Notre Dame dominated Army 49-14 in the Shamrock Series at Yankee Stadium on Saturday night, in front of an announced crowd of 47,342. Irish running back Jeremiyah Love was a standout, racking up 131 yards and two touchdowns on just seven carries. The Irish offense was firing on all cylinders, amassing 462 total yards, including 273 through the air.
“It’s almost like he’s anticipating what the defense is going to do and when he breaks through that second level, I don’t see many people that can catch him,” Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman said of Love, who had a 76-yard TD run last weekend against Virginia.
The loss by the Black Knights (9-1) left No. 1 Oregon as the only unbeaten team in FBS. Army came in leading the nation with 334.9 yards rushing per game but gained only 207 against Notre Dame.
Notre Dame set the tone early with a physical style of play, scoring touchdowns on their first four possessions. The Black Knights struggled to match their intensity and appeared a step slower throughout the game. However, Army showed resilience, fighting hard until the final whistle.
The Irish took a 14-0 lead on TD passes by Leonard on its first two possessions. Army trimmed the lead to 14-7 on Daily’s 4-yard run early in the second quarter, but ND went up by two TDs on Love’s 14-yard run that tied Wayne Bullock’s record of 11 straight games with a rushing TD in 1973-74.
Army coach Jeff Monken said in the media conference playing the Irish at Yankee Stadium was a great experience for his players, though he wished they could have made it more competitive.
“I mean, every phase they outclassed us,” Monken said.
Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard had an efficient night, completing 10 of 13 passes for 148 yards and two touchdowns.
Meanwhile, Army’s quarterback was a workhorse, carrying the ball 39 times for 151 yards and two touchdowns. Despite taking several hard hits from the Irish defense, he displayed remarkable toughness and fought valiantly to the end.
