Noah Cahill
Notre Dame momentarily restored calm to a panicking fanbase with its 56-30 victory against Purdue. However, the defense was anything but convincing, allowing 23 points and 286 total yards to the Boilermakers in the first half. It tightened up in the second 30, but still left many doubts.
On the other side of the ball, the offense was in full gear. The Irish rushing attack looked back to its dominant best, tallying 254 yards and five touchdowns on the ground. Jeremiyah Love was established early and often, finishing the game with 19 carries for 157 yards and a pair of scores. Notre Dame has the luxury of handing the keys to Love’s backfield partner, Jadarian Price, for entire drives without seeing a dip in production. The junior carried it nine times for 74 yards and three touchdowns, another coming on a 100-yard kickoff return.
Paired with a flawless CJ Carr performance, Notre Dame looked unstoppable. It should have no trouble moving the ball against an inconsistent Arkansas defense. The question once again becomes whether or not this defense can put it together. Powered by a staunch offensive line unit and the dual-threat Taylen Green, the Razorback offense has looked like one of the best units in the nation through four games. With Leonard Moore still questionable to return on the outside, look for another high-scoring affair. However, I think Notre Dame has just enough to escape with a win in Fayetteville.
Prediction: Notre Dame 38, Arkansas 35
Chris Dailey
Notre Dame vs. Arkansas is the epitome of a “trap game” for the Irish. While Notre Dame’s offense has looked the part of a legitimate National Championship contender, the defense is in shambles. They square off against a Razorbacks team that fell to No. 13 Ole Miss 41-35 before blowing a sizable lead against Memphis. The irony of this game is that both teams fit a similar profile: elite offense and lackluster defense.
For that reason, this noon-time game in Fayetteville has all the makings to be a shootout. Don’t expect the Irish defense to fix itself overnight, or rather in a week’s time. Don’t expect the Razorbacks defense to, either. This game will be determined by the play of the offense, and luckily for the Irish, they have the best backfield tandem in the country. There is no reason why Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price can’t once again connect for five rushing touchdowns. Notre Dame will take this one in a high-scoring affair.
Prediction: Notre Dame 45, Arkansas 41
Ben Hicks
I’m probably overcompensating for not trusting my gut and instead picking Notre Dame to beat both Miami and Texas A&M, or perhaps I’m just not overconfident in the Irish defense’s ability to stop anyone. Then again, neither is Marcus Freeman. Arkansas’ perimeter speed and skill present a grave challenge for Notre Dame, just as similar personnel did in the Miami and A&M contests. Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman put it lightly when he said, “I think we match up well,” — the Razorbacks offense is top-5 nationally in yards per game, while the Irish defense has allowed nearly 100 points across its first three games.
The bright side is that if any offense can atone for its defensive struggles, it’s CJ Carr, Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price. The unit was nearly perfect against both the Aggies and Boilermakers, but going on the road to hostile SEC country will create different difficulties for a still-maturing signal caller. Saturday will be a high-scoring shootout between two explosive offenses and two withering defenses. Coming off consecutive heartbreakers against Mississippi and Memphis, and with the support of the Hogs behind them, I like Arkansas to win a close one.
Prediction: Notre Dame 42, Arkansas 45
Henry Lytle
I started the week thinking Arkansas would be tough but manageable on the road, but concern rose significantly the more I dove into the stats. Arkansas is second in yards per rush, 10th in yards per pass and fifth in total offense, while the Irish are outside of the top 100 on defense: In other words, it’s a terrible match-up. Notre Dame has been passable against the run, though, where Arkansas relies for play action and traditionally has done well against running quarterbacks, which is why I think there is a chance.
The other concern is that this will be potentially the most hostile environment of the season in a raucous SEC environment. I trust Mike Denbrock, who coached Jayden Daniels to a Heisman at LSU with an equally poor defense, to create a doable game plan for Carr and the two-headed monster at running back, which is firing on all cylinders. Just a freshman, though, Carr could gift fans with an unforgettable performance or struggle immensely and look pedestrian.
The stakes are higher than ever, and in my opinion it’s the make-or-break game of the season for the Irish. Win or lose, if it is a 40s high-scoring shootout like many expect, it will solidify that this defense is just not good enough for this team to contend for the Playoff. Under Freeman, Notre Dame has consistently played well against the SEC, played well in season-defining games and come together when the moment presents itself. If the defense steps up and holds Arkansas below 30 with a couple of big stops for field goals instead of touchdowns, I think the Irish win convincingly and keep their Playoff hopes alive.
Prediction: Notre Dame 38, Arkansas 27
Tyler Reidy
When this week began, I was sure that Arkansas would win. Notre Dame’s defense showed very little against Purdue and now walks into an SEC environment to face a legitimate offense.
Here’s the thing, though. We all can agree that Notre Dame and Arkansas are destined for both a shootout and a rather close game. The Razorbacks have been brutal in such games, going 7-19 in their last 26 one-score games and leading all of FBS with six losses since the start of 2023 when scoring 30-plus points. Both of Arkansas’ losses this year were in one-score games that featured 30 or more Razorback points.
I can see exactly how Arkansas would run into that wall again on Saturday: proven star power. Notre Dame simply has more, especially in its backfield — maybe even now at wide receiver with Malachi Fields and Jordan Faison. If this becomes a “whoever has the ball last wins” type of game, I like the Irish to outclass Arkansas late.
Prediction: Notre Dame 41, Arkansas 33
Claire Watson
After a difficult start to the season, Notre Dame heads to Arkansas, but I don’t believe it will be as easy as most anticipate it to be. With this being the fourth game of the season for the Irish, the team’s defense looked slightly better going into the second half of the Purdue game, while the offense continues to shine on the field. But will it be enough to get through the Arkansas defense?
Arkansas, known for being a tough opponent, is similar to week one against Miami. Notre Dame will need to step its game up, including keeping pressure on the Arkansas quarterback. Without this pressure, Arkansas will run straight through and score.
That being said, the Notre Dame offense is continuing to stay on top of the ball, not to mention junior running back pairing Jadarian Price and Jeremiyah Love taking the ball to the end zone like it’s no one’s business. For that reason, I believe that the Irish will come out on top so long as the defense stays strong for the running backs.
Prediction: Notre Dame 41, Arkansas 35
