Big-Play First Quarter Leads To Historic Win Over Syracuse

The University of Notre Dame football team (9-2) exploded for a program-record 35 points in the first quarter to set the tone in a 70-7 victory over Syracuse (3-8) on Senior Day in a sold-out Notre Dame Stadium. 

The 70 points for the Irish set a modern record for the program (surpassing the 69 points scored against Georgia Tech in 1977) and are the most for a Notre Dame team since a 73-0 victory over Haskell in 1932.

The Irish defense and special teams put 21 points on the scoreboard before the offense touched the ball. Senior Jalen Stroman was the catalyst for the Irish, intercepting a pass on the game’s second play from scrimmage and returning it 44 yards for a touchdown. Stroman then blocked a punt which was returned for a touchdown by Luke Talich. By the end of the game Stroman would pile up eight tackles, two for a loss and his interception return. 

Jeremiyah Love scored a touchdown on his first touch of the game (45 yards) and his first touch of the second half (68 yards). His running back mate Jadarian Price scored a 58-yard touchdown run on his second touch of the game.

HOW IT HAPPENED

There are fast starts to games. There are extremely fast starts to games. Today’s contest was most definitely the latter. 

Boubacar Traore set the tone with a tackle for loss on Syracuse’s first offensive play. On the second snap, Jalen Stroman stepped in front of a pass and returned it 44 yards for a touchdown. Stroman stepped in and played his best game in an Irish uniform for injured starting safety Tae Johnson. 

The next drive for Syracuse started with a one-yard rush, then a tackle-for-loss on a screen pass. Adon Shuler forced an incomplete pass on third-down blitz and then Stroman got a hand on the ensuing Syracuse punt. It traveled 22 yards to where Luke Talich caught the punt and returned it for a touchdown. 

The next Syracuse drive earned one first down before another pass attempt was intercepted by Leonard Moore and returned 46 yards for a touchdown. The Irish were up 21-0 with less than six minutes elapsed and the Irish had not touched the football. 

Senior Junior Tuihalamaka performed a tackle-for-loss on third down to get the Irish offense their first possession of the game and that did not take long to bear fruit. On the second snap Jeremiyah Love burst through a big hole cleared by tight ends Eli Raridon and Ty Washington for a 45-yard touchdown run. 

The Orange came back out onto the field and promptly went three-and-out. Notre Dame would be on the field for just three plays as well, but its third play would be a 58-yard touchdown run by Jadarian Price. 

The domination continued as Will Pauling caught a five-yard touchdown pass just seconds into the second quarter and Love tacked on his second rushing touchdown one drive later for a 49-0 Irish lead at halftime.

The 35 points in the first quarter are a program record for Notre Dame football while the 49 first-half points are the most since at least 1943. 

Love continued his stellar play by scoring a 68-yard touchdown run on his first touch of the second half.

Notre Dame started to substitute liberally after that first touchdown of the second half but the scoring did not stop. Aneyas Williams broke two tackles on a 30-yard touchdown run on third down. Minchey joined the scoring with a 25-yard touchdown rush in the fourth quarter. 

Syracuse was able to get their lone score of the game with seven seconds remaining against the deep back ups on the Irish roster.