Fighting Irish Today

The University of Notre Dame football team (8-1) continued its dominant run, tallying a season-high eight sacks while overwhelming Florida State (1-9) in a 52-3 rout. Senior defensive lineman Rylie Mills spearheaded the defensive onslaught with a career-best three sacks, along with two additional tackles and a quarterback pressure.

On offense, it was a team effort led by quarterback Riley Leonard, who passed for 215 yards, one touchdown, and added two rushing scores. Jadarian Price delivered the highlight of the game with a 64-yard touchdown run, finishing with 94 rushing yards. Jaden Greathouse led the Irish receiving corps with five catches for 66 yards, while Mitchell Evans and Deion Colzie each hauled in touchdown receptions. Sophomore Luke Talich capped the scoring with a thrilling 79-yard pick-six in the closing minutes.

How It Happened

Notre Dame wasted no time setting the tone. Receiving the opening kickoff, the Irish struck quickly. On a third-down play, Leonard connected with Aneyas Williams for 28 yards and followed up with a nine-yard pass to Mitchell Evans to reach the Seminole 34-yard line. Opting to keep the ball on a read-option, Leonard dashed 34 yards to the end zone, giving Notre Dame an early lead.

Florida State responded by methodically moving downfield, converting two fourth-down plays to reach the Irish five-yard line. However, Notre Dame’s red-zone defense, a strength all season, limited the Seminoles to a 23-yard field goal.

The teams exchanged punts through the first quarter before Price ignited the offense with a 17-yard run. After a brief injury break, freshman offensive tackle Anthonie Knapp returned to pave the way for Price’s electrifying 65-yard touchdown run, extending the Irish lead to 14-3.

Mills then took over defensively, delivering back-to-back sacks to snuff out Florida State’s next drive. The Irish offense closed the first half on a high note, overcoming a dropped pass with clutch plays from Beaux Collins and Jordan Faison. Leonard capped the drive with a precise 12-yard fade to Evans in the end zone, giving Notre Dame a 21-3 halftime advantage.

Second Half Dominance

The Irish defense opened the second half in similar fashion, with Mills adding another sack and Jordan Clark securing an interception that gave Notre Dame the ball at the Florida State 40-yard line. Leonard capitalized with two quick screen passes to Greathouse, setting up his second rushing touchdown of the game, tying him for the second-most rushing scores by a quarterback in a single Notre Dame season.

Defensive dominance continued as Donovan Hinish and Jaylen Sneed recorded consecutive sacks to thwart a Seminole drive deep in Irish territory. Mitch Jeter added a 28-yard field goal to extend the lead to 31-3.

Notre Dame’s offense struck again as Leonard connected with Greathouse on a spectacular leaping catch at the two-yard line. Jeremiyah Love punched it in on the next play, marking his ninth consecutive game with a rushing touchdown—a streak tied for fourth-best in school history.

Backup players took over in the fourth quarter but didn’t miss a beat. Quarterback Steve Angeli tossed a perfect seven-yard fade to Deion Colzie for a touchdown. Moments later, Talich sealed the dominant performance with a 79-yard interception return for a score, bringing the final tally to 52-3.

Key Performances

• Rylie Mills: Career-high three sacks
• Riley Leonard: 215 passing yards, 2 rushing TDs
• Jadarian Price: 94 rushing yards, 1 TD
• Jaden Greathouse: 66 receiving yards on five catches
• Luke Talich: 79-yard interception return for a touchdown

Notre Dame’s seventh consecutive victory showcased both offensive balance and defensive dominance, cementing the Irish as one of the most complete teams in college football this season.