Football falls to No. 11/11 Notre Dame, 38-3

Saturday, September 5

South Bend, Ind.

6:30 p.m.

University of Texas

0-1

Notre Dame

1-0

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Texas

Notre Dame

Johnathan Gray

09.05.2015 | Football

Box Score

No. 11/11 Notre Dame (1-0) knocked off Texas (0-1) by a 38-3 count Saturday evening before a sellout crowd at Notre Dame Stadium.

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SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- No. 11/11 Notre Dame (1-0) knocked off Texas (0-1) by a 38-3 count Saturday evening before a sellout crowd at Notre Dame Stadium. Saturday's contest marked the first meeting between the two schools in nearly 20 years.

Both teams stalled on their opening drives before Notre Dame got on the board first on its second possession. Notre Dame QB Malik Zaire found Will Fuller down the middle for a 16-yard touchdown to stake the Irish to a 7-0 lead with 6:29 left in the first quarter.

Notre Dame marched 95 yards on its next possession and assumed a 14-0 lead when Josh Adams raced right on a jet sweep and scored from 14 yards out just before the end of the first quarter. The Irish's Justin Yoon connected for a 38-yard field goal with 7:53 remaining in the second quarter to push the Notre Dame lead to 17-0.

Texas made its first foray into Notre Dame territory in the closing minutes of the first half. Tyrone Swoopes, who shared time at quarterback with redshirt freshman Jerrod Heard, dumped a screen pass to Daje Johnson, who scampered 20 yards for a first down to the UT 45.

Swoopes carried for five yards to midfield before an Irish facemask penalty gave Texas the ball at the Notre Dame 35. The Horns settled for a 52-yard field goal attempt, but Nick Rose's kick sailed wide left as time expired in the first half. Rose had converted the kick twice but a pair of Notre Dame timeouts nullified both attempts.

Notre Dame threatened to score on its first possession of the third quarter, but on third down from the UT 24, Texas CB Duke Thomas stopped Fuller for a four-yard loss. Yoon hooked his 45-yard field goal attempt wide left, and Texas took over at its 28-yard line.

Swoopes went deep on the next play and found freshman WR John Burt, who outran a pair of Notre Dame defenders and hauled in the pass for 48 yards to the Irish 24. Notre Dame forced a field goal attempt, and Rose converted from 41 yards to cut the Irish lead to 17-3.

Notre Dame quickly responded and stretched its lead to 24-3, as Zaire found Fuller for 64 yards down the right sideline. The Irish assumed a 31-3 lead later in the third quarter behind Adams' 25-yard touchdown run. Zaire connected with Chris Brown for a six-yard touchdown pass to give the Irish a 38-3 lead early in the fourth quarter.