Boo Pig Sooie: Notre Dame football destroys Arkansas Razorbacks

FAYETTEVILLE, ARK. —The woos from the traditional Arkansas rallying cry turned into boos in Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium as No. 22 Notre Dame took complete control of Saturday’s game late in the first half of a 56-13 Irish victory.

Notre Dame (2-2) scored on all six of its offensive drives in the first half to build a 42-13 halftime lead. Redshirt freshman quarterback CJ Carr and the Irish running backs made sure the defense could slowly find its footing against a potent Arkansas offense.

Carr outdueled Arkansas redshirt senior quarterback Taylen Green, who entered the game leading the FBS in total offense with 387.8 yards per game. Carr finished 22-of-30 passing for 354 yards with 4 touchdowns. Carr’s touchdown tosses all came in the first half.

Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman didn’t see it as a Carr vs. Green competition.

“I’ve challenged him,” Freeman said. “How do you continuously get better in terms of your routine, your preparation? And he prepares his tail off.

“But that’s a reflection of what you see. He’s a talented individual, but he prepares his butt off, and he’s playing with a lot of confidence right now.”

Carr became the first Notre Dame quarterback to throw for at least 300 yards since Sam Hartman hit 330 yards against Central Michigan in September 2023. Carr’s passing total was Notre Dame’s most since Jack Coan threw for 509 in the 2022 Fiesta Bowl against Oklahoma State — Freeman’s first as ND’s head coach.

Counting the last three drives Notre Dame’s first-team offense played in the 56-30 win over Purdue, the Irish offense scored touchdowns on nine consecutive drives. Notre Dame’s final yardage total of 641 was the most for the Irish since racking up 710 yards against Wake Forest in 2017.

Junior running back Jeremiyah Love started the Notre Dame scoring with a 1-yard touchdown run to cap a 10-play, 75-yard drive after Arkansas put itself ahead with a 39-yard field goal on its first drive. Love returned to the end zone three more times before the game ended.

Love finished a 7-yard touchdown pass from Carr by spinning away from an Arkansas defender in the open field. Love’s third touchdown of the day came via the air on a 34-yard screen pass from Carr. Love’s fourth touchdown came on a 3-yard run with 35 seconds remaining in the first half.

But that wasn’t the last touchdown of the first half for Notre Dame. Captain Adon Shuler stripped Arkansas wide receiver Raylen Sharpe and recovered the fumble to give the offense the ball back at Arkansas’ 45-yard line with 24 seconds left in the first half. Two plays later, the Irish returned to the end zone with a 35-yard touchdown pass from Carr to running back Jadarian Price.

Finishing the first half with a statement was important for the Irish given the inconsistent play before halftime in recent weeks.

“It was a step in the right direction,” Carr said. “We handled the end of that first half really well. Put two touchdowns back on the board. The next step is, OK, how can we come out of half and start faster than we did?”

Arkansas (2-3) finally stopped Notre Dame’s offense on the first drive of the second half, but only after the Irish successfully executed a 40-yard fake punt on fourth-and-10 from their own 25-yard line. The Razorbacks later sacked Carr on a fourth-and-1 play that ended with an intentional grounding penalty.

Love ended his day with 127 yards of offense on 14 carries for 57 yards and 2 touchdowns and 5 catches for 70 yards and 2 touchdowns. Price amassed 121 yards of offense with 13 carries for 86 yards and 1 touchdown and 1 catch for a 35-yard touchdown.

Notre Dame’s defense played far from lights out from the outset, but it was a much better overall performance for defensive coordinator Chris Ash’s unit. The Irish limited Green to 6-of-15 passing for 85 yards in the first half. He finished 17-of-32 for 207 yards with no touchdown and one interception.

The Razorbacks were more successful on the ground with 30 carries for 158 yards and one touchdown. Green accounted for 81 yards on 10 carries. Senior running back Mike Washington rushed 15 times for 63 yards.

The Irish defense forced a pair of three-and-outs in the first half and limited Arkansas to field goals on two possessions. Shuler created the game’s first turnover with his forced fumble and recovery. Fellow safety Luke Talich, a junior, picked off Green in the fourth quarter.

“They’re a good offense all across the field,” Freeman said. “To be able to hold that offense to field goals early in the game — I know the third series they got the touchdown — but then again, after that, the fifth series they got another field goal. Like those things — those are four-point swings. (It’s) huge. Huge by our defense, the game plan but the execution of it.”

Rather than “Calling the Hogs,” Arkansas fans might be calling for head coach Sam Pittman’s job following three consecutive losses for the Razorbacks in his sixth season leading the program with a 32-34 record. Arkansas let opportunities to win at Ole Miss and Memphis slip away with fumbles in the fourth quarter in the previous two games. On Saturday, many fans found the exits before the fourth quarter began.