Notre Dame football ended its home slate with a huge bang, as it trounced visiting Syracuse to a tune of 70-7.
The Irish wasted no time taking the lead and never looking back, scoring three touchdowns in the game first 6:00 minutes. The first quarter would end with Notre Dame up 35-0, and on cruise control.
It was a fun contest, and you can follow along all of the action below with my live thoughts during the game.
Final: Notre Dame 70, Syracuse 7
Notre Dame doesn’t get the shutout, but it still hands Syracuse Orange the worst loss in Syracuse history. The Fighting Irish get a chance to rest starters and put reserves in — on Senior Day. And Notre Dame earns style points to impress the College Football Playoff committee.
Tyler Buchner took the kneel down to end the game.
This is Notre Dame’s final home game of the regular season, and it’s unknown if the Irish will host a playoff game should they make the CFP.
Next up, Stanford in a late-night matchup on the road. That will be the regular-season finale.
Syracuse touchdown – Notre Dame 70, Syracuse 7 (00:07 4Q)
Syracuse finally scores as Notre Dame’s defense loses track of Orange quarterback Joseph Filardi and Filardi scrambles in to the end zone from six yards out to end a 12-play, 75-yard drive that took 5:59.
Notre Dame won’t have the shutout. But the defense did set a record with 16 tackles for loss.
Two-minute timeout – Notre Dame 70, Syracuse 0 (2:00 4Q)
Syracuse is threatening to score and trying to avoid its worst loss in program history.
Notre Dame Kenny Minchey touchdown – Notre Dame 70, Syracuse 0 (6:06 4Q)
Notre Dame backup quarterback Kenny Minchey has running ability, and he showed it on third-down-and-nine from the Syracuse 25. It appeared that Notre Dame was running a quarterback draw to setup for a field-goal attempt, but the blocking was good and Minchey had an easy touchdown run.
Notre Dame was probably looking for an easy field-goal attempt to boost kicker Erik Schmidt’s confidence
More records: Notre Dame hasn’t scored 70 points since 1932 against Haskell, and Syracuse might suffer its worst loss in school history.
Syracuse turnover on downs – Notre Dame 63, Syracuse 0 (10:20 4Q)
Syracuse went back to quarterback Luke Carney, but it did not matter as the Notre Dame defense continued to dominate. The Fighting Irish defense might set a school record for tackles for loss today. Syracuse turned the ball over on downs.
Notre Dame gets a running touchdown – Notre Dame 63, Syracuse 0 (13:32 4Q)
Notre Dame’s third running back Aneyas Williams, who served as the third-down back last year, is in the game to spell Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price, and he took a handoff from reserve quarterback Kenny Minchey for 30 yards for a touchdown. That finished off a 6-play, 79-yard drive that took 2:23.
End of third quarter – Notre Dame 56, Syracuse 0
The reserves are fully in for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish as they take over after Ethan Long’s interception.
Notre Dame gets yet another interception – Notre Dame 56, Syracuse 0 (00:55 3Q)
Syracuse had held the ball for about 8 minutes without having anything to show for it. Orange quarterback Joseph Filardi tossed what looked like another pick-six to Notre Dame defensive back Ethan Long, but it came back when Donovan Hinish was flagged for roughing the passer.
The Orange drive eventually ended when, with Syracuse driving and finally threatening to score, Filardi threw over the middle and Long read his eyes. This interception stood, and it’s Notre Dame ball.
Notre Dame linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa injured – Notre Dame 56, Syracuse 0 (7:02 3Q)
The broadcast reports that linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa is hurt and will be out for the rest of the game.
Notre Dame punts – Notre Dame 56, Syracuse 0 (8:08 3Q)
Notre Dame puts backup quarterback Kenny Minchey in, and it appears that Fighting Irish running backs Jeremiayah Love and Jadarian Price are going to rest for the remainder of the game.
Syracuse punts – Notre Dame 56, Syracuse 0 (9:46 3Q)
Syracuse is still not able to move the ball much against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, even as Irish head coach subs in reserves.
Notre Dame starts the second half with another Jeremiyah Love touchdown – Notre Dame 56, Syracuse 0 (14:25 3Q)
Notre Dame isn’t taking it easy to start the second half against Syracuse. Heisman candidate running back Jeremiyah Love gets the ball, gets a hole, makes a cut, and is gone again for a 68-yard touchdown on the third play of the second half. Love strikes the Heisman pose afterward. It’s his third rushing touchdown of the day.
The last Notre Dame Heisman trophy winner was Tim Brown in 1987.
Halftime – Notre Dame 49, Syracuse 0
A record-setting first half for the Fighting Irish ends. Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman indicates on the NBC broadcast that he might start giving reserves some playing time in the second half — but also hints they won’t stay in long if they don’t play well.
Syracuse misses a field goal on a doink – Notre Dame 49, Syracuse 0 (0:04 2Q)
Syracuse kicker Tripp Woody doinks a field goal from 48 yards out.
Notre Dame 49, Syracuse 0 at the two-minute timeout
Both teams are going through the motions a bit, though the Notre Dame defense is still playing at a high level.
Notre Dame punts for the first time – Notre Dame 49, Syracuse 0 (4:30 2Q)
Notre Dame’s drive stalls out quickly, in part because CJ Carr is sacked, and the Fighting Irish must punt. James Rendell won’t sit all game.
Notre Dame forces a punt – Notre Dame 49, Syracuse 0 (6:01 2Q)
Syracuse’s long day continues, and Donovan Hinish and Bryce Young end a five-play drive with a sack that forces the Orange to punt.
Notre Dame gets another Jeremiyah Love touchdown – Notre Dame 49, Syracuse 0 (8:56 2Q)
Notre Dame has now scored the most points in a first half since 1973. This after Fighting Irish back running Jeremiyah Love finished off a four-play, 59-yard drive that took 3:46 with a 14-yard touchdown run.
Notre Dame forces a turnover on downs – Notre Dame 42, Syracuse 0 (10:35 2Q)
A tackle by Jalen Stroman — who else? — ends a Syracuse drive that saw the Orange moving the ball normally and getting first downs for the first time all game. The Orange turn it over on downs.
Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr touchdown pass to Will Pauling – Notre Dame 42, Syracuse 0 (14:56 2Q)
Notre Dame put together its first sustained drive — seven plays for 36 yards — of the day. That’s because previous drives were resulting in scores right from jump. This one ends when quarterback CJ Carr, on third-and-goal after a false start penalty, finds Will Pauling for a six-yard touchdown pass.
Notre Dame 35, Syracuse 0 at the end of the first quarter
Notre Dame has a blowout going against the Syracuse Orange with just one quarter being played.
Notre Dame forces another punt – Notre Dame 35, Syracuse 0 (2:19 1Q)
Joseph Filardi returns for Syracuse, but it does no good as the Orange once again go three-and-out. Drayk Bowen had a sack on the drive.
Notre Dame gets a 58-yard touchdown run – Notre Dame 35, Syracuse 0 (4:01 1Q)
Notre Dame just set a record for the most points in the first quarter in Notre Dame history. And the Fighting Irish have done it while running just five offensive plays. This time, the score came from backup running back Jadarian Price, who, not to be outdone by starter Jeremiyah Love, takes it 58 yards to the house on a handoff.
Notre Dame forces yet another Syracuse punt – Notre Dame 28, Syracuse 0 (4:53 1Q)
The offensive woes for Syracuse continue. Orange fans must be wondering what would’ve happened if former Notre Dame backup quarterback Steve Angeli, who briefly led the nation in passing when the Orange started 3-1, had been healthy and looking for a good day versus his former team. Instead, he’s out with an injury.
Notre Dame gets yet another Jeremiyah Love touchdown – Notre Dame 28, Syracuse 0 (6:32 1Q)
Well, that didn’t take long. In what might be his final home game at Notre Dame Stadium, Fighting Irish running back Jeremiyah Love gets the ball on the drive’s second play and runs it in from 45 yards out. After two plays and just 36 seconds, the Notre Dame offense has continued the onslaught against the Orange.
Notre Dame forces a Syracuse punt – Notre Dame 21, Syracuse 0 (7:08 1Q)
Syracuse has a new quarterback in Luke Carney, but the offensive result is the same — a three-and-out. This time, the punt gets off (after a false start) and Notre Dame’s offense finally takes the field.
Notre Dame interception touchdown return – Notre Dame 21, Syracuse 0 (9:50 1Q)
Notre Dame cornerback Leonard Moore stepped in front of a Joseph Filardi pass for a 46-yard pick-six and with the extra point, it’s now 21-0. The Notre Dame Irish offense hasn’t played at all, and we’re 5:17 into the game.
Jalen Stroman has been all over the place on defense.
Notre Dame blocked punt touchdown – Notre Dame 14, Syracuse 0 (12:19 1Q)
Notre Dame’s offense hasn’t even hit the field yet and the Irish are up 14-0. How did that happen? Well, the Notre Dame defense has made life difficult for Syracuse and Orange quarterback Joseph Filardi, and when the Orange punted, Jack Stonehouse’s punt was blocked by Jalen Stroman and returned 22 yards by Luke Talich for a touchdown.
Notre Dame pick-six – Notre Dame 7, Syracuse 0 (14:03 1Q)
Davien Kerr put a scare into the Senior Day crowd at Notre Dame Stadium with a good kick return for Syracuse, but things swung towards Notre Dame almost immediately. Boubacar Traore had a tackle for loss, and freshman walk-on quarterback Joseph Filardi immediately tossed a pick-six return 44 yards by Jalen Stroman. Stroman is in the game because Tae Johnson, who had a pick-six last week at Pitt, is out with a hand injury.
Notre Dame will face an ever more depleted Syracuse team
It was already going to be an uphill battle for Syracuse, as they’ll be starting walk-on freshman quarterback Joseph Filardi, and now down its starting running back Yasin Willis. Injuries play a big part of the outcome, especially late in the year, and it looks like Notre Dame has a big advantage with its impressive depth.
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This article originally appeared on Fighting Irish Wire: Notre Dame vs. Syracuse: Full recap, highlights and analysis
Reporting by Tim Healey, Fighting Irish Wire / Fighting Irish Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
