By Justin O’Neal
The 16th-ranked University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish earned a hard-fought 31-24 victory against No. 15 Louisville in a marquee matchup in front of a sold-out Notre Dame Stadium Saturday afternoon.
The Irish earned the ninth ranked victory in the Marcus Freeman era by taking an early 21-7 lead, forcing three turnovers and holding off a late charge from the Cardinals. Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard threw for 163 yards and two touchdowns, added another touchdown on the ground while also leading the team with 52 rushing yards. Leonard’s touchdowns went to Jaden Greathouse and Jeremiyah Love.
Freshman cornerback Leonard Moore, making his first career start, led the team with seven tackles and senior safety Xavier Watts picked off his second pass of the season and broke up Louisville’s final pass of the evening on a desperation fourth-down throw.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Notre Dame got off to a rocky start in the highly anticipated top-20 matchup. On the very first kick return, the Irish fumbled the ball and Louisville recovered. After the special teams mishap, Louisville wasted no time capitalizing off the momentum swing as they scored on the third play of their drive. Senior Quarterback Tyler Shough threw it up to the back pylon and freshman Isaac Brown brought it in for a touchdown. In a flash, the Irish were trailing 7-0.
Notre Dame responded well. Leonard was able to showcase his dual-threat ability as he led the Irish down the field through the air and with his legs. Offensive Coordinator Mike Denbrock dialed up plays that complimented Leonard’s skillset, moving the pocket consistently to keep the threat of the quarterback run on the minds of the Cardinal defense. The drive culminated in a six-yard touchdown up the middle by Jeremiyah Love.
The next drive started and ended in a wild turn of events. Louisville’s quarterback took a keeper 43 yards down the field, only for the ball to be punched out by Leonard Moore and recovered by Jaiden Ausberry. Notre Dame had the ball once again and all the momentum.
At this point, everything was clicking for the Irish. After a big run down the sideline by Jadarian Price, Leonard threw a beautiful 34 yard touchdown up the seam to Jaden Greathouse. In just four plays, the Irish had the lead 14-7.
Notre Dame was firing on all cylinders. They quickly stopped Louisville on their next drive and forced a punt. The Cardinals made a fatal mistake however, as a bad snap on the attempted punt resulted in a 45-yard loss. Notre Dame recovered the ball on the four-yard line with all the momentum. One play later, Riley Leonard was celebrating in the end zone after a four-yard touchdown rush. The Irish had the lead, 21-7.
To start the second quarter, Notre Dame got a stop and the ball on their own 10-yard line. Louisville managed to force a fumble on the very first play of the drive and recover it, giving them great field position. Starting on the nine, Louisville looked to cut into the lead after the momentum shift. The Irish defense got it to third down, but Shough threw a dart to the back of the endzone with a defender in his face. The score was now 21-14 Notre Dame.
Louisville got a much needed stop and gave their offense a chance to tie it up. After a somewhat promising drive by the Cardinals, receiver Jacorey Brooks bobbled a catch over the middle and Irish senior defensive back Xavier Watts intercepted the ball. Watts returned it for 33 yards before being tackled.
After the interception, Louisville’s defense held Notre Dame to a three-and-out possession. The Irish were forced to kick a field goal and extend their lead 24-14.
With time slowly running out before halftime, Louisville looked to score to cut into the lead. After a big drive down the field, Louisville decided to go for it on fourth-and-one from Notre Dame’s 15-yard line. The Irish held strong, getting the stop and heading into the half with momentum.
The third quarter was full of defense. Neither team was able to find the endzone and the fourth quarter began with the score still 24-14 Notre Dame.
The fourth quarter began with more of the same. Louisville forced a fourth down in which Notre Dame elected to go for it, but to no avail. After that, the Irish defense protected the end zone, but Louisville kicked a school-record 56-yard field goal to cut the lead to seven points.
Jeremiyah Love was ready to find the endzone once again. Notre Dame drove down to just over midfield and he took over from there. On a seemingly routine screen pass, the running back from St.Louis, MO, took it all the way to the house for a 32-yard touchdown. This extended Notre Dame’s lead 31-17.
Despite the dwindling clock, Louisville did not give up. Shough drove them down the field, showcasing his pocket presence and experience at the position. He was able to find Jacorey Brooks in the back of the endzone to cut the lead to seven points with five minutes left. The Irish led 31-24 and Notre Dame was looking to finish them off once and for all with their next drive.
It wouldn’t be that easy though. Louisville managed to force a crucial three-and-out to get the ball back with 2:44 seconds left. After a few positive gains, the Cardinals were at midfield hoping to continue marching towards the end zone. However, Notre Dame forced a fourth down to put the game on the line. Shough targeted Caullin Lacy down the middle of the field, but the pass was broken up by Xavier Watts to seal the game. The Irish ran out the clock and left the field victorious, winning the matchup 31-24.
Justin O’Neal is a student assistant in the Notre Dame Athletic Communications office from Holy Cross College.