Notre Dame beats Indiana, 27-17, in CFP First Round

Last Updated: December 22, 2024By Chuck Freeby

(Notre Dame) — It was a night of firsts at Notre Dame Stadium. It was the first game of the 12-team College Football Playoff. It also marked the first playoff game ever played on a college campus.

And most importantly, Notre Dame picked up its first playoff win in school history.

The Irish defense dominated, and Jeremiyah Love tied a school record with a 98-yard touchdown run as Notre Dame downed Indiana, 27-11, before a raucous, towel-waving crowd of over 77-thousand fans.

“Proud of the way they played,” said Irish coach Marcus Freeman afterwards. “I told Coach Cignetti ‘that’s a heckuva football team we faced that wouldn’t quit’. Special teams wise, we have to learn from some of those situations that happened. It’s a chance for us to humble ourselves and get back to work.”

The night started inauspiciously for the Irish. Riley Leonard’s pass was tipped before DeAngelo Ponds picked it off at the Irish 41. But the Hoosier threat was squelched when two-time All-America selection Xavier Watts intercepted Kurtis Rourke at the Irish 2.

On the first play from scrimmage, Love burst through a crease in the middle of the line, cut to his left and race down the Indiana sideline to the end zone for the score. Love finished with eight carries for 108 yards.

“I came into this game battling a few things,” admitted a hoarse Love. “I came off an injury. I’m sick. but I want to do what I can to make this team asucceed.”

“We had a lot of good from all three phases tonight,” lauded Freeman. “No one phase was perfect, but what happens is when one phase isn’t getting the job done, another phase picks it up.”

Later in the first quarter, the Irish embarked on 16-play, 83-yard drive that took nine minutes off the clock. The drive ended in the second quarter when Riley Leonard found a lonely Jayden Thomas in the end zone for the score to make it 14-0.

A Nicolas Radicic field goal gave Indiana its only points of the first half, but Mitch Jeter countered with a 49-yard field goal for the Irish, making it 17-3 at halftime.

After another Jeter field goal in the third, Leonard threw a 44-yard fourth-quarter strike to Jordan Faison. Two plays later, Leonard scored on a bootleg. On the night, the quarterback from Fairhope, Alabama was 23-32 for 201 yards.

Indiana’s Kurtis Rourke threw two touchdown passes in the final three-and-a-half minutes. Rourke closed the night 20-of-33 for 215 yards, 121 of those in the final two drives of the night.

The Irish defense throttled a Hoosier offense that scored over 43 points per game and 461 yards per game. Indiana could only rush for 63 yards and 278 yards total offense.

Notre Dame now advances to the CFP quarterfinals, facing #2 Georgia in the Sugar Bowl on New Year’s Night. It will be an 8:45 kickoff on ABC and ESPN.