John Bailey
After a hard-fought victory in its opener, Notre Dame returns to South Bend to face Northern Illinois. While this matchup may not be as high-profile as last week, it offers the Irish a crucial test: avoiding a letdown and sustaining momentum. Notre Dame must remain focused and execute effectively against a team it is heavily favored to beat. The key question is whether the Irish can maintain their intensity or risk falling into the trap of overconfidence against a Northern Illinois squad eager to make a statement.
With the support of the home crowd, Notre Dame has a prime opportunity to secure a win while refining its performance. Facing a Northern Illinois team that can’t compete in terms of pure talent, the Irish can afford to experiment and take risks in the name of long-term development. Offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock is likely to expand the playbook, giving quarterback Riley Leonard a chance to strengthen his connection with receivers and test the Huskies’ secondary with deep passes. The offensive line, which performed well in Week One, will continue to build cohesion and dominate both the run and pass games.
On defense, Notre Dame can consistently rotate in fresh players, testing its depth and providing young players with valuable reps while still keeping Northern Illinois’ offense in check. Although the Huskies are scrappy, they lack the firepower to consistently challenge the Irish defense. The focus will be on creating turnovers and refining defensive schemes to ensure preparedness for tougher opponents later in the season.
With a significant talent advantage and the backing of their home fans, Notre Dame is well-positioned for a decisive victory. This game provides the Irish an excellent opportunity to sharpen their skills and build momentum as they prepare for more formidable challenges ahead.
Prediction: Northern Illinois 6, Notre Dame 41
Noah Cahill
After a triumphant Week One win over Texas A&M, the Notre Dame faithful will be riding high in South Bend for the home opener against Northern Illinois. However, while last week’s win was a major step in the right direction for the Irish, they cannot take this game lightly. For as much praise as Marcus Freeman is receiving for finally getting over the hump in game one, and rightfully so, he has yet to put together a season with sustained success. Losses to Marshall and Stanford stand out as games Notre Dame should never lose, but did. That can’t happen Saturday afternoon.
Northern Illinois, a team projected to finish high in the MAC, comes in as a frisky underdog. Their offensive firepower was on full display in week one, albeit against FCS competition, putting up 54 points with 706 yards of offense in a win over Western Illinois. However, this Notre Dame defensive unit is a different beast. The elite group proved why it was touted as one of the best in the nation against A&M and will continue to dominate in this game. Offensively, I see Denbrock taking a more aggressive approach through the air compared to the more conservative Week One game plan. The rushing attack will continue to produce behind an improving young line, which will unlock Leonard and the receivers. I see this team coming out with major energy at home, jumping out to a multiple-touchdown lead in the first quarter and never looking back. Notre Dame waltzes to 2-0.
Prediction: Northern Illinois 13, Notre Dame 52
Matthew Crow
Notre Dame fans could likely use a breather after watching the thrilling Irish victory against Texas A&M, but a strong Northern Illinois team expected to finish near the top of the MAC could pose a challenge in Saturday’s home opener. The Huskies’ offense was nearly flawless against Western Illinois last week. Despite this, I have no reason to lack confidence in the Irish defense, a unit that entered the season expected to be among the nation’s best and looked to be just that while shutting down the Aggies. The secondary impressed especially with a pair of interceptions from safeties Adon Shuler and Xavier Watts.
For me, the combination of Notre Dame’s elite defense and steady rushing attack should be enough to propel it to a win at home. Whether the Irish win comfortably or in another low-scoring, tight game, however, will be decided by their success in the passing game. Riley Leonard and the Irish receivers were up and down in College Station but really seemed to be hitting their stride in the game’s closing stages. With an extra week of practice under their belts (and a healthier Mitchell Evans) and facing a considerably weaker defense, I expect Notre Dame’s aerial attack to have shaken off the rust and be firing on all cylinders on Saturday. Leonard will surpass 300 all-purpose yards, Beaux Collins and Jayden Thomas will secure the first Irish receiving touchdowns of the season and the defense will force another pair of turnovers as Notre Dame jumps out to a big first-quarter lead and never looks back.
Prediction: Northern Illinois 10, Notre Dame 41
Annika Herko
Notre Dame fans are going to be doing a lot of touchdown push-ups on Saturday. While Northern Illinois’ massive victory last week turned some heads, it was against FCS opponent Western Illinois. Over 700 yards is impressive, and nine different players contributed to the team’s 312 running yards, which suggests a lot about the talent on this team. However, those backs are going to be running straight into the Notre Dame defensive line, a group of players unlike anyone the Huskies have faced recently.
This is not one of the big matchups on Notre Dame’s schedule this year, but there is still an opportunity for Notre Dame to show the college football world that it can dominate in big and small games. The team took care of business in College Station last weekend but needs to score a lot of points and keep the Huskies in single digits the weekend to convince folks they deserve to be in the top five.
Prediction: Northern Illinois 7, Notre Dame 48
Madeline Ladd
Notre Dame has to avoid the hangover following the huge win at Texas A&M. While this happens to many teams, the Irish are particularly susceptible as evidenced by recent history. Ghosts of the 2022 loss to Marshall after opening at Ohio State and the 2021 comeback in the final minute against Toledo still loom around this team.
Northern Illinois visits South Bend for the first time this weekend, fresh off a 54-15 victory over Western Illinois. While the Irish are 28-point favorites, they have to be careful as the Huskies are a veteran team. NIU returns 18 starters from a squad that knocked off Boston College on the road and finished 7-6 last year, including a win over Arkansas State in the Camellia Bowl.
NIU is a run-dominant team led by running back Antario Brown who rushed for 1,296 yards and 10 touchdowns last year, averaging an eye-popping 6.1 yards per carry. Wide receiver Trayvon Rudolph is another threat, as he totaled 171 all-purpose yards last week, including a 43-yard touchdown reception.
Defensively, Northern Illinois is solid. It held opponents to 21 points per game last year and was ranked in the top 10 in pass defense. However, the Huskies will be without the services of leading tackler Raishein Thomas, a huge loss for their defense.
For Notre Dame, discipline is key — 11 penalties against any opponent can prove costly. The offensive line has a chance to gel further, and Riley Leonard should have a big day in the passing game. As long as the Irish don’t sleepwalk, they should win comfortably.
Prediction: Northern Illinois 10, Notre Dame 48
Tyler Reidy
I am the only one here with an 0-1 record in predictions this year, so feel free to skip over this part. Fortunately, I’m in lockstep with everybody on Notre Dame’s home opener. Last week, I marked this game down as Notre Dame’s easiest at home. I still believe that’s true. Northern Illinois isn’t the yearly 10-win team it was a decade ago and finished just one game above .500 last year. Sure, the Huskies come in with maxed-out momentum after hanging over 700 yards on Western Illinois, but how much can they realistically do against Notre Dame’s defense?
On the flip side, the Irish come off the emotional high of a win before 107,000 people on the road. Concerns are plentiful regarding the possibility of a home-opener letdown, but I don't think it happens. Marcus Freeman and the Irish displayed a level of preparation we haven't seen from a modern Notre Dame team last week. They know not to take this game for granted, and they’ll play with that at the top of their minds. I think Northern Illinois hangs in there early, but it won’t stay close for long. Notre Dame will score a long touchdown or two through the air, pull away and get to 2-0.
Prediction: Northern Illinois 10, Notre Dame 45
