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Notre Dame will host an ACC/SEC Challenge game for the first time when it clashes with Missouri on Tuesday night.

This has the makings of a competitive contest, as Missouri (8-0) has yet to lose and Notre Dame (5-3) is undefeated (4-0) at home.

Most recently, Missouri scored the first 23 points of the game en route to defeating visiting Cleveland State 86-59 on Nov. 28.

Jacob Crews led the Tigers with 20 points and eight rebounds. Missouri dominated the paint scoring with a 40-18 advantage along with a 20-5 edge in second-chance points.

The Tigers' balanced offensive attack features five double-digit point scorers. Missouri is scoring 92.9 points per game and its margin of victory is 24.7 points. The Tigers also lead the SEC in field goal percentage (55.5).

The average KenPom ranking of the Tigers' opponents is 281. This game will be a measuring stick that Missouri is eager to rise above.

"I think we're ready," Crews said. "I know how we practice. I know how the coaches prepare us. I think we're excited as well."

Meanwhile, Notre Dame is coming off a 1-2 trip at the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas.

The Fighting Irish concluded the tournament with a 66-56 loss vs. then-No. 3 Houston in the consolation game on Nov. 26. Markus Burton finished with 19 points, seven rebounds and five assists.

Houston raced out to a 26-4 lead. Notre Dame responded with a furious second-half rally that came up short.

The Fighting Irish compensate for a lack of offensive firepower with defensive intensity. Notre Dame has only once allowed more than 70 points this season (an 86-79 win over Bellarmine).

"We're a good team and we were right there in a close game against a good team," Notre Dame head coach Braeden Shrewsberry said. "We're angry right now, but we've got to build off the good things and get better at the bad things and come out and win the next close game. We gotta close it out and prove we're a different team."

Overall in the ACC/SEC Challenge, Missouri is 2-0 while Notre Dame is 0-2.

--Field Level Media

Copyright 2025 STATS LLC and Field Level Media. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Field Level Media is strictly prohibited.

Notre Dame Cathedral in Ho Chi Minh City has already donned a spectacular festive facade more than three weeks before Christmas, drawing large crowds of locals and visitors.

This is the third year the cathedral has been decorated for Christmas since restoration began in 2017.

The LED lighting installation has been complete and operating for the past three evenings, illuminating the structure each night from 6.45 pm to 11 pm.

The standout feature this year is the use of 1,000 km of LED string lights, twice the amount used last year, transforming the cathedral into a magical, radiant spectacle.

Unique ornaments such as globes, stars and bells adorn the tiled roof, while LED lights shaped like Christmas trees crown the two metal spires, creating an enchanting display that captures every gaze.

Large numbers of residents and tourists have flocked to the cathedral to soak up the early festive atmosphere and capture memorable photos beneath the architectural marvel.

Nineteen-year-old visitor Thuy An and friends spoke of their joy at being immersed in the early Christmas spirit. “Sitting on the pavement drinking coffee and enjoying the cool late-year air is a very pleasant experience,” Thuy An said.

Foreign tourists also seized the opportunity to pose against the distinctive Christmas backdrop.

The cathedral has long been a landmark of central Ho Chi Minh City. At Christmas it is especially resplendent with its ornate, glamorous decorations that attract admiring glances from all around.

Notre Dame Cathedral is not merely a symbol of Catholicism in Vietnam; it is also one of the city’s most iconic buildings and a must-see destination. The structure is currently undergoing restoration.

Originally built in 1877 and completed three years later, the cathedral was designed by architect J. Bourard. The main sanctuary rises to a height of 60.5 metres. The two metal spires and the bell tower make up more than half of that height, giving the cathedral a majestic and impressive presence.

Now, after more than 130 years of use, the building is under restoration. Renovations began in 2017 with an expected completion after two or three years. However, degradation and disruptions from the Covid-19 pandemic have delayed the work, shifting the expected completion to 2027.

Source: Dtinews

The 2025-26 regular season is closed for Notre Dame football. The team’s final record was 10-2 and all signs point to a College Football Playoff berth.

It’s also time for the annual intensification of arguments about why the Irish’s Independent status should:

1 Automatically bar them from CFP participation

2. Completely bar them from Power 5 scheduling.

Both are ridiculous arguments, but this sport is ridiculous more of the time than it isn’t. And while we await the results of Conference Champion Weekend and how it will affect Notre Dame’s Playoff chances, let’s see how the Irish players would stack up against ACC opponents if they were to be a full conference member.

This first part is focused on the player-level stats.

Passing

Freshman quarterback CJ Carr’s stats were at the top of ACC quarterback charts in multiple categories.

Pass Completions

He fell on the lower end of completions and would’ve been slotted in as #10, with 195 passes completed. Boston College’s Dylan Lonergan, who had 190 pass completions, would be bumped from the leaderboard by Carr.

California’s Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele led the conference with 288 passes completed and Darian Mensah from Duke wasn’t far off with 286 passes completed.

Passing Accuracy

CJ Carr fared a little better in terms of comparative passing accuracy. He would’ve been tied with Clemson’s Cade Klubnik. Both quarterbacks finished the 2025-26 regular season with accuracy ratings of 66.6%. Miami (FL)’s Carson Beck sat at the top of the conference with a 74.1% completion rate.

Passing Yards

CJ Carr and Cade Klubnik were also close when it came to passing yards. Klubnik finished the regular season with 2,750 passing yards and Carr recorded 2,741 passing yards.

Duke’s Darian Mensah and SMU’s Kevin Jennings led the ACC in terms of passing production. Mensah tallied up 3,450 yards through the air and Jennings finished with 3,363 passing yards.

Passing Touchdowns

Notre Dame’s freshman quarterback really excelled when it came to throwing touchdown passes. He would’ve been slotted as #4 in the ACC with 24 touchdown passes thrown in the regular season. Carr would’ve bumped down NC State’s CJ Bailey who had 23 passing TDs. The conference leader was Darian Mensah, with 28 passing touchdowns.

Rushing

Rush Attempts

Jeremiyah Love would’ve been ranked #3 in the ACC for rush attempts. Love recorded 199 carries in the 2025-26 regular season. The conference leader was California’s Kendrick Raphael with 215 rush attempts.

Rushing Yards

But Love would’ve been the conference’s undisputed champion in terms of rushing production. The junior running back finished the regular season with 1,372 yards on the ground and #2 would’ve been Virginia’s J’Mari Taylor, with 997 rushing yards.

Rushing Touchdowns

Two Notre Dame running backs would’ve cracked the conference’s leaderboard for rushing touchdowns. Love would’ve been #1 with 18 rushing touchdowns and Jadarian Price would’ve fallen in the middle with 11 touchdowns on the ground.

Receiving

Receptions

No Notre Dame Leaders

Receiving Yards

No Notre Dame Leaders

Offense

Yards from Scrimmage

Jeremiyah Love would be the ACC’s 2025-26 leader in yards earned from scrimmage. He’s tallied up 1,652 yards from scrimmage. The next best is Virginia running back with J’Mari Taylor with 1,216 yards.

Defense

Tackles for Loss

No Notre Dame leaders

Sacks

Boubacar Traore is among the ACC’s top defensive players, regarding sacks. He would’ve been tied for third with 7.5 regular season sacks along with Clemson defensive end Will Heldt. North Carolina defensive lineman Melkart Abou-Jaoude led the conference with 10.5 sacks.

Interceptions

Three Irish defensive players would be at the top of the ACC list for interceptions. Leonard Moore would be tied for 2^nd with five interceptions. Tae Johnson and Luke Talich were in the middle of the pack with four and three regular season interceptions, respectively.

With their playoff hopes in jeopardy, Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian is signaling that if the committee penalizes a tough schedule, he’s prepared to fundamentally change his own. A move that could send shockwaves through the non-conference landscape and put one of college football’s most storied independent programs on notice.

“I think we have to. At the end of the day, now we’re going to nine conference games,” Coach Steve Sarkisian said on Dec. 1. “We’ve got to be mindful of the fact that we’ve played five top-ten ranked teams. The next closest team that’s ranked ahead of us has played two. There’s multiple teams in front of us that have played none.”

Miami is the two-loss program sitting immediately ahead of Sarkisian’s roster. It is a win against ranked Notre Dame, and its impact on the CFP rankings is a topic of controversy in itself. Coach Sarkisian mulled over Texas’ future, scheming for future playoff contendership. On the possibility of designing an easy non-conference schedule for Texas, he is considering dropping strong programs from the non-conference schedule.

Sarkisian on whether he would reconsider out-of-conference scheduling changes were Texas to be left out of the Playoff this year:

“I think we have to. At the end of the day, now we’re going to nine conference games.”

“We’ve got to be mindful of the fact that we’ve played five…

Looking at Texas’s upcoming non-conference matchups, the Notre Dame, OSU, and Michigan games might be canceled. Texas faces the Buckeyes again in the 2026 season. while the Michigan faceoff is scheduled in the following year. As for the Irish, Texas is scheduled to play them twice in the 2028 and 2029 seasons.

Paul Finebaum had opined that the Texas Longhorns could still make it to the playoffs even with a three-loss season. His reasons stressed Texas’ strength of schedule and quality of competition. The Florida Gators have struggled all season. Their losses against blue-blood programs in Ohio State and Georgia have almost derailed Texas’ playoff dreams. But at the same time, they might have given them leverage over programs stacked with easy wins.

Steve Sarkisian’s decision might put Notre Dame in jeopardy

Over the season, Texas played against five top-ten-ranked teams, including Ohio State, Georgia, Oklahoma, Vanderbilt, and Texas A&M. And yet, programs with a relatively easy strength of schedule are trending to make the leap in the postseason. If the CFP rankings place more weight on records than on the strength of schedule, Texas might benefit by moving to an easier schedule in the future. The 2025 season is already in jeopardy. However, he might as well attempt to salvage the rest of his future schedules.

“At that point, if we’re just staring at a record, we’ve got to put ourselves in a better position to get a better record,” Steve Sarkisian added.

But Steve Sarkisian’s possible move puts the Irish in jeopardy. Notre Dame is an independent program, and since it cannot derive credibility from conference titles and championship games, it needs to face off against big-shot names during their football season. Presently, it’s a long-standing rivalry against the USC Trojans, which has been ongoing for years. However, it seems the Trojans might not want to continue with that decades-long rivalry. With a packed tough Big Ten schedule, the Trojans wouldn’t want to face a powerhouse like Notre Dame before prepping for the Big Ten championship game.

As of now, no future games are scheduled between Notre Dame and USC. Moreover, Notre Dame is the most on-edge playoff team. With its tough schedule, Texas believes it has a stronger case than Miami, putting a team like Notre Dame at the most risk of being replaced in the playoff picture. Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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TIM O’MALLEY (SENIOR EDITOR)

Underdogs of five touchdowns plus that painful 0.5-point hook, Syracuse is, at present, one of the worst Power 4 teams in football. Over the last seven games the Orange have averaged 10, allowed 30, and lost each.

Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price score a combined four times and CJ Carr tosses a pair before backup Kenny Minchey adds another midway through the fourth quarter.

The Playoff Selection Committee might not recognize point margins beyond 24, but the analytics that interpret game-by-game (and each play) metrics sure will.

Miami beat Syracuse 38-10 two weeks ago. Notre Dame plans to top that and will absolutely roll (again) on Senior Day.

Notre Dame 49 Syracuse 6

JOHN BRICE (Football Scoop)

Notre Dame is in solid College Football Playoff positioning down the stretch and since two losses, one of which saw the Irish lead the majority of the game, Notre Dame has win eight games in a row by 10 or more points.

It passes the eye test.

It has the sport's single-best player in Jeremiyah Love.

It needs leave nothing it possibly can control to chance.

Blowouts must be the order of business, this weekend on senior day and next week at The Big Tree.

Expect the Irish to handle their affairs against Syracuse team beset by injuries and a paucity of quality depth.

Five touchdowns combined for J-Love, Jadarian Price and Eli Raridon.

ND 52, CUSE 3

DREW MENTOCK (Writer & Digital Media Manager)

It's impossible to see Syracuse scoring enough points even to keep this game competitive for a quarter or two.

Since Steve Angeli went down, the Orange have averaged 11.7 points per game. It's gotten so bad that they've turned to walk-on freshman quarterback Joseph Filardi.

Such a change won't help much this weekend, as Notre Dame has made a habit of beating bad teams by a comfortable margin on Senior Day under head coach Marcus Freeman.

That trend will continue on Saturday, with the Fighting Irish cruising to a giant victory but just barely failing to cover the 35.5-point spread.

Notre Dame 45 Syracuse 10

ERIC THOMAS (Recruiting Reporter)

At one point, this weekend's Senior Day matchup with Syracuse was circled on every Irish fan's calendar, as they looked forward to seeing former Notre Dame quarterback Steve Angeli return to South Bend with Fran Brown's talented squad of underdogs.

With Angeli out for the season and Syracuse sitting at a disappointing 3-7, this game has lost much of its luster for the fans at home, but Marcus Freeman and Co. have a College Football Playoff berth on the line; they will not be caught unprepared.

The Irish are a 35.5-point favorite over the Orange, and looking at the statistical profiles of these teams, it is not hard to understand why.

Notre Dame is averaging .597 points per play offensively (No. 3 nationally) and allowing .266 points per play defensively (No. 14 nationally). By contrast, Syracuse is averaging .237 (No. 130) and .466 (No. 111) in the same respective categories.

The Orange are outside the Top 100 in opposing yards per rush (4.9, No. 111) and opposing yards per pass (8.0, No. 109) allowed, while Notre Dame is Top 30 in both categories.

The Orange quarterbacks are being sacked on 8.22 percent of dropbacks (No. 115) and throwing interceptions on 3.4 percent of attempts (No. 109 nationally).

Key Predictions:

- All Irish running backs will combine for 200+ yards and four or more touchdowns

- CJ Carr throws two touchdown passes in a lighter day of work

- The Notre Dame defensive line will create six or more havoc plays, including sacks, tackles for loss, passes defended, and interceptions.

- Tae Johnson snares yet another interception

- Tyler Buchner over 2.5 rushing attempts

Notre Dame 49, Syracuse 7

BRYAN AULT (Recruiting Reporter)

It hasn't been an easy year for the Orange. After starting off 3-1 with victories over Connecticut, Colgate and Clemson, they are on a six-game skid, with no end in sight. Syracuse's quarterback, Rickie Collins, had a miserable outing in their last game against Miami, a 38-10 victory in favor of the Hurricanes.

Collins was below 50 percent for 85 yards and two interceptions. Freshman Joseph Filardi started against Bill Belichick's North Carolina Tar Heels and didn't fare all that well, either, in a 27-10 thumping.

The Orange's premier player who can keep the chains moving on offense is sophomore tailback Yasin Willis, a 6-foot-1, 235-poounder who leads the team in rushing with 558 yards on the ground and just four touchdowns.

This is an offense that struggles to move the ball, having not scored more than 18 points over the past seven weeks. Meanwhile, Notre Dame's defense has made major strides since the opening two losses. Defensive coordinator Chris Ash will be ready to play.

Issues with play-calling around the goal line and a couple of mistakes by C.J. Carr last week notwithstanding, Notre Dame is very strong on offense and I expect that to be on display in South Bend on Saturday.

Notre Dame 42 Syracuse 7

TOM THE INTERN (EMERITUS)

In years past, Notre Dame has obliterated teams at home. It's a testament to Marcus Freeman: by the end of the year, he has the pulse of his team, and both he and his team can "flip the switch", even if the caliber of opponent doesn't excite.

Had Syracuse continued on its trajectory after Clemson, then 3-1 and led by Steve Angeli, and come into the game say 8-2, I'd be worried Angeli could summon a once-in-a-generation performance to make it a real game.

However, the Orange are too injured and are losers of six straight by fairly wide margins. Both Miami and Georgia Tech handled their business against Syracuse. I expect Notre Dame to do the same.

Notre Dame 45 Syracuse 7