Notre Dame Run Defense Has Been Dominant Through The First Seven Games

What makes a championship-caliber defense? Some believe it's a lock down cornerback, a star safety, a veteran playmaking middle linebacker or a 1st round caliber defensive end. All of those things help and can be true. But one constant that we've seen over the recent years is the correlation between dominant rushing defenses and title winners. 

In 2025, the Indiana Hoosiers limited opponents to 77.2 rushing yards per game and were the 2nd-ranked rush defense in the country at the end of the year. In 2024, the Ohio State Buckeyes ranked 3rd in the country in their ability to stop the run, holding teams to 87.6 rushing yards per game. 

The Michigan Wolverines in 2023 were ranked No. 6 in the country in stopped the run, limiting opponents to 90.0 yards on the ground. In 2022, the Georgia Bulldogs ranked 1st overall in rush defense, holding teams to 77.0 rushing yards per game and only gave up seven rushing touchdowns in 15 games. The previous season, the Dogs ranked 2nd in the country in rushing yards allowed per game (78.9) and only gave up three rushing touchdowns all season. 

This season, the Notre Dame ground attack ranks 3rd in the country, holding teams to 67.3 rushing yards per game, and that's with BYU going for 121 on the ground. The Cougars were the first team to get over the century mark against this Fighting Irish rush defense, and they had to put in the work to do so. 

So far through 2026, the Irish have allowed an average of 67.8 rushing yards per game against P5 opponents. They've only allowed three rushing touchdowns through seven games and that's with BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier scoring two on the ground this past weekend. 

The Irish held Wisconsin, Rice, Purdue and even BYU to season lows on the ground. The Cougars were the first team Notre Dame played where they allowed over 77 rushing yards and it was still BYU's lowest rushing output of the season from a yards and yards per carry perspective.

Now, are there areas the rush defense has to continue to improve against teams like BYU, absolutely but there's also not another mobile quarterback like Bachmeier the Irish will face until potentially the postseason depending on how the CFP field shakes out. The interior defensive line will have to continue getting a strong push in the run game, the defensive ends will have to continue setting the edge and the secondary will have to be more physical in future matchups than what they were last Saturday.

But with all the ensuing negativity around this team that's going to come this week, it's a good reminder that there's still several facets of this team that are at, or close to, championship caliber and the run defense is one of them. If they can maintain this level throughout the rest of the season, the Notre Dame rush defense will be in great shape. 

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