After Notre Dame's shocking home loss to Northern Illinois on September 7, head coach Marcus Freeman didn't hold back in expressing his frustration. "This is as low as it gets," he said, capturing the disarray within the program.
Fast forward 11 weeks to Saturday night, and that early-season setback now feels like a distant memory. In front of a passionate Notre Dame crowd at Yankee Stadium, the Fighting Irish delivered a dominant 49-14 win over Army, extending their winning streak to nine games. With the victory, Notre Dame (10-1) handed Army (9-1) its first loss of the season and ended the Black Knights' 13-game winning streak, the longest in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS).
Army, a feel-good story of the season, had impressed with a perfect record, but its schedule had been one of the easiest in the FBS, and on Saturday, the disparity between the two teams was evident. The Fighting Irish, now hitting their stride, outclassed Army in all aspects.
With one regular-season game remaining against unranked USC, Notre Dame is in a prime position to earn one of the 12 spots in the College Football Playoff (CFP). Currently ranked No. 6 in the CFP, the Irish are expected to rise to No. 5 following a loss by No. 5 Indiana earlier in the day. Though Notre Dame, as an independent team, cannot earn a top-four seed and a first-round bye (reserved for conference champions), they are still in the running for a potential fifth- through eighth-seed, which would allow them to host a first-round playoff game.
The turnaround from the Northern Illinois loss has been remarkable. After that disappointing defeat, the Irish regrouped, and since then, they’ve dominated their competition, winning their last nine games by an average margin of 32.6 points. Saturday's win was their most convincing of the season, as Army had trailed for just over five minutes in all its previous games but never led against Notre Dame.
Quarterback Riley Leonard, a Duke transfer, played a key role, completing 10 of 13 passes for 148 yards and two touchdowns, adding 30 yards on the ground. With Notre Dame leading 35-7 late in the third quarter, backup Steve Angeli relieved Leonard, providing much-needed rest.
Since the Northern Illinois loss, Leonard has been stellar, completing 66.5% of his passes for 14 touchdowns and just one interception, while rushing for 592 yards and 12 touchdowns.
The Irish also found success on the ground. Jeremiyah Love rushed for 130 yards and two touchdowns on just seven carries, including a 68-yard score early in the second half. He has now scored a touchdown in 11 straight games, tying a school record that had stood for 50 years. Freshman Aneyas Williams added a 58-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter, while Jadarian Price chipped in 53 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
Army, which had been exceptional against the run all season, allowing only 82.6 rushing yards per game, was no match for Notre Dame’s powerful rushing attack. The Irish amassed 273 rushing yards on 29 carries, averaging 9.4 yards per carry, and scored five rushing touchdowns.
On defense, despite a number of key injuries, including season-ending injuries to defensive linemen Boubacar Traore and Jordan Botelho, Notre Dame’s defense was dominant. Army, which had led the nation in rushing yards per game, was held to just 207 yards on 58 carries, an average of 3.6 yards per carry.
Army had occasionally given major programs trouble in the past, but on Saturday, they were outmatched. Notre Dame coach Freeman praised his team’s consistency, noting that the Irish have improved significantly since the Northern Illinois loss.
“We’ve improved, but what we’re starting to be is more consistent,” Freeman said. “That’s the sign of great teams… Now you’ve seen a consistent football team, and we’ve got to continue to be that.”
With one final game against USC on the horizon, Notre Dame is poised to close the regular season with a strong performance and set their sights on a College Football Playoff berth.