No. 3 Notre Dame tries to avoid another early season stumble in home opener against Rice‎

Over the past five seasons, Notre Dame (1-0) has lost home games to Cincinnati, Marshall, Stanford, Ohio State, Northern Illinois and Texas A&M — four of those coming in September. Last year's 0-2 start, which included the 41-40 loss to the 16th-ranked Aggies, eventually sealed Notre Dame's playoff fate. Coach Marcus Freeman has made it a point of emphasis.