Notre Dame Grinds Out 28-7 Win Over Boise State

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Oct. 4, 2025 — Notre Dame extended its winning streak to three games Saturday, overcoming a sloppy, penalty-filled performance to beat Boise State 28-7 at Notre Dame Stadium.

The 21st-ranked Fighting Irish improved to 3-2 on the season, but the win didn't come easily against a Boise State team that entered the day on a three-game winning streak of its own.

Turnovers Bail Out a Penalty-Plagued Offense

Notre Dame's defense was the story of the day, intercepting Boise State quarterback Maddux Madsen four times and sacking him four more, completely stifling a Broncos offense that had been averaging over 500 yards per game. Malachi Fields and Will Pauling combined for two receiving touchdowns from CJ Carr, while Jadarian Price broke off a 49-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter to put the game away.

The offense, however, struggled with penalties, committing 11 for 112 yards and repeatedly stalling drives with self-inflicted mistakes. Notre Dame managed only 389 total yards despite dominating time of possession for stretches, and needed its takeaway-heavy defense to control the game.

Freeman on Officiating and a Tough Opponent

Marcus Freeman was visibly frustrated in his postgame press conference, taking issue with several penalty calls — including a roughing-the-passer flag that wiped out a Notre Dame interception.

"I know Justin. He did our Virginia game last year. He's a good guy, works hard," Freeman said of the officiating crew. "They've called throughout the season that they're going to protect the quarterback, and I talked to him before the game. I said, 'You protect our quarterback.' But I've got some questions about some of the penalties you called."

Despite the frustration, Freeman gave credit to Boise State as a quality opponent and explained why the win, while unconvincing at times, still mattered.

"We knew that was going to be a tough team. They've just shown it," Freeman said. "They're not the second-winningest program since 2000 for no reason. That was a fundamentally sound, aggressive football team, and we knew they were going to be tough to beat."

What's Next

At 3-2 and winners of three straight, Notre Dame hosted NC State the following week, looking to clean up the penalty issues that threatened to derail an otherwise dominant defensive performance.

Lucky Lefty Top Play and Performers

Key Play: Jadarian Price's 49-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter put the game away after a penalty-filled afternoon had kept Boise State within striking distance.

Offensive Performer: CJ Carr — 15-of-23 passing for 189 yards and two touchdowns, spreading the ball to Will Pauling and Malachi Fields for scores.

Defensive Performer: Notre Dame's defensive front, led by pressure off the edge from Jason Onye, held Boise State's high-powered offense to just 315 total yards and forced four interceptions of quarterback Maddux Madsen.

Box Score

Notre Dame 28, Boise State 7 — Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend, Ind.

SCORING BY QUARTER 1 2 3 4 F Boise State 0 7 0 0 — 7 Notre Dame 6 8 7 7 — 28

SCORING PLAYS Q1 4:52 — C. Carr 19-yd TD pass to W. Pauling (ND 6-0) Q1 4:47 — PAT blocked (ND 6-0) Q2 4:07 — M. Madsen 1-yd TD run (ND 6-6) Q2 4:03 — C. Boomer PAT good (ND 6-7) Q2 0:50 — J. Love 4-yd TD run (ND 12-7) Q2 0:48 — Two-point conversion good, C. Carr to W. Pauling (ND 14-7) Q3 5:53 — C. Carr 6-yd TD pass to M. Fields (ND 20-7) Q3 5:49 — M. Diomede PAT good (ND 21-7) Q4 8:08 — J. Price 49-yd TD run (ND 27-7) Q4 7:54 — M. Diomede PAT good (ND 28-7, Final)

TEAM STATS Boise State Notre Dame Total Yards 315 389 Passing Yards 215 189 Rushing Yards 100 200 First Downs 23 19 Penalties-Yards 13-112 11-112 Turnovers 4 0 Time of Possession 35:46 24:14

PASSING Maddux Madsen (BSU) — 22/37, 215 yds, 0 TD, 4 INT CJ Carr (ND) — 15/23, 189 yds, 2 TD, 0 INT

RUSHING Boise State — 34 att, 100 yds, 2.9 avg, 1 TD, long 20 Notre Dame — 31 att, 200 yds, 6.5 avg, 2 TD, long 49

RECEIVING Boise State — 22 rec (36 targets), 215 yds, 0 TD, long 28 Notre Dame — 15 rec (21 targets), 189 yds, 2 TD, long 24

KICKING Boise State — 0/0 FG attempted Notre Dame — 0/0 FG attempted

DEFENSE Boise State Notre Dame Total Tackles 47 76 Sacks 0.0 4.0 Interceptions 0 4 Forced Fumbles 1 1 QB Hits 0 6