Analyzing each opponent on the Notre Dame football 2024 schedule. Which ones stand out?
With the College Football Playoff expanding to 12 teams this season, more programs will be in the mix for a national championship. With Notre Dame football’s seemingly favorable schedule, the Irish are considered a favorite to nab one of those 12 spots.
Of Notre Dame’s 12 regular-season games, the Irish are expected to be favored in each. Notre Dame will play two road games on college campuses this season — the opener against Texas A&M, and week three at Purdue. Two of its contests will be played in NFL stadiums and one in a Major League baseball park. It’s regular-season finale against rival USC is technically played off campus at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
As for Notre Dame’s six true home games, Florida State has top billing as the Seminoles travel to South Bend Nov. 9 for a primetime matchup. FSU lost its last sub-freezing November game in South Bend, 42-13, back in a 2018.
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As head coach Marcus Freeman leads the Irish into his third year at the helm, here is a breakdown of what to expect for each game on the 2024 Notre Dame football schedule:
Aug. 31 — @ Texas A&M
- When/where: Aug. 31 at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas, 7:30 p.m.
- TV:ABC
- Series history: Notre Dame leads 3-2
- Last meeting: Texas A&M won, 24-3, in 2001
- Last year’s record: 7-6
- Early betting line: Texas A&M -1
About Texas A&M: It’s a new era for the Aggies as former Duke head coach and ND assistant Mike Elko replaces Jimbo Fisher. With that comes several changes, making this week one opener feel truly like a toss-up.
The Aggies’ starting quarterback battle will likely be between Conner Weigman and Jaylen Henderson. The former started the A&M’s first four games last season before injuring his foot, while Henderson is recovering from a late-season arm injury. Le’Veon Moss and Rueben Owens could be a top rushing option for A&M, while Noah Thomas flashed as a top receiving threat during April’s spring game.
Defensively, the Aggies’ second-leading tackler from last year in Taurean York is back. Elko is a defensive-minded head coach and inherits a team that ranked 19th in total defense a season ago.
This will be the second-straight year Notre Dame faces an Elko-coached team. The Irish beat Elko’s Duke Blue Devils, 21-14, last September in one of the season’s more memorable finishes in Durham.
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Sept. 7 — vs. NORTHERN ILLINOIS
- Game info: Sept. 7 at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, 3:30 p.m.
- TV:NBC.
- Series history: First meeting
- Last year’s record: 7-6
About Northern Illinois: This is a first-time matchup for the Fighting Irish against the Huskies of the Mid-American Conference.
One of the MAC’s top rushers in Antario Brown is back after accumulating 1,296 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground last season. He’ll be relied on heavily early as NIU replaces three-year starting quarterback Rocky Lombardi.
On defense, look for the likes of defensive end Raishein Thomas (74 tackles, two sacks last year) and defensive back JaVaughn Byrd (three interceptions) to lead the way for the Huskies.
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Sept. 14 — @ Purdue
- Game info: Sept. 14 at Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Ind., 3:30 p.m.
- TV:CBS
- Series history: Notre Dame leads 57-26-2
- Last meeting: Notre Dame won, 27-13, in South Bend
- Last year’s record: 4-8
About Purdue: A rivalry is renewed as the Irish and Boilermakers play for the Shillelagh Trophy once again.
Purdue is going through a rebuild under second-year head coach Ryan Walters. Quarterback Hudson Card returns after starting 11 games last season. The team’s leading rusher in Devin Mockobee is back as well.
Cleaning up the defensive side of the ball will be key, as Purdue ranked in the bottom third of the country in points allowed last season with a 30.4 per-game average.
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Sept. 21 — vs. MIAMI (OHIO)
- Game info: Sept. 21 at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, 3:30 p.m.
- TV:NBC
- Series history: Notre Dame leads 2-0
- Last meeting: Notre Dame won, 52-17, in 2017
- Last year’s record: 11-3
About Miami (OH): Perhaps a sneaky tough game for Notre Dame as the Mid-American Conference champion RedHawks return 13 starters.
Starting quarterback Brett Gabbert — the younger brother of former Missouri and NFL quarterback Blaine Gabbert — is back for his sixth season of college football. Meanwhile, senior linebackers Matt Salopek and Ty Wise are back after recording 143 and 122 tackles, respectively, with Salopek’s total ranking third in the country amongst all players.
A total of 17 players on the RedHawks started their careers at the Power-Five level, giving Miami one of the more talented and deeper rosters in the MAC.
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Sept. 28 — vs. LOUISVILLE
- Game info: Sept. 28 at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, 3:30 p.m.
- TV/Streaming:Peacock exclusively
- Series history: tied 2-2
- Last meeting: Louisville won, 33-20, in 2023
- Last year’s record: 10-4
About Louisville: This is a game circled on many Notre Dame fans’ schedule after what happened last season. Any chance of the Irish making the College Football Playoff went up in smoke after the loss to the Cardinals, their second loss of the season.
Louisville alum Jeff Brohm returned to coach his alma mater last year and led it to a surprise 10-win season, although it ended with three straight losses. Journeyman quarterback Tyler Shough — who’s in his seventh season of college football after stops at Oregon and Texas Tech — is expected to start for the Cardinals.
Defense might have to carry Louisville, as two of the top returning players in the country on that side of the ball are defensive lineman Ashton Gillotte and cornerback Quincy Riley. Gillotte had 11 sacks to help earn second-team All-American honors last year, while Riley had 49 tackles and three interceptions a season ago.
Oct. 12 — vs. STANFORD
- Game info: Oct. 12 at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, 3:30 p.m.
- TV:NBC
- Series history: Notre Dame leads 22-14
- Last meeting: Notre Dame won, 56-23, in 2023
- Last year’s record: 3-9
About Stanford: It continues to be a rebuilding project for head coach Troy Taylor as the Cardinal went 3-9 in year one of his leadership. It’s also a new era for Stanford athletics, as it now competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference following a mass exodus of 10 teams from the PAC-12.
Finding an offensive identity might be the first step for Stanford to turn things around after its two quarterbacks last year, Ashton Daniels and Justin Lamson, led the team in rushing yards as well. Wide receiver Elic Ayomanor was a bright spot last year, but 294 of his 1,013 yards came against one of the worst defenses in the country last year in Colorado.
The Cardinal also struggled stopping teams, allowing 37.7 points per game, only 0.1 better than last-place Massachusetts in that category.
Oct. 19 – vs. Georgia Tech @ Mercedes-Benz Stadium
- Game info: Oct. 19 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, start time TBA
- TV:TBA
- Series history: Notre Dame leads 30-6-1
- Last meeting: Notre Dame won, 55-0, in 2021
- Last year’s record: 7-6
About Georgia Tech: A one-two punch on offense returns for the Yellow Jackets in quarterback Haynes King and running back Jamal Haynes. The former threw for 27 touchdowns and rushed for 10 more, while the latter had 1,059 rushing yards and seven scores. King’s favorite target, Eric Singleton Jr., also returns after 48 catches for 719 yards and six touchdowns last year.
Like most of Notre Dame’s opponents so far, getting better on defense will be paramount for Georgia Tech after allowing 29.5 points per game last season. For context, the Irish gave up nearly half of that, ranking seventh-best in the country at 15.9 points per game given up.
This will be the first of back-to-back games Notre Dame plays in NFL stadiums, as Georgia Tech moved the game off campus to the home of the Atlanta Falcons.
Oct. 26 — vs. Navy @ MetLife Stadium
- Game info: Oct. 26 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., noon
- TV:TBA
- Series history: Notre Dame leads 80-13-1
- Last meeting: Notre Dame won, 42-3, in 2023
- Last year’s record: 5-7
About Navy: The annual game with the Midshipmen moves to the home of the NFL’s New York Giants and Jets for the first time since 2010 — a game won by Navy, 35-17, for what was its third victory in four seasons over Notre Dame at the time. The Fighting Irish have won 11 of 12 matchups since.
When playing Navy, the first thing that comes up is containing the triple-option rushing attack. Its run-heavy offense led the Midshipmen to finish 18th in rushing yards per game last year with 194.6 on average. Fullback Alex Tecza returns after leading Navy with 758 rushing yards a season ago.
Nov. 9 — vs. FLORIDA STATE
- Game info: Nov. 9 at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, 7:30 p.m.
- TV:NBC
- Series history: Florida State leads 6-5
- Last meeting: Notre Dame won, 41-38, in 2021
- Last year’s record: 13-1
About Florida State: The Seminoles were about as close to making the College Football Playoff as you can get, going unbeaten and winning the ACC championship before being snubbed due to a late-season injury to starting quarterback Jordan Travis. The majority of Florida State’s roster sat out the ensuing Orange Bowl against Georgia, leading to a 63-3 blowout loss to the Bulldogs.
Although FSU will have a new quarterback, it’ll be a familiar face to most in former Clemson and Oregon State starter D.J. Uiagalelei. The signal caller famously made his first career start against Notre Dame in 2020 when Clemson star Trevor Lawrence had to miss the game due to testing positive for COVID-19.
Several other new faces populate the Seminole roster as 10 key players from last year’s team departed for the NFL. Two Alabama transfers in wide receiver Malik Benson and defensive back Earl Little Dr. could have immediate impacts.
Nov. 16 — vs. VIRGINIA
- Game info: Saturday, Nov. 16 at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, 3:30 p.m.
- TV:NBC
- Series history: Notre Dame leads 4-0
- Last meeting: Notre Dame won, 28-3, in 2021
- Last year’s record: 3-9
About Virginia: It’s been a tough go of it for Cavaliers head coach Tony Elliott, who’s 6-16 in two seasons leading the program. They struggled both offensively and defensively last year, only scoring 23.2 points per game while allowing 33.8 points per game on average.
Elliott fielded a youthful roster in 2023, including Anthony Colandrea as a true freshman at quarterback. The majority of the offensive line were underclassmen, and nearly two dozen players started at least one game on defense as well. Time will tell if the playing experience of last year pays off for Virginia this season.
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Nov. 23 — vs. Army @ Yankee Stadium
- Game info: Nov. 23 at Yankee Stadium in New York City, 7 p.m.
- TV:NBC
- Series history: Notre Dame leads, 38-4-8
- Last meeting: Notre Dame won, 44-6, in 2016
- Last year’s record: 6-6
About Army: After a one-year hiatus, the Shamrock Series game returns for Notre Dame against an old rival in Army. The Irish are unbeaten in the series (11-0), including two wins over Army in 2010 and 2016. Notre Dame has not lost to the Black Knights since 1965.
Army has built itself into a solid program under head coach Jeff Monken the last 10 years, going 70-55 with four bowl game wins in that stretch. Much like the other service academies, the Knights utilize a triple-option rushing offense, which was anchored last year by returning quarterback Bryson Daily. He had 907 of Army’s 2,496 total rushing yards and a team-high seven touchdowns.
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Nov. 30 — @ USC
- Game info: Nov. 30 at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, time TBA
- TV:TBA
- Series history: Notre Dame leads, 49-37-5
- Last meeting: Notre Dame won, 48-20, in 2023
- Last year’s record: 8-5
- Early betting line: Notre Dame -3.5
About USC: It’s an even-numbered year, which means the season ends in southern California for Notre Dame. The Irish’s blowout victory over the rival Trojans last year started a 1-5 finish to the regular season for USC, tumbling it from playoff contenders to unranked.
Offense has never been the issue for a Lincoln Riley-coached team, as USC’s 41.8 points per game average last year ranked third in the country. And while the Trojans have to replace 2022 Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams at quarterback, Miller Moss flashed a lot of potential with a 372-yard, six-touchdown performance against Louisville in the Holiday Bowl.
Whether USC’s defense can stop anyone will be the question once again, as it was abysmal against Power Five teams last year. While it tried to address these issues in the transfer portal, how those players translate to new defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn’s system will be paramount to USC’s ability to contend for a Big Ten championship and CFP spot.
- Notre Dame football’s 2024 schedule includes games against various opponents, with Texas A&M and Purdue standing out as notable matchups.
- The College Football Playoff expanding to 12 teams increases Notre Dame’s chances of securing a spot in the playoffs.
- Notre Dame is expected to be favored in all 12 regular-season games, including matchups in different stadiums like NFL stadiums and a Major League baseball park.
- Florida State’s visit to South Bend on Nov. 9 is highlighted as a prime-time matchup and a significant game for Notre Dame.
- Head coach Marcus Freeman leads Notre Dame into his third year, bringing anticipation and excitement for the upcoming season.
- Texas A&M presents a challenging season opener for Notre Dame, with uncertainties surrounding the Aggies’ new coaching staff and quarterback situation.
