SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Syracuse arrived at Notre Dame Stadium determined to spoil a celebration honoring 33 Fighting Irish seniors. Instead, the Orange were met with a barrage of big plays and one of the most dominant performances in Notre Dame’s modern history.
First Half: Irish Defense Steals the Spotlight, Offense Piles On
Notre Dame couldn’t have scripted a better start. Before the Irish offense even touched the football, the defense and special teams had already built a commanding 21–0 lead.
On Syracuse’s second play from scrimmage, Jalen Stroman jumped a route and raced 44 yards for the game’s opening touchdown. Minutes later, an errant 7-yard punt set up Luke Talich, who weaved through traffic for a 22-yard return score. The avalanche continued when Leonard Moore intercepted another Orange pass and sprinted 46 yards for Notre Dame’s third non-offensive touchdown of the quarter.
Syracuse held the ball for the first eight minutes, yet somehow trailed by three touchdowns.
When Notre Dame’s offense finally entered the game at the 7:08 mark, it took just two plays for Jeremiyah Love to burst free for a 45-yard touchdown run. Jadarian Price followed with a 58-yard score, pushing the Irish advantage to 35–0 by the end of an almost surreal first quarter.
The second quarter offered no relief for Syracuse. CJ Carr fired a 6-yard touchdown to Will Pauling, and Love tacked on his second rushing score with a 14-yard run, sending Notre Dame into halftime with a staggering 49–0 lead.
For Syracuse, the lopsided performance added to what has become a derailed season. After a promising 3–1 start powered by Notre Dame transfer Steve Angeli, the Orange lost Angeli to an Achilles tear against Clemson — a win that would be their last to this point.
Second Half: Notre Dame Cruises, Reaches Historic Milestone
The Irish opened the second half with their starters still on the field, and Love wasted no time completing his hat trick. On the third play of the third quarter, he broke loose again — this time for 68 yards — extending Notre Dame’s lead to 56–0.
Aneyas Williams added a 30-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter, and backup quarterback Kenny Minchey later scrambled 25 yards to the end zone for the Irish’s final score of the day.
Syracuse avoided the shutout with a late 12-play, 75-yard drive capped by a touchdown in the final seven seconds, but it did little to alter the narrative of a dominant Notre Dame showing.
When the clock hit zero, the scoreboard read 70–7 — marking Notre Dame’s highest point total in the modern era. The program record remains 142 points, set in 1905.
Notre Dame finished with 339 adjusted yards of offense while holding Syracuse to just 136.
Top Performers
Notre Dame
- QB CJ Carr: 9 attempts, 49 yards, 1 TD (138 passer rating)
- RB Jeremiyah Love: 8 carries, 171 yards, 3 TDs
- WR Malachai Fields: 4 receptions, 97 yards
- K Erik Schmidt: 9-for-9 on extra points
Syracuse
- QB Joseph Filardi: 83 passing yards, 1 TD; 33 rushing yards
Up Next:
Notre Dame:
The Irish head west to face Stanford in a late-night matchup (10:30 p.m. PT, ESPN), hoping to strengthen their positioning for a potential home game in the College Football Playoff.
Syracuse:
The Orange will attempt to end their season on a positive note when they return home to host Boston College next Saturday at 3 p.m. (CW Network).
