Fighting Irish Today

The University of Notre Dame football team (10-1) delivered a dominant performance in a 49-14 victory over No. 18 Army in the Shamrock Series at Yankee Stadium on Saturday night. The Irish rushed for 275 yards and five touchdowns, jumping out to an early lead that they would never relinquish. Notre Dame’s defense was equally impressive, holding Army to just 233 total yards, while stifling their rushing attack.

Jeremiyah Love led the Irish offensive charge with 130 rushing yards for the second consecutive game. His 68-yard touchdown run early in the third quarter sealed the outcome. Quarterback Riley Leonard was efficient, completing 10 of 13 passes for 148 yards and two touchdowns, while adding another score on the ground.

Defensively, Notre Dame shut down Army’s famed rushing attack, allowing 207 yards but limiting the Black Knights to just 3.6 yards per carry. Army quarterback Bryson Daily scored both of Army’s touchdowns on short runs, but the Irish defense totaled five tackles for loss and one sack. Safety Adon Shuler and linebacker Jaiden Ausberry had standout performances, each recording career-high tackle totals with 8 and 7 stops, respectively.

Notre Dame’s defense was dominant throughout, holding Army to just 233 total yards, marking the sixth time this season the Irish defense has kept an opponent under 250 yards. The last time Notre Dame held six opponents to under 250 total yards was in 1983.

How It Happened:

The game began with a flawless start for Notre Dame. The Irish defense forced a quick three-and-out, and the offense capitalized on excellent field position. Love began the drive with a 13-yard run, and Leonard connected with Jordan Faison for a 4-yard touchdown pass to open the scoring at 7-0.

The defense quickly put the ball back in Notre Dame’s hands with a sack by Junior Tuihalamaka and Rylie Mills. Freshman Bryce Young then blocked an Army punt after a bobbled snap, and Rod Heard recovered it, setting up the Irish at the Army 7-yard line. Leonard found Love for a 3-yard touchdown, pushing the Irish lead to 14-0.

Army answered with a methodical 75-yard drive, capped by a 4-yard touchdown run from quarterback Bryce Daily, narrowing the gap to 14-7. However, Notre Dame was quick to respond. Despite being stopped on a goal-line stand by Army’s defense, the Irish regained momentum when Love took over with a 14-yard touchdown run following a short Army punt.

As the first half wound down, Notre Dame’s defense continued to shine, forcing Army into negative yardage with back-to-back tackles for loss. Notre Dame took advantage of the field position, and Price capped a well-executed drive with a 5-yard touchdown run, making it 28-7 at halftime.

The second half began with a bang as Love broke loose for a 68-yard touchdown run on the first play, pushing the Irish lead to 35-7. Notre Dame’s defense continued to dominate, including a blocked field goal by Mitch Jeter and a key stop on a fourth-and-two quarterback keeper by Army.

In relief of Leonard, Steve Angeli found success through the air, connecting with Kris Mitchell and Beaux Collins to move the ball into Army territory. Price would later score his second touchdown of the game, a 1-yard run, extending the lead to 42-7.

With the game well in hand, Notre Dame’s second-string offense got in on the action. Aneyas Williams broke off a career-high 58-yard touchdown run, bringing the score to 49-7. Army added a late touchdown against the Irish reserves, but it was not enough to threaten Notre Dame’s dominant victory.

The win marked another strong performance for the Irish as they continue to roll through the 2024 season, improving to 10-1 on the year.