Notre Dame Survives Weather Delay, Beats NC State 36-7

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Oct. 11, 2025 — Notre Dame extended its winning streak to four games Saturday, defeating NC State 36-7 in a rain-soaked affair at Notre Dame Stadium that included a lengthy weather delay.

The Fighting Irish dominated the statistical categories — outgaining the Wolfpack 485 yards to 233 and forcing three interceptions — but once again made the game look tougher than the final score suggested with self-inflicted mistakes.

A Dominant, if Uneven, Performance

CJ Carr threw for 342 yards and two touchdowns, connecting with Kaleb Smith and Will Pauling for scores, while Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price each found the end zone on the ground. Notre Dame's defense forced three interceptions and recorded a safety in the fourth quarter after a wild sequence in which an NC State fumble was initially ruled a Wolfpack recovery before being overturned on replay review.

Despite the lopsided statistical advantage, Notre Dame committed six penalties for 55 yards, failed on three fourth-down attempts, and finished just 5-of-8 in the red zone — issues that kept NC State within shouting distance for much of the game before Notre Dame pulled away.

Freeman's Blunt Message: "Stop Beating Notre Dame"

Head coach Marcus Freeman didn't sugarcoat his team's uneven execution after the game, delivering a pointed message about self-inflicted mistakes overshadowing otherwise dominant performances.

"Stop beating Notre Dame," Freeman said bluntly following the win, referencing the litany of penalties, missed opportunities, and short-yardage failures that turned what should have been a laugher into a tighter contest on the scoreboard.

Freeman also addressed the team's response to the adversity of the weather delay and a game that never fully settled into a rhythm.

"There's not a moment you say, 'That's it,'" Freeman said. "It's just continuously hard work, evaluation, and corrections. If our guys think it's one moment, they'll think we're good now. It's not — it's the work you put in that gives you a chance to play that way."

Asked about several controversial officiating calls that went against Notre Dame during the game, Freeman took the high road rather than criticizing the officials.

"Every Sunday or Monday you can submit clips in if you want clarification or you disagree with a call, and they'll give you a review," Freeman said. "We do it every week. It's an every-week thing. It's just trying to — more than anything — get clarification."

What's Next

Notre Dame's win streak reached four games, moving the Fighting Irish to 4-2 heading into a home matchup with rival USC, a game with major College Football Playoff implications for both programs.

Lucky Lefty Top Play and Performers

Key Play: A bizarre fourth-quarter sequence turned into a safety after a replay review overturned an initial NC State fumble recovery, pushing the Wolfpack ball carrier back into his own end zone — a two-point swing that capped Notre Dame's dominant day.

Offensive Performer: CJ Carr — 19-of-32 passing for 342 yards and two touchdowns, connecting with Kaleb Smith and Will Pauling for scores in his most productive passing day of the season to that point.

Defensive Performer: Notre Dame's secondary intercepted NC State quarterback CJ Bailey three times, continuing the defense's turnaround after a rocky start to the season.

Box Score

Notre Dame 36, NC State 7 — Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend, Ind.

SCORING BY QUARTER 1 2 3 4 F NC State 0 7 0 0 — 7 Notre Dame 7 3 14 12 — 36

SCORING PLAYS Q1 9:50 — J. Love 2-yd TD run (ND 6-0) Q1 9:49 — N. Burnette PAT good (ND 7-0) Q2 13:54 — C. Bailey 45-yd TD pass to T. Anderson (ND 7-6) Q2 13:48 — K. Vinesett PAT good (ND 7-7) Q2 0:06 — N. Burnette 48-yd FG (ND 10-7) Q3 7:05 — C. Carr 18-yd TD pass to K. Smith (ND 16-7) Q3 6:58 — N. Burnette PAT good (ND 17-7) Q3 2:48 — C. Carr 12-yd TD pass to W. Pauling (ND 23-7) Q3 2:46 — N. Burnette PAT good (ND 24-7) Q4 12:53 — N. Burnette 34-yd FG (ND 27-7) Q4 9:36 — Safety (ND 29-7) Q4 5:14 — J. Love 1-yd TD run (ND 35-7) Q4 5:12 — E. Schmidt PAT good (ND 36-7, Final)

TEAM STATS NC State Notre Dame Total Yards 233 485 Passing Yards 182 342 Rushing Yards 51 143 First Downs 12 24 Penalties-Yards 5-60 6-55 Turnovers 3 2 Time of Possession 28:47 31:13

PASSING CJ Bailey (NCST) — 18/31, 182 yds, 1 TD, 3 INT CJ Carr (ND) — 19/32, 342 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT

RUSHING NC State — 28 att, 51 yds, 1.8 avg, 0 TD, long 10 Notre Dame — 39 att, 143 yds, 3.7 avg, 2 TD, long 24

RECEIVING NC State — 18 rec (29 targets), 182 yds, 1 TD, long 45 Notre Dame — 19 rec (31 targets), 342 yds, 2 TD, long 42

KICKING Kanoa Vinesett (NCST) — 0/0 FG attempted Noah Burnette (ND) — 2/2 FG, long 48

DEFENSE NC State Notre Dame Total Tackles 67 57 Sacks 2.0 4.0 Interceptions 1 3 Forced Fumbles 1 0 QB Hits 3 4