Expectations for Notre Dame Football in Week 2 vs Rice

Expectations for Notre Dame Football in Week 2 vs Rice

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Expectations for Notre Dame Football in Week 2 vs Rice
Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman during a 2026 fall camp practic
Head coach Marcus Freeman during a Notre Dame football practice at Irish Athletic Center on Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026, in South Bend. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Today we continue a game-by-game look at Notre Dame's 2026 schedule and expectations for each contest as we move to Week 2, the home opener, against Rice.

We looked at what the matchup with Wisconsin brings to the table and now turn to a Rice team that struggles for many wins, but will bring a unique offense to South Bend.

It has been since 2014 that Rice has won more than six games in a single season, and it's not expected to be a contender in the American Conference this fall.

That all said, what's fair to expect for Notre Dame in Week 2?

Rice will make its first trip to South Bend since that 2014 campaign, one that saw the Fighting Irish open with a 48-17 victory over the Owls.

Notre Dame's Clear Talent Advantage

it should go without saying but this game should feature a Notre Dame team that has amongst the most talented and complete rosters in college football taking on a Rice team that clearly doesn't.

Then again, we've seen this before with Notre Dame early in the season under Marcus Freeman.

In 2024, Northern Illinois stunned Notre Dame, one week after the Fighting Irish earned a huge victory at Texas A&M to start the year. In 2022 it was Marshall who came to South Bend and bested Notre Dame in Marcus Freeman's first home game as head coach.

Notre Dame has grown as a program since those embarrassing defeats but has it put them in the rearview mirror for good?

Imposing its will is clearly an expectation for the home opener – something that hasn't always been the case early in year – including against a what wound up being a 3-9 Purdue team last September.

Notre Dame's Discipline on Defense

Rice doesn't get the same publicity as the service academies but does bring a unique offense to South Bend in Week 2. It's an option offense, run heavily out of the pistol, and goes back to what I stated in the above expectation.

Notre Dame didn't face a unique offense by any means when it lost to Northern Illinois in September of 2024, but it couldn't get off the field. Northern Illinois converted 7 of 18 third and fourth downs on the day, trumping Notre Dame's three third down conversions all day.

This is the kind of thing Notre Dame needs to stay out of.

I'm not going to say I fear an upset, and I mean that with no disrespect for Rice, but preparation for a unique offense like this early in the year would speak to year two growth under defensive coordinator Chris Ash for Notre Dame.

Notre Dame Run Game Powers

The biggest questions about Notre Dame in 2026 seem to be in the run game. I get it, Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price are off to the NFL, and how you replace two greats is a legitimate question.

However, Rice is the kind of team that should allow Notre Dame to run the ball pretty much at will, especially if quarterback CJ Carr is at all as advertised.

Is Notre Dame able to establish the run game against Rice? If not, I'm not worried about an upset, but am worried about what happens when tougher opponents show up on the schedule.

Nick Shepkowski's Week 2 Notre Dame vs Rice Prediction

Notre Dame has won its home opener just one time in Marcus Freeman's four seasons, as it routed Tennessee State in 2023.

Losses to Marshall, Northern Illinois, and Texas A&M are all included in that.

In this season that Marcus Freeman preaches to "Leave No Doubt", this is one Notre Dame should look like 1995 Nebraska in.

Nick Shepkowski's Prediction: Notre Dame 52, Rice 7

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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/notredame as Expectations for Notre Dame Football in Week 2 vs Rice.

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