Any doubt regarding whether or not Malik Zaire was as good as advertised was silenced tonight, as Notre Dame cruised to a 38-3 blowout victory over the Texas Longhorns.
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish opened their season on a high note on Saturday, cruising to a 38-3 victory over the Texas Longhorns in front of a home crowd at Notre Dame Stadium. The Fighting Irish jumped out to a 17-0 lead and never looked back, out-gaining the Longhorns by nearly 400 yards.
Malik Zaire delivered a masterful performance as he began his first full season as Notre Dame’s starting quarterback. Zaire finished the game with 313 passing yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions on 19-of-22 passing. Freshman running back Josh Adams did not see a heavy workload, but he made his five carries count, rushing for 49 yards and two touchdowns. Senior Will Fuller made a major impact at receiver, hauling in seven catches for 142 yards and two touchdowns.
The defense recorded four sacks on the night, providing constant pressure on Texas quarterback Tyrone Swoopes. The junior quarterback struggled all night long due to Notre Dame’s pass rush, throwing for 93 yards and no touchdowns on 7-of-22 passing. The rest of the Longhorns’ offense did not provide any support, drawing the ire of one of their most famous alums.
Texas' offense looking about as useful as my last 4 rounds....
— Jordan Spieth (@JordanSpieth) September 6, 2015
Saturday night was the Longhorns’ worst season opening loss since being blown out 47-6 by BYU in 1988.
Three Stars
1. Malik Zaire, Notre Dame QB (19-22, 313 yards, three touchdowns, zero interceptions)
2. Will Fuller, Notre Dame WR (Seven receptions, 142 yards, two touchdowns)
3. Josh Adams, Notre Dame RB (49 rushing yards, two touchdowns, 9.8 yards per carry)
Odds
Notre Dame covered the spread of -9.5 by a landslide. The combined point total of 41 fell over a touchdown short of the over, set at 50 points.
Next Week
Next week, Notre Dame heads out east for a matchup with the Virginia Cavaliers at Scott Stadium. Given the Fighting Irish’s offensive explosion against the Longhorns, along with the Cavaliers’ poor showing this week against UCLA, another dominant performance can be expected.
Texas will look to rebound against the Rice Owls, as they head home for what should be an easy victory.
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