How it happened: Breaking down Notre Dame football win over NC State

Notre Dame’s Saturday matinee against NC State began as a low-scoring slugfest, turned into a back-and-forth thriller and eventually became a 45-24 blowout win for the Irish.

Here’s how it happened.

First quarter: Notre Dame 3, NC State 0

Top Moment: Graduate kicker Spencer Shrader made the longest field goal in program history with a 54-yarder to give the Irish a 3-0 lead.

Feature Performer: Tied between sophomore running back Jadarian Price and graduate linebacker Marist Liufau. Price touched the ball four times on Notre Dame’s scoring drive, totaling 32 yards. Liufau made three tackles, including a crushing hit for a two-yard loss.

Stats: Notre Dame averaged 2.3 yards per play to NC State’s 3.4. The Irish controlled the ball for 9:35 to NC State’s 5:25.

Items: Each team started with two-straight three-and-outs. … Close contender for top moment: graduate defensive back Thomas Harper’s pass breakup on a near-perfect throw from NC State graduate quarterback Brennan Armstrong on third-and-six for a key stop. … Notre Dame limited Armstrong to 3-for-7 for 24 yards. … Hartman came close to a big play if not for a drop down the sideline by junior wide receiver Jayden Thomas. … Notre Dame retained a Hartman fumble on an opening-drive sack.

Second quarter: Fighting Irish 17, Wolfpack 7

Top Moment: Tied between how it started and how it ended. On the first play out of the weather delay, junior running back Audric Estimé ran 80 yards for a touchdown. Then, after an NC State touchdown to close the Irish lead to 3 with 1:10 to go in the first half, Hartman went to work. He extended the first play and found senior receiver Chris Tyree for a 65-yard catch-and-run, then he fired a strike to freshman receiver Jaden Greathouse for a 13-yard touchdown.

Featured Performer: Graduate defensive tackle Howard Cross III. He made three tackles in the quarter, all within five yards of the line of scrimmage. Cross has been all over the field in the past two weeks.

Stats: NC State fumbled twice in the second quarter and lost neither. Notre Dame gained 224 total yards to NC State’s 78.

Items: Notre Dame’s second touchdown was its third successful two-minute drill in three games. … Armstrong found eighth-year wide receiver Bradley Rozner for a nine-yard touchdown pass with 1:16 left in the half. … On that scoring drive, the Irish defense committed three penalties in four plays. … Sophomore cornerback Benjamin Morrison intercepted his first pass of the season.

Third quarter: Notre Dame 24, NC State 17

Top Moment: In a play that looked like it might turn the game in NC State’s favor, Wolfpack sophomore defensive tackle Brandon Cleveland strip-sacked Hartman and graduate student defensive lineman Noah Potter recovered at the Notre Dame 17-yard line. The Irish defense held, though, and the drive resulted in a missed field goal.

Feature Performer: Notre Dame tight end Holden Staes. States caught two passes totaling 68 yards in the span of three plays, including a 40-yard catch-and-run touchdown to put the Irish up 24-10.

Stats: NC State out-gained Notre Dame 125-88. … The Wolfpack converted three of their six third-down attempts.

Items: Armstrong hit senior receiver Keyon Lesane for 38 yards and scored on a one-yard touchdown run later in the drive. … Harper led the Irish with 2.5 tackles. … Hartman completed all 4 of his passes for 81 yards and the touchdown to Staes. … NC State graduate kicker Brayden Narveson nailed a 49-yard field goal to trim Notre Dame’s lead to 7 at the time.

Fourth quarter: Fighting Irish 45, Wolfpack 24

Top Moment: Tied between interceptions from senior safety Xavier Watts and graduate safety DJ Brown on consecutive NC State drives. The turnovers, both in Wolfpack territory, set up the Notre Dame touchdowns that closed out NC State.

Feature Performer: Hartman. He completed three of his four passes for 57 yards and two touchdowns, a 35-yarder to Staes and a 10-yarder to junior tight end Davis Sherwood. Hartman iced the game through the air.

Stats: NC State ran for only 10 yards on eight carries. Notre Dame outscored NC State 21-7 but only out-gained the Wolfpack 105-97.

Items: Estimé notched his second touchdown of the game, a 7-yard score, with 10:42 left to play. … NC State scored a garbage-time touchdown on a 23-yard pass from Armstrong to Clemson transfer Dacari Collins. … Notre Dame sophomore defensive tackle Donovan Hinish picked up his first career sack.