#16 Notre Dame Outlasts #15 Louisville 31-24

After a wild first half, a dud of a third quarter kept the game in the balance going into the fourth.

The Irish finally established some breathing room when Jeremiyah Love took a screen pass 32 yards for a touchdown to help #16 Notre Dame (4-1) to a 31-24 victory over #15 Louisville (3-1) on Saturday.

Louisville wouldn’t go away though and Tyler Shough hit Ja’Corey Brooks for a 25-yard touchdown pass to make it a seven-point game, 31-24, with five minutes to play. Notre Dame was unable to get first down on their ensuing possession, giving the ball back to the Cardinals with 2:42 to play down a touchdown.

It wasn’t until Louisville failed to convert on fourth down in the final minute that the win was sealed.

Outside of Notre Dame stopping Louisville on a fourth down at midfield, the teams traded punts throughout the third quarter leaving the game up for grabs with the Irish leading 24-14. 

The quarter opened with Leonard getting stuffed on 4th and 3, giving the Cardinals the ball at their own 44.

After a scoop-and-score for the Irish was wiped out by instant replay, Brock Travelstead nailed a 49-yard field goal to make it 24-17 with 12 minutes to play.

Notre Dame responded with a 5-play, 75-yard drive, including a 34-yard completion to Jayden Harrison on third down before the screen from Leonard to Love for the score.

Leonard finished with 163 yards on 17 of 23 passing with two touchdowns and another 52 yards and a score on the ground.

Jaden Greathouse led Notre Dame with four catches for 61 yards and a score. 

Shough led Louisville with 263 passing yards and three touchdowns while Isaac Brown ran for 72 yards on 13 carries.

Things couldn’t have started off much worse for the Irish as Devyn Ford fumbled the opening kickoff, which was recovered by Louisville. The Cardinals cashed in four plays later when Shough hit Isaac Brown for a 10-yard touchdown to take a 7-0 lead two minutes into the game.

The Irish responded with a 12-play, 75-yard scoring drive capped off by a six-yard Love touchdown. Leonard completed five of six attempts for 31 yards, including a fourth-down completion to Thomas to keep the drive alive.

Shough busted a long run on Louisville’s ensuing possession, but Leonard Moore punched the ball out and Ausberry recovered to give the Irish the ball back. 

Three plays later, Leonard found Greathouse wide open for a 44-yard touchdown to put the Irish up 14-7 with five minutes to go in the first quarter.

After forcing a Louisville punt on the following possession, a bad snap sailed over the punter’s head, setting the Irish up 1st and goal at the 4-yard line. Leonard dove in on the next play to give Notre Dame a two-touchdown lead.

The Irish forced another punt to start the second quarter, but Price fumbled on the first play, leaving Louisville with 1st and goal at the 9-yard-line. On third down, Shough rolled out and slung a pass to Brooks in the back of the end zone for a touchdown to make it 21-14.

After a James Rendell punt backed the Cardinals up inside their own five, Donald Chaney busted a 27-yard run out to the Louisville 32. Louisville was moving the ball until Xavier Watts picked off a pass mishandled by Brooks and returned it to the Louisville 31.

Notre Dame couldn’t convert a first down, but Jeter knocked through a 48-yard field goal to put the Irish up 24-14 with 3:45 to play in the half.

Louisville moved the ball 60 yards on 10 plays on its final possession of the half, but was stopped on 4th and inches in the final minute.

Leonard finished the half 8 for 11 for 75 yards and the score and was also the Irish’s leading rusher with 33 yards on six carries and a touchdown. 

Shough was 11 for 15 in the first half for 110 yards and two scores along with the interception. Brown rushed for 54 yards on eight carries before intermission.

Notre Dame will host Stanford when it returns from the bye in two weeks.