SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Notre Dame linebacker Jaiden Ausberry recognizes Rice’s triple-option offense.
He has prepared for some version of it each of his previous three seasons with the Irish — against Army and Navy. He’ll see it again Saturday when No. 3 Notre Dame faces Rice in its first true home game of the season.
“The only difference is they do it out of the gun more than under center, but everything else is kind of the same,” Ausberry said Wednesday. “I would say I’ve gotten a lot more comfortable (facing the option). Just seeing it, it being programmed in my mind, I would say I’ve gotten a lot more comfortable.”
Can No. 3 Notre Dame avoid another early-season stumble in Saturday’s home opener?
It’s not easy to defend — or run — which is why so few teams use it in an era of spread offenses.
But, as the military academies can attest, it still works. Rice (1-0) finished with 493 total yards, just 35 yards passing, in a season-opening 31-3 rout of Houston Christian.
The Owls are led by fifth-year quarterback Jacurri Brown, who played previously at Miami and UCF. He had 13 carries for 98 yards but was only 3 of 6 for 18 yards with one TD through the air.
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For Notre Dame (1-0), it’s a stark contrast from what it faced in Sunday’s 41-13 victory over Wisconsin at Lambeau Field in Green Bay.
“It’s definitely a kind of weird transition,” Ausberry said. “But I say everybody got on board pretty quick to it.”
Rice has its own advantage — footage of Notre Dame’s games against Army and Navy.
“It always helps when you can see your opponent defending something like you,” Rice coach Scott Abell said. “We’ve got quite a bit of film, and Wisconsin was playing with a dual-threat quarterback. There are some things that you can learn on that film. No matter what film I pop on, whether it’s Wisconsin, Navy, Army, whether it’s Miami of Ohio, you see all the same characteristics. It’s not overly complicated.”
Notre Dame also hopes to avoid yet another early-season stumble at home.
The Irish have lost four September home games since 2021, including upsets by Marshall and Northern Illinois and last year’s to No. 16 Texas A&M, which eventually helped keep Notre Dame out of the 12-team playoff field.
While coach Marcus Freeman has made protecting the home field a point of emphasis throughout the offseason, Rice thinks it can add to Notre Dame’s woes by joining the list.
“Obviously they have experience losing to schools like that (Marshall and Northern Illinois), so we know they’re going to come out here and not take us lightly,” defensive back Jo Chavez said. “It goes both ways. They know they don’t want to let that happen again, and we’re on the flip side, thinking we do want to make it happen again.”
Missing pieces
Both teams will be missing some key players Saturday.
Rice will be without running back Quinton Jackson, who was injured while scoring in the fourth quarter last week. He had nine carries for 54 yards and the one touchdown while adding two catches for 13 yards and another score. He was the Owls’ top rusher and MVP in 2025.
“It does appear right now to be a pretty significant injury,” Abell said.
Notre Dame also has ruled out two starters — safety Brauntae Johnson, a second team preseason All-American, and defensive tackle Jason Onye, a transfer from Pittsburgh. Both are expected to miss multiple games.
Going deep?
Notre Dame responded to a sluggish start last week by outscoring the Badgers 28-3 in the second half. Quarterback CJ Carr finished 19 of 29 for 239 yards with two touchdowns, including 10 of 13 for 126 yards and one score in the second half.
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This week, Carr may present a different challenge for Rice’s secondary.
“If a defense is going to present us opportunities to throw deep balls and be successful, we’ll do it,” Freeman said. “The opportunities to throw those deep balls, I’m sure will come.”