Maybe it was week-one rust, perhaps exposed inexperience, or No. 9 Notre Dame might have simply overlooked Louisville. Whatever the reasoning, the Irish (1-0) got off to a rocky start Monday night before outscoring the Cardinals 28-3 after falling behind early. In the end, the 35-17 victory was far from worrisome, though not a statement, either.
Only Notre Dame’s running game was working at the outset, led by senior Tony Jones’ 15 rushes for 110 yards with a score and freshman Jahmir Smith’s 24 yards and two touchdowns on eight attempts. Junior running back Jafar Armstrong suffered a midsection injury in the opening minutes.