Notre Dame Defeats Indiana 27-17 In Wire-To-Wire First Round Win

Friday night was filled with a lot of firsts in South Bend. 

The first College Football First Round game. The first College Football Playoff game played on a college campus. The first playoff game inside Notre Dame Stadium. 

“It’s not many times in life you’re the first to do something,” head coach Marcus Freeman said. “I told the group in there, we were the first to play and win a playoff game at Notre Dame Stadium. That’s historic and something we’ll cherish for the rest of our lives.” 

And in a night full of firsts, the Irish provided a sense of familiarity. Notre Dame silenced, some of, their doubters, showing the entire country that they are once again serious contenders, taking down a daunted Indiana team 27-11 to advance to face Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. 

“Celebrate tonight, celebrate this victory,” Freeman said. “Then we’ll start thinking about the Sugar Bowl and the opportunity we have. Don’t look ahead, enjoy this.” 

With the Irish winning the coin toss and deferring to the second half, the Hoosiers started off the first ever College Football Playoff First Round game with the ball. That possession didn’t see many positives as a stuffed run and two incompletions from Kurtis Rourke resulted in a quick punt. 

As Notre Dame’s offense took the field for the first time, South Bend was bursting with a palpable energy that’s been building since Week 3. Unfortunately, Indiana quelled that energy – at least for the moment – as James Carpenter tipped a Rylie Leonard pass that landed in the hands of D’Angelo Ponds for an early interception. 

Suddenly with all the early momentum on the Hooisers’ side, Rourke started to move the ball. Facing a third-and-long, Rourke floated up a pass down the left sideline that was juggled and caught by Elijah Sarratt for 29 yards. The Hoosiers hurried to the line — maybe a little too fast — and Rourke sailed a throw over his intended receiver and into the hands of Xavier Watts. Just like that, Notre Dame Stadium was alive again.

The Irish didn’t wait long on their ensuing drive to take the ‘roof’ off the building as Jeremiyah Love bursted through the line, churning his legs past every Indiana defender and down the left sideline for an explosive 98-yard touchdown. After saying all week that we haven’t seen all of Love yet, he proved it on the biggest stage with what may be his best run yet. 

“That was huge for everybody … the overall confidence of our team,” Freeman said. “We know he’s not 100% healthy. He showed on that play that whatever percent he is, once he breaks through, it’s hard to catch Jeremiyah Love.” 

Indiana didn’t seem too rattled with the sudden burst of energy that filled the stadium as it slowly but surely started to have success on the ground. Both Justice Ellison and Ty Son Lawton had quick bursts for double-digit yard runs. Faced with a nearly identical third and long situation, Rourke went right back to the back shoulder fade to Sarratt down the sideline, but this time the ball landed out of bounds, forcing a Hoosier punt. 

Once again backed deep in its own end, Notre Dame put its hard hat on. With Jadarian Price taking over the backfield from Love, the running back picked up the first down after a play action checkdown from Leonard. The Irish barely avoided disaster as Mitchell Evans fumbled his short catch, fortunately Jordan Faison was there to corral the loose ball. Price showed off his dynamic legs later that drive, finding open space on the outside edge to pick up 20 yards. 

Now deep in their own redzone, offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock went deep in his arsenal. After a handful of Leonard runs inched the Irish closer to the goal line, it was his arm that cashed in.  Leonard faked a handoff to Price before dropping back and tossing a touch pass over the middle to Jayden Thomas to put Notre Dame up 14-0. The touchdown capped off an impressive, 16 play 83-yard drive that ate up just over nine minutes of game clock. 

After a lengthy stay on the bench, the Indiana offense headed back onto the field — and with serious ground to make up. A Rourke first down toss and an Ellison 15-yard run started to move the chains, but a run on third-and-long resulted in another Indiana punt. 

Following a quick Irish punt, the Hoosiers’ finally began to string together a quality drive. Rourke found his favorite target, Sarratt, over the middle for a 15-yard gain. Later that drive Rourke hit Myles Price on a play action toss for 17. Notre Dame forced a third and five, and Curt Cignetti drew up a rather curious direct snap to Ellison that only picked up a yard. After thinking about going for it on fourth down, Indiana settled for a 34-yard field goal off the foot of Nicolas Radicic to cut the score to 14-3. 

With just over three minutes to go in the first half, Leonard started to use his legs for the first time all night. A pair of scrambles set up a third down throw to a diving Faison keeping the Irish drive alive. Anayeas Williams got his number called multiple times on the drive, the first a dump off catch that he pushed forward for a 9 yard gain. Williams followed that up by breaking tackles on a 12-yard run to put Notre Dame on the edge of field goal territory. Another Williams screen catch set up Mitch Jeter for a big kick. 

Jeter had struggled ever since suffering a groin injury early in the season, but when called upon, Jeter delivered. The graduate kicker nailed a 48-yard kick — his longest of the season  — to extend the score to 17-3 at the end of the half. 

“It was huge,” Freeman said. “Not only was it an important field goal … but we needed that confidence in him and he needed that confidence in himself.” 

To start the third quarter, the Irish nearly delivered another iconic touchdown run. After receiving the kick, Jayden Harrison tossed a reverse to Faison who turned on the jets, exploding up the sideline before being brought down after crossing midfield. 

Notre Dame’s offense struggled to capitalize off the big kick return, and Indiana forced its first three-and-out of the night. 

Deep in their own zone, the Hoosiers didn’t have much luck moving the ball either, and it doesn’t help with Ryllie Mills coming down the track. Mills barreled through the line to sack Rourke for an eight-yard loss, but stayed down clutching his right knee. Two plays later, Bryce Young bursted off the left edge to bring down Rourke for another sack and an Indiana punt. 

“I believe you have to be strong up the middle,” Freeman said. “We wanted to be aggressive. We had an aggressive mindset and called the game aggressively. It was good to see our guys on defense play well today for the majority of the game.” 

With yet another short field, the Irish offense started moving the chains again. Leonard hit Faison over the middle for a 10-yard gain and a first down, and Price continued to see the bulk of the carries, picking up another tough nine yards. Leonard appeared to be reading the defense well, picking up a free blitzer and floating out a pass to Eli Raridon for another first down. 

For the first time all night the Hoosier defense finally got to Leonard as Carpenter brought the signal caller down for a big loss. But Carpenter followed up his positive play with just about as negative of a play as you can find, hitting Leonard as he was heading out of bounds that resulted in a 15-yard penalty. The drive ultimately stalled inside the red zone and Jeter converted another field goal, this time a 33-yard strike to push the score to 20-3. 

Once again, Rourke and Indiana were struggling on offense. Facing another third and long, Rourke faced pressure from the Irish front and sailed his pass over the head of his open receiver. Up to this point, the Hoosier quarterback was just 8/15 for 85 yards. 

Notre Dame picked up at the Indiana 18-yard line and continued to eat clock. Leonard completed multiple throws to Evans and Love. The star running back  returned to the backfield, making an immediate impact as what appeared to be a lost run ended with Love stiff-arming multiple Hoosiers to pick up seven and another first down. Another pair of strikes to Jaden Greathouse and Kris Mitchell set up yet another Jeter field goal attempt. This time his previous struggles re emerged as his low, driving kick was blocked by Carpenter. The lineman came up big yet again to keep the Hoosiers within striking distance. 

Indiana once again had a sliver of momentum following the blocked kick, and if it were to have any chance at a comeback, Rourke was going to have to start making plays. He started off with a 10-yard strike to Price over the middle, but two-straight incompletions once again had the Hooisers facing third down. Rourke floated out a screen pass to Ellison, but he was immediately swallowed up by Drayk Bown for a loss, and yet another Indiana punt. 

Now with a chance to ice the game and send Indiana back down US-31, Leonard delivered with one of the biggest throws of his Notre Dame career. Stepping up in the pocket to avoid a sack, Leonard threw a missile down the field and connected with a streaking Faison. The wide receiver hauled in the catch and  was brought down just before the goal line. 

Leonard ended the drive, and the game, like he has many this season — with his legs. The quarterback kept the ball on the option and strolled into the endzone for his 15th rushing score of the season — the most by a Notre Dame quarterback in school history. 

In a last gasp of life, Rourke led Indiana down the field before finding Price out in space for the team’s first touchdown score of the game. The Hoosiers quelled the celebration in South Bend for a moment as Sarratt recovered an onside kick to keep them alive. With just under a minute to go, the Irish offense started to fall asleep at the wheel. Rourke found Omar Cooper Jr. down at the right pylon for a 23-yard touchdown. Jordan Clarke stepped up to seal the game, breaking up the two-point conversion intended for Sarratt. 

“We have to learn from the situations in that game,” Freeman said. “I’m actually glad that happened … it’ll humble us.” 

With the win, Notre Dame advances to play Georgia in the Sugar Bowl and second round of the College Football Playoff Jan. 1 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Kickoff scheduled for 8:45 p.m.