Texas vs. Notre Dame: Score, Highlights and Twitter Reaction

The Malik Zaire era at Notre Dame got off to an impressive start, as the 11th-ranked Fighting Irish overwhelmed Texas in a 38-3 victory in South Bend.  

Zaire picked up right where he left off against LSU in last year's Music City Bowl. The junior was 19-of-22 passing for 313 yards and three touchdowns. Being able to make plays with his arm had to be a pleasant sight for Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly. 

The best compliment for Zaire coming into his first full season as Notre Dame's starting quarterback came from his quarterbacks coach Mike Sanford, via LaMond Pope of the Chicago Tribune:

"

He so desperately wants to be great that it's a positive and a negative. But that does separate him. Everybody innately wants to be a great player, but he really puts his heart and soul into this and his time and his efforts.

That's a really key component of who his personality is that separates him. And just his athleticism. There's times I see him out in the open field and I can't believe he's the guy that's dropping back and throwing an 18-yard (pass) as well.

"

There was little doubt that Zaire could make plays with his legs, as he ran for 96 yards in the bowl win against LSU, but being able to throw efficiently and make big plays with his arm adds a dynamic to the offense that was sorely lacking in 2014 when Everett Golson had at least one interception in nine straight games.

Wide receiver Will Fuller was the biggest beneficiary of Zaire's passing talent with 142 yards on seven catches, including two touchdowns that includes this 66-yarder, via Notre Dame Football:

It was clear from the start that Notre Dame was the better team on the field, with the difference in play at quarterback providing a strong case for that, per Paul Myerberg of USA Today:

In that first half, Texas had just four first downs. Quarterback Tyrone Swoopes was 7-of-22 for just 93 yards. Freshman Jerrod Heard did play late in the first half, completing his only pass for 10 yards, but was often running for his life due to poor pass protection. 

Swoopes did get time early in the second half, completing a 48-yard pass to John Burt that set up a Texas field goal to make it 17-3. The Longhorns would finish with just 163 yards of total offense. 

The other big story coming out of the game was Notre Dame's defense. Jaylon Smith was a man possessed, moving all over the field, literally as he spent time at defensive end, linebacker and nickel corner. 

Upon seeing the way Smith wreaked havoc with his vast array of skills, B/R draft expert Matt Miller made an NFL comparison for the future first-round pick:

It's not a bad comparison to make, especially when Smith is making hits like this one on Swoopes, via Notre Dame Football on Twitter:

This loss continues a frustrating downward spiral for Texas, which has now lost its last three games dating back to 2014 by a combined score of 117-20. 

According to Brian Davis of the Austin American-Statesman, this is the Longhorns' worst loss in a season opener in nearly 30 years:

Longhorns head coach Charlie Strong, who is just entering his second season with the program, is already starting to feel the heat from national analysts like ESPN's Chris Low and even pro golfer Jordan Spieth weighed in on Texas' performance:

Building a program takes time, even one with the tradition and vast resources like Texas. Strong took over a team from Mack Brown that was going nowhere after winning 30 games in the four years after playing in the BCS Championship. 

Strong took over a Louisville program in 2010 after it won just four games the previous year. He led the Cardinals to seven wins in each of his first two seasons before winning 23 games the next two years and the Sugar Bowl in 2012. 

Texas players were clearly fighting their own emotions once the game got out of hand. Offensive lineman Sedrick Flowers was charged with a personal foul for hitting Max Redfield in the helmet with an open hand after a failed third-down conversion. 

Things will get better for the Longhorns, as they are breaking in a group of talented freshmen like Heard and Malik Jefferson. They just picked the wrong season to play Notre Dame. 

Zaire's emergence can make Notre Dame a legitimate championship threat, because the defense is good enough to carry the team far. 

There are big expectations for the Fighting Irish in 2015. A huge opening-night win against Texas will do nothing to quiet the excitement, but this was just the first test. The schedule gets more difficult after Virginia next week, as Georgia Tech looms on September 19.