After consecutive three-and-outs, Brian Kelly's hunch that his rebooted spread offense was ready to score points by the bushel looked like wishful preseason thinking.

The explosive run game? Went backwards on series one. That dynamic passing game? Golson looked slow to pull the trigger on series two. 

But after trading punts early in Saturday afternoon's game, the Irish put their foot on the gas pedal and blew away Rice with 576 total yards in a 48-17 victory in rain-soaked Notre Dame Stadium. 

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