It may not have been against the stiffest of competition, but No. 21 Notre Dame football picked up its first win of the season last Saturday with a 56-30 rout against Purdue. The Irish were dominant on almost every level against the Boilermakers, particularly on offense and special teams.
Meanwhile, Arkansas lost its second-straight game in a 32-31 thriller against the Memphis Tigers on the road. The Razorbacks’ record slipped to 2-2, and Notre Dame still sits at 1-2 after back-to-back losses to No. 6 Miami (Fla.) and No. 9 Texas A&M to start its season.
This Saturday, Sept. 27 at noon ET/11 a.m. CT, the Irish and Razorbacks clash for the first time ever. Who will come out on top in this high-profile matchup from Fayetteville?
Here’s three keys to victory for Notre Dame.
Run up the score by feeding the two-headed monster
Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love had Heisman hype coming into the 2025 season for good reason. The junior running back finished his sophomore campaign with 1,125 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns on just 163 carries. Averaging only 10.2 carries per game, Love was one of the most efficient runners in the country with 6.9 yards per carry.
Love may not be a Heisman front-runner after the first three weeks of the 2025 season, but he proved against Purdue that his skills haven’t diminished in the least. The New Balance athlete finished the Irish’s win over the Boilermakers with 157 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries, including a 46-yard run.
But fellow junior running back Jadarian Price may have been the story of the game, finding the end zone three times on just nine rushes for 74 yards. He also returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown to give him four total scores on the evening.
Notre Dame’s defense has proved to be a disappointment so far this season, so the Irish don’t want to get into a low-scoring affair. Luckily for the Irish, Arkansas has allowed 29 points per game in three contests against FBS teams this season.
Even if Notre Dame finds itself up more than two scores late in the game, Love and Price should be heavily featured in the Irish’s offense until the final buzzer sounds.
Limit Taylen Green’s legs
Not only does the Razorbacks’ senior quarterback Taylen Green have the most rushing yards of any FBS quarterback this season, but he leads Arkansas itself in rushing yards with 360. That’s nearly 100 more than Jeremiyah Love, and it’s good for the 21st-most in the FBS.
Oh yeah, and Green also has 1,191 passing yards. A true dual threat, Notre Dame’s struggling defense will have its hands full with Green in Fayetteville.
Off the back of his 1,551 total yards in just four games, Green has found the end zone 14 combined times. This has led the Razorbacks to averaging 40.7 points per game against their three FBS opponents, but they’ve only got one win to show for it.
If the Irish can limit Green’s rushing ability and force him to throw, it could be a recipe for turnovers. Green has thrown four interceptions in as many games, including two against Memphis last Saturday.
Take advantage of penalties
If it comes down to it, Notre Dame simply could beat Arkansas thanks to discipline. The Irish have only been penalized 13 times for a total of 72 yards through three games this season, while the Razorbacks have 25 penalties for 217 total yards.
The Irish, historically, don’t shoot themselves in the foot. Arkansas has proved to do just that in 2025, one of the biggest contributing factors to its 2-2 start.
South Bend Tribune staff predictions for Notre Dame vs. Purdue football
Mike Berardino, Notre Dame football beat reporter: Arkansas 45, No. 21 Notre Dame 42: Irish lose fireworks show in the Walmart parking lot.
Tom Noie, columnist: Arkansas 31, No. 21 Notre Dame 28: Sometimes it just doesn’t feel right to pick Notre Dame. For the first time in 25 games and the second in the last 34 dating back to the end of 2022, this pick is against the Irish.
Kyle Smedley, sports reporter: No. 21 Notre Dame 38, Arkansas 31: The Razorbacks will lead early, but the 2025 Irish prove they can still win from behind.
Austin Hough, sports editor: No. 21 Notre Dame 35, Arkansas 14: Feels like the walls are caving in on the Sam Pittman era in Fayetteville. The Irish capitalize on that for a much-needed road win.
Kyle Smedley is a high school sports reporter at the South Bend Tribune. Contact him via email atksmedley@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Notre Dame football vs. Arkansas: 3 keys, predictions for Irish’s clash against Razorbacks
Reporting by Kyle Smedley, South Bend Tribune / South Bend Tribune
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
