20 OCT. 10, 2026 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED
BY JACK SOBLE AND KYLE KELLY
N
otre Dame running backs coach
Ja'Juan Seider held "money"
signs high in the air as Nolan
James Jr. jogged off the field.
Seider wore a well-deserved grin on
his face after a long-awaited breakout
game for his running backs, capped
off by James' soul-stealing shimmy on
North Carolina cornerback Jaiden Pat-
terson. The sophomore pointed at Pat-
terson as he crossed the goal line, giving
Notre Dame a two-touchdown lead on
the first play of the fourth quarter.
The Irish and Tar Heels played a
physical football game, so much so that
Notre Dame junior left guard Anthonie
Knapp missed a second-quarter play at
the goal line with blood pouring down
his face. In the third quarter, Knapp and
his fellow offensive linemen decided to
return the favor. Notre Dame rushed 20
times for 122 yards in the third quarter
alone, possessing the football for 13:18
in the frame.
With rain falling at Kenan Stadium,
Notre Dame told North Carolina, "We're
running the ball. See if you can stop it."
The Tar Heels could not, and after a rally
STORM SURGE
No. 3 Notre Dame survives North Carolina rally,
rides much-maligned run game to 5-0 start
