Notre Dame will look to establish its first win streak of the season this weekend when it takes on the reeling Arkansas Razorbacks. Both teams have suffered two tough losses and both are looking to salvage their 2025 campaigns. Notre Dame still has a chance to earn a playoff berth, but it will need to run the table and look good doing so. If the Irish can beat Arkansas it could begin a long run of success.
Irish Breakdown has previewed the game all week and now it's time to make predictions.
BRYAN DRISKELL, OWNER
Prediction: Notre Dame 37, Arkansas 31
Notre Dame certainly has a chance to earn a convincing win over Arkansas, but this team still has a lot to prove, especially on defense. Arkansas has been a high octane offense this season, including scoring 66 points in its two losses. The Irish defense will have their hands full, and that unit will need to improve in a hurry. Until that happens its hard not to predict that this game will be a shootout. Notre Dame hasn't been overly disruptive on defense this season, but that will need to change against the Razorbacks. Quarterback Taylen Green has been dominant this season, but he's prone to mistakes if you can get him uncomfortable. If the Irish front six can play at a high level the Irish defense should be able to make enough stops to win the game.
There's a lot of pressure on the Notre Dame offense to be on top of its game. That's always true when you go on the road against a good team, but it's even more true with how the defense has struggled. Notre Dame has gotten better each week, and it has scored 82 offensive points in the last two games. Redshirt freshman CJ Carr has put together a pair of strong performances and he'll need to keep that going. Carr has plenty of weapons, and I expect Mike Denbrock to build the game plan around his dynamic backfield of Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price.
At the end of the day, the Irish simply have too many weapons on offense and too much talent on defense to lose this game. As long as the lines hold up this should be another Irish victory.
VINCE DEDARIO, FOOTBALL ANALYST
Prediction: Notre Dame 45, Arkansas 31
Notre Dame looks ready to light up the scoreboard in this one. The Irish have been piling up more explosives each game, and Arkansas’s defense has shown they can be gashed both through the air and on the ground. If CJ Carr and the Irish offense get rolling early, this could turn into a track meet where Notre Dame simply has more firepower. Hitting on a couple of deep shots and leaning on the run game throughout could easily push them past the 40-point mark.
Arkansas isn’t going to go down quietly, though. Their offense can move the ball and will likely find ways to put up points of their own, especially with Notre Dame’s defense still working out some kinks. But over four quarters, the Razorbacks won’t be able to keep pace with the Irish attack. High scoring, fun to watch, but ultimately a comfortable Notre Dame win.
TREVOR TROWBRIDGE, STAFF WRITER
Prediction: Notre Dame 45, Arkansas 38
As things stand right now, this match up has all the makings for a shootout. Notre Dame's offense has been the highlight of their team so far in 2025 led by starting quarterback CJ Carr. Arkansas' offense has also been on a tear to open up the season and has scored at least 28 points in the first half of every game they've played. This game will come down to who's defense will make the most, and I use the word "most" loosely, stops.
Despite their defensive struggles, Notre Dame has only allowed 10 points in the 3rd quarter; that's a quarter the Irish will have to win on Saturday afternoon. This game will be back and forth for the majority of the first half, but if this offense can stretch its legs, I trust Mike Denbrock to put the game away.
ANDREW McDONOUGH, IB CONTRIBUTOR
Prediction: Notre Dame 45, Arkansas 27
When you're sitting at 1-2 and have zero margin for error to make the CFP, every game is pivotal. But, this game feels like an inflection point not just for the entire season, but also the culture that Marcus Freeman has worked so hard to establish at Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish made no secret that the goal this season was a national championship, and it would be a gut punch to the program for that dream to evaporate just 4 weeks into the season.
So, this pick isn't about the stats or matchups. It's about betting that deep down, despite the defensive struggles, despite some of the youth at key positions, and despite some of the rumored frustration among the coaching staff and players, the culture that is the bedrock of the Notre Dame program under Freeman is still strong.
The Fighting Irish haven't been on the road since Miami, and sometimes the best thing for an embattled team is a road trip to hostile territory - it's either come together and play as one, or fail. In a circle the wagons type of game, the Irish offense takes the next step and while the defensive numbers at the end of the day still won't look pretty, the unit takes a step in the right direction and makes impactful plays at all three levels to help Notre Dame seal a critical victory in SEC country.
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