“They get loud. The fanbase gets in there quick. Student section gets in there fast. But if you really shut them out quick, it’ll be done. The fanbase will be quiet. Everybody [will] go home.” Notre Dame’s Ty Washington’s statement about his former team, Arkansas, wasn’t expected. After his unexpected dismissal from the program by Sam Pittman, he marked the Arkansas game on his calendar to show what he was capable of. Although Washington didn’t play in Week 5 against Arkansas. Notre Dame, led by CJ Carr, didn’t hold back one bit and won 56-13 in a blowout fashion. The reason? It’s simple. Notre Dame dedicated the performance to Ty Washington.

The Fighting Irish quarterback went straight up to meet Ty on the sidelines and hugged him after the win. He dedicated his 354-yard incredible performance to him and went on to describe what it meant for the team. “Because it meant more to Ty, it meant more to the team,” said CJ Carr. Despite Arkansas’s poor defensive and offensive performance, Notre Dame dominated play after play.

Notre Dame comfortably led by the time halftime came. They had put 42 points on the scoreboard, while Arkansas managed to notch just 13 points. Despite that, when the second half came, the team fully dominated, putting 14 more points on the scoreboard while shutting Arkansas to zero points. CJ Carr, in turn, was phenomenal, passing for 354 yards, completing an impressive 22 of the 30 passes for 4 touchdowns. Not just that, the team also showed some impressive big plays.

That 25-yard pass to Jeremiyah Love to Arkansas’s 34th for a first down in the first quarter was special. It also came after another 21-yard pass to Malachi Fields, building early momentum for the team. The rushing unit, too, was exceptional, as showcased by Jadarian Prince, who ran for 20 yards for a first down that led to a 7-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter. Not just that, the second-quarter touchdown pass to Jadarian Prince was exceptional too, as the ball connected effortlessly, moving 35 yards in the air. The second half, too, was fairly similar as Notre Dame continued its dominance. As for Ty Washington, his dismissal from Arkansas wasn’t that straightforward.

Ty Washington opened up about his dismissal from Arkansas

Washington, initially buried deep on the Arkansas depth chart, wasn’t seeing much game time and had accumulated just 212 receiving yards in three seasons. However, on October 26th, 2024, Washington was dismissed from Arkansas for “violation of team rules.” It was highlighted that the tight end refused to enter the game against Mississippi State, a game which Arkansas won comfortably 58-25. However, on a later podcast, Washington opened up about the entire ordeal.

According to Washington, his grandma’s health at the time was critical, leaving him mentally in chaos before the game.“For the past two weeks, they have not been playing me. I asked them constantly why they haven’t, and I got no answer…But I already had things going on physically and mentally that were already messing me up, and I was trying to tell them I’m not okay,” said Washington on the 4th & 5 podcast. Despite that, Washington still apologized to the Arkansas fanbase.

“I’m sorry to the Razorback Nation… I feel like I let them down just because I let my grief and frustration get the best of me,” concluded Washington. So far this season, Washington has played in a single game for Notre Dame against Purdue. He recorded 3 receptions for 19 yards, having a decent outing for the team. But now, seeing his team rally around him and dedicating the Week 5 victory to him will surely give him a boost. So, we may see greater involvement from him as Notre Dame tries to turn around the season after Miami and Texas A&M setbacks.