Notre Dame, Ind. - Notre Dame overcame a choppy offensive first half to beat NC State 36-7 Saturday afternoon. CJ Carr threw a pair of touchdown passes while Notre Dame’s two-headed rushing attack of Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price were held in check throughout the day.  

The Fighting Irish (4-2) outgained the Wolfpack (4-3) 485-233 in totals yards while Love (86 yards) and Price (66 yards) were held in check for most of the day. Carr had his second 300-yard day by finishing 19 of 31 for 342 yards with touchdown passes to KK Smith, who had a career day with three receptions for 59 yards, and Will Pauling, who had his second career 100-yard game with four catches for 105 yards. Eli Raridon topped the century mark for the first time in his career with 109 yards on seven grabs.  

Notre Dame's defense intercepted Wolfpack quarterback CJ Bailey three times. NC State had 12 possessions in the game. They scored on their third drive, punted seven times, had three interceptions and had a safety on the rest of their drives.

After the Irish defense forced an NC State 3-and-out on the game’s first drive, it took the Irish all of six plays to cover 58 yards for the game’s first score when Love crossed the goal line from two yards out. Carr hit a wide-open Pauling for a 32-yard gain on the first play and then connected with the slot receiver for a 19-yard gain two plays later. 

Another defensive 3-and-out allowed the Irish offense to drive to the Wolfpack seven, but on 4th and 1 Carr rolled to his right and took a sack, giving NC State the ball at its own 17.  

After going 0-2 on its first two 3rd downs of the game, NC State converted a pair of 3rd downs and once on 4th down enroute to its first touchdown of the game. CJ Bailey hit Terrell Anderson for a 45-yard score to tie the game 7-7 early in the second quarter.  

Noah Burnette, who began the week listed as “questionable” on the team’s injury report with a hip injury, had just enough leg to kick 48-yard field goal to put the Irish up 10-7 at halftime.  

Three questionable calls from an ACC officiating crew preceded the kick. Notre Dame went for it on 4th and 1 at the Wolfpack eight and Carr was intercepted in the end zone by Asaad Brown Jr. A flag was initially thrown for pass interference for contact on Irish receiver Malachi Fields while the ball was in the air but it was overturned after a conference by officials.  

On NC State’s ensuing drive, Anderson was ruled to have made a catch on 3rd and 4. The play was reviewed and the call stood, despite replay showing the tip of the ball moving on the ground during the process of the catch. Two plays later it looked like Christian Gray intercepted Bailey, but the call on the field was an incomplete pass. Replay angles did not show enough evidence to overturn the call and it remained incomplete.  

The Irish took the ball back at their own 30 with 23 seconds left in the half. Carr completed a 20-yard pass to Fields and two short passes to Raridon to move to the Wolfpack 32 to set up Burnette’s kick to end the half.  

Each team went 3-and-out to start the second half, but the Irish took the first two-possession lead of the game with Carr hit Smith with an 18-yard strike for Smith’s first career score. The 11-play, 90-yard drive made it 17-7. Tyler Buchner ran for three yards on a fake punt on 4th and 2 from the Irish 38 on the seventh play of the drive.  

The Fighting Irish zipped down the field for another touchdown on their next drive after forcing NC State’s seventh punt in eight possessions. Love had runs of 20 and 13 yards and Smith caught a 31-yard pass before Carr finished the drive with a 12-yard TD pass to Pauling. It took just five plays and 1:29 to cover 80 yards to make it 24-7. 

Adon Shuler intercepted Bailey on 4th and 11 and a 44-yard return gave the Irish the ball at the Wolfpack 17. Two runs by Jadarian Price and an incomplete pass made ND settle for a 34-yard field goal from Burnette to make it 27-7 with 12:48 to play.  

Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa intercepted Bailey on NC State’s next drive to put the Irish at the NC State 19. Price fumbled on 2nd and goal on the fifth play of the drive with 9:37 to play. NC State took the ball at its own two and then fumbled and recovered his own fumble in the end zone, resulting in a safety and a 29-7 Notre Dame advantage.  

Love capped the scoring with his second touchdown of the game with 5:13 remaining to make it 36-7.  Karson Hobbs grabbed his first career interception on a desperation pass with 1:16 remaining. 

Shop for Irish Breakdown gear at our online store: https://ibstore.irishbreakdown.com/ 

Join the Irish Breakdown premium message board: https://boards.irishbreakdown.com 

Stay locked into Irish Breakdown for all the latest news and analysis about Notre Dame: https://www.irishbreakdown.com​

Subscribe to the Irish Breakdown podcast on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/irish-breakdown/id1485286986

Like and follow Irish Breakdown on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/irishbreakdown

Sign up for the FREE Irish Breakdown daily newsletter: https://www.subscribepage.com/irish-breakdown-newsletter