per attempt, marking their best rushing performance to date. Freshman running back Jonaz Walton led the ground attack with 23 carries for 120 yards. Nolan James Jr. added 65 yards on nine carries, while Aneyas Williams contributed 42 yards from eight attempts. Quarterback CJ Carr also rushed four times for 15 yards and scored the team’s only rushing touchdown.
Passing was less dominant but efficient. Carr completed 21 of 29 passes for 234 yards and threw four touchdown passes, matching his season high alongside a Week 2 game against Rice. Jordan Faison had a standout day among the receivers, catching eight passes for 132 yards and two touchdowns, accounting for 38 percent of the team’s receptions. Jaden Greathouse and Nolan James Jr. each caught a touchdown pass as well.
Defensively, Notre Dame limited North Carolina to 285 yards, holding the Tar Heels to 208 passing yards and 77 rushing yards. The Irish defense recorded one sack, four tackles for loss, and five pass deflections. Junior defensive lineman Francis Brewu secured the team’s lone sack. Linebackers Kingston Villiamu-Asa and Luke Talich each intercepted a pass to help stifle the Tar Heels.
This game saw Notre Dame’s smallest margin of victory so far this season, with the 11-point difference narrower than their usual dominant wins. North Carolina’s 26 points marked the highest total allowed by the Irish defense this year.
Notre Dame’s offense converted seven of 11 drives into points, showing resilience despite the challenging weather and a competitive opponent. The Irish now average 41.2 points per game with a point differential of +29.4 through five games.
After this win in Chapel Hill, Notre Dame improves to 5-0 for the season, maintaining their unbeaten streak as they prepare for their next challenge.
According to Yahoo Sports.
