GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Notre Dame is a popular pick to win its first national championship since 1988. After last year's snub, the fourth-ranked Fighting Irish are expected to return to the College Football Playoff and have a fairly easy path to get there.
But the games still must be played, and the outlook others have for the Irish -- perhaps even what Notre Dame envisions for itself -- doesn't always follow the script, such as during the first half Sunday night against three-touchdown underdog Wisconsin at Lambeau Field. Notre Dame was sluggish, mistake-prone and fortunate to be leading. In the second half, the Irish followed coach Marcus Freeman's motto and left no doubt, overwhelming Wisconsin 41-13 to open the season.
"Sometimes, you don't believe it till you're in it," Freeman said. "Like, I can sit here and tell you, 'You have to struggle to achieve what we achieved tonight,' but until you're in the middle of it, it's hard to understand it. So, I wanted to remind them that at halftime. ... Don't assume the future's going to go in any direction. Just focus on what you have in the moment."
Other than leading 13-10, the Irish held few statistical edges at halftime. Wisconsin outgained them 143-135 in yards, held them to 1.8 yards per rush and did not allow a third-down conversion. Quarterback CJ Carr completed just 9-of-16 pass attempts. Without improvement, a Notre Dame team that has suffered six of its 12 losses under Freeman in August or September, including an 0-2 start last season that ultimately closed the CFP door, could be headed for the same fate.
The second half showed a different Irish team, which used a flowing offense that compiled long touchdown drives on all three of its possessions, and a stifling defense that held Wisconsin to three points and added a touchdown on cornerback D.J. McKinney's 55-yard interception return midway through the third quarter. Notre Dame outscored Wisconsin 28-3 and received impressive performances from Carr and running backs Aneyas Williams and Nolan James Jr.
"Outside of our building, here can be a narrative that college football is easy, and we should steamroll teams," Carr said. "The reality is that's a really good Wisconsin team with some really good players. So, adjusting and staying consistent throughout the game was really helpful for us."
At halftime, the coaches challenged Williams and James, who took over the primary ball-carrying duties after the departures of NFL first-round draft picks Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price, to attack the holes in Wisconsin's defense. Williams responded with 72 of his 90 rushing yards in the second half and two touchdowns, and James caught a 28-yard touchdown pass from Carr.
"They showed to be the backs that we expected," Freeman said. "I don't expect to replace J-Love and JD with just one guy or two guys. It's going to be a committee. It's going to be keeping guys fresh and continue to let them run and continue to let them try to wear down the defense."
Carr completed 10 of 13 passes for 133 yards and a touchdown in the second half, delivering an "excellent" performance," Freeman said, especially in checking to plays that kept Notre Dame out of poor down-and-distance situations. Carr said he thought the offense found a rhythm late in the first half, and that carried over on second-half touchdown drives of 70, 75 and 88 yards.
"The results showed that we wanted a fight, and that's what we got," Carr said.
Mindful of Notre Dame's slow starts, Freeman spent the offseason evaluating how the team prepared, from meetings to practice time to recovery. The data showed the Irish would be "an elevated football team," but Notre Dame still needed to deliver in an early-season game.
"It does a lot for your mentals," Freeman said. "To win with the final score being 41-13 does a lot for the confidence, and it's important to have confidence as you continue to move forward."
