SOUTH BEND, Ind. – NC State battled hard early but couldn’t keep pace in the second half, as No. 16 Notre Dame exploded for 26 unanswered points to hand the Wolfpack a 36–7 loss Saturday afternoon at Notre Dame Stadium.
After holding the Irish to just 10 points and trailing by only three at halftime, the Wolfpack’s defense wore down as Notre Dame found its rhythm after the break. The loss marks the first time since 2018 at Clemson that NC State has been limited to seven points in a game.
Quarterback CJ Bailey completed 17 of 30 passes for 186 yards and one touchdown, but also threw three interceptions, part of four total turnovers forced by Notre Dame’s defense. One of those turnovers — a fumbled snap in the end zone — resulted in a safety.
It was a frustrating outing for star running back Hollywood Smothers, the ACC’s leading rusher, who was bottled up for 46 yards on 12 carries. The Wolfpack managed just 51 rushing yards as a team, their lowest total of the season.
Injuries continued to pile up for NC State, with starters Anthony Carter Jr. and Terrell Anderson both exiting the game and not returning.
Notre Dame dominated the stat sheet, converting 5 of 8 red-zone trips and posting 485 total yards of offense — the second-most allowed by NC State this year. The Wolfpack, meanwhile, were shut out in the red zone (0-for-0) and finished with a season-low 233 total yards.
Linebacker Caden Fordham, the ACC’s tackle leader, again led the Pack defense with 10 tackles and a sack.
Notre Dame struck first with a Jeremiyah Love touchdown run on its opening drive. NC State responded later in the first quarter when Bailey connected with Anderson for a 45-yard touchdown, Anderson’s fourth of the season. A red-zone interception by Assad Brown Jr., the first of his career, helped keep things tight, and Notre Dame took a narrow 10–7 lead into halftime.
The Irish turned the tide in the third quarter with a fake punt conversion, setting up an 18-yard touchdown pass. They extended their lead with another scoring strike, capitalizing on NC State’s defensive injuries.
Desperation set in early in the fourth, as NC State failed on a 4th-and-11 attempt, leading to a Notre Dame field goal. The Wolfpack then unraveled with a series of miscues — two interceptions and a fumbled snap across three possessions — each mistake turning into Irish points. Love’s second rushing touchdown of the day sealed the outcome.
Notre Dame ran out the clock to close the game at 36–7, improving the all-time series to 3–2 in favor of the Irish.
NC State (record not provided) will regroup during its bye week before traveling to Pittsburgh to face Pitt on October 25.
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