SOUTH BEND, Ind. – As Jeremiyah Love ripped through the hole and scampered 98 yards down the sideline, everyone in Notre Dame stadium – and the millions of others watching from their sofas – could feel what was coming.
What seemed likely entering Friday night came to fruition: Notre Dame, winners of 10 straight, rolled Indiana 27-17 in the first on-campus College Football Playoff game. The Fighting Irish became the first team to advance in the 12-team CFP era and they’ll face the Bulldogs in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1.
“I’ve never been part of an environment like that; it’s something special,” coach Marcus Freeman said. “Not many times in life you’re the first to do something, and as I told the group in there, we were the first to win and play a playoff game in Notre Dame Stadium. That’s historic. Something we’ll cherish for the rest of our lives.”
Georgia, an SEC champion with plenty of blemishes, will face another opponent that prides itself on toughness, sound defense and a mean ground game. The Irish, meanwhile, will face a far more capable opponent from an on-field talent standpoint, particularly in the trenches, where Notre Dame was vastly superior to Indiana.
This was a David vs. Goliath scenario. Indiana was the feel-good story no one saw coming, with a humming offense that produced an 11-1 record. The Hoosiers became a surprise Big-Ten inclusion in the expanded tournament. The Irish are the years-long dominant, big-brand behemoth that expects to take this stage every winter.
The historic in-state meeting led to some resale ticket prices exceeding $1,000. Much was made of the weather entering the contest; it was icy, with a temperature in the mid-20s, but there was only light snow that didn’t impact the game. Still, this was the perfect place to begin college football’s next CFP phase. It was an enthralling atmosphere at one of the sport’s grandest locales.
“I don’t think I’ll be able to match any other experience with that,” Love said.
Setting aside the storylines and fanfare, the Irish were expected to win handily. They were favored by over a touchdown and picked by most national voices. It was apparent early there wouldn’t be any surprises here.
Irish quarterback Riley Leonard was intercepted on their opening possession, but Indiana’s ensuing gaffe cost them a prime scoring chance. Quarterback Kurtis Rourke, throwing from the Irish 28-yard line, was intercepted inside the five by acclaimed Irish safety Xavier Watts. One play later, Love jetted past a horde of Hoosiers and Notre Dame led 7-0. It appeared a Hoosier might run him down, but Love assured, “He wasn’t going to catch me. I knew I was fixing to score there.”
Indiana never threatened Notre Dame after that. The Irish held a 17-3 advantage at halftime, but even that appeared insurmountable for the Hoosiers. Notre Dame dictated the terms for 60 minutes. It controlled the line of scrimmage. It outmuscled and outran the Hoosiers on most occasions. The Irish defense held Indiana to 131 total yards through three quarters. It seemed to always have answers.
A largely tame second half was capped with Leonard’s short rushing touchdown that made it a 24-point difference with under five minutes remaining. Chants of “Hoosier daddy?” filled Notre Dame Stadium. Indiana then scored, recovered an onside kick and scored again, but the outcome was never in doubt.
“We had the game in control the whole game, so I’m not worried about the end of the game,” defensive coordinator Al Golden said. “Obviously we have to finish better and I have to make some calls there, but at that point, I just didn’t think continuing to show elaborate pressures in that situation was to our benefit, to be quite honest with you.”
Leonard, whose legs and elusiveness make him a tough task, went 23-for-32 for 201 yards, a touchdown and an interception. He had 11 rushes for 30 yards, though that doesn’t properly convey how valuable his legs were. Love, who was battling an illness, finished with 108 yards and a score on eight carries. The Irish ran for 194 yards overall on 34 attempts (before kneel downs) against the No. 1 rushing defense.
“When you play good people who move faster, quicker change of direction, they’re harder to tackle,” Hoosiers coach Curt Cignetti said. “I think that was the case tonight a lot of times.”
Rourke has been sensational for Cignetti, but he and the offense were halted Friday. Indiana had 85 passing yards after three quarters while the game was within reach. The Irish boast the country’s No. 3 passing defense, allowing 158 yards per game, despite missing top cornerback Benjamin Morrison. That’s something to keep in mind entering the looming matchup against Georgia, where quarterback Gunner Stockton is expected to make his first start with Carson Beck sidelined.
While the Hoosiers hung around, they were clearly overmatched. For some, it reignited the debate over which teams should’ve qualified for the expanded playoff – should the Hoosiers have made it over over an Alabama, Ole Miss or South Carolina? – and for others, perhaps it was simply a display of Notre Dame’s brilliance.
Whatever the case, Notre Dame was undoubtedly better. In the most basic analysis, the Irish were bigger, faster and stronger than the Hoosiers. Notre Dame simply has better players and that played itself out Friday.
That won’t be the case in the Sugar Bowl, where Notre Dame will need its finest showing to date. But the Irish look like a group capable of taking on a high-level SEC opponent. This is far from the team that lost to Northern Illinois at this venue months ago.
Since that infamous 16-14 loss to Northern Illinois on Sept. 7, the Irish have won 11 consecutive games. No, they weren’t playing a rigorous SEC schedule, but they have walloped opponents.
The Irish won their past 10 games entering Friday by nearly a 31-point average, outscoring teams 441 to 134 over that time. That included three ranked victories over Louisville, Navy and Army. Notre Dame doesn’t play an exciting brand of football, but it’s an effective one – something Georgia fans can appreciate.
“This is special for us,” Leonard said. “To be playing in the Sugar Bowl now ... it’s really cool. But at the same time, it’s another football game. We’re staying alive and we’re trying to play as many games as we can because we love the game, we love preparing for it and we love representing this university.”
The Irish will see if they’ve truly closed the gap with an upper-echelon SEC opponent. Georgia won the conference, but it wasn’t without its issues. And the team will be starting an unknown at quarterback. Notre Dame boasts a fierce pass rush and powerful rushing attack. It’s easy to see Leonard making plays against Georgia in a fashion similar to Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King. The situation sets up OK for the Irish – at least as well as a matchup with Georgia can be presented.
It’ll require more of the unprecedented for Notre Dame. The Irish are 0-3 all-time against the Bulldogs. The teams last met in 2019, a 23-17 Bulldogs victory in Athens, and in 2017, a 20-19 Georgia victory remembered for Bulldogs fans turning South Bend into a red-and-black spectacle.
There are several more first-round games to be played Saturday, but Georgia’s next step is set. They’ll have to topple red-hot Notre Dame to be among the final-four teams standing for the third time in four years.
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