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Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr completed 65.5% of 29 attempts for 239 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions in the opener, with 162 yards coming on his 16 completions in 20 throws traveling fewer than 10 air yards.

Notre Dame went 0-for-2 on official throws traveling more than 20 yards but completed all three attempts just under that threshold, and Marcus Freeman said the limited vertical passing reflected the game plan rather than a lack of trust in the receivers.

Notre Dame used Jordan Faison as its deeper receiving option with a 12.7-yard average target depth while distributing targets among four receivers, three running backs and two tight ends, so the opening passing workload was not concentrated solely in the wideout group.

Wisconsin's frequent zone coverage against Notre Dame left checkdowns and intermediate in-breaking routes to the field-side outside receiver as the opportunities Freeman identified, allowing Carr to prioritize efficient underneath decisions instead of repeatedly forcing deep throws.