Notre Dame hands Army its first loss, 49-14 at Yankee Stadium

Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love scores a touchdown during the first half of the NCAA college football game against Army at Yankee Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Man Hunger) (Man Hunger)

NEW YORK — A tribute to Notre Dame’s “Four Horsemen” turned into a pretty good one-man show for Jeremiyah Love.

Love threw three touchdown passes, setting a school record with a rushing TD in his 11th straight game, and the No. 6 Fighting Irish ended No. 18 Army’s 13-game winning streak with a 49-14 victory Saturday night at Yankee Stadium.

The sophomore had TD runs of 68 and 14 yards, finishing with 130 yards on seven carries and leaping over a defender at the goal line to finish off Riley Leonard’s 6-yard touchdown pass.

“It’s like he’s anticipating what the defense is going to do, and when he gets to the second level, I don’t see too many people being able to catch him,” Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman said of Love, who had a 76-yarder. TD competed against Virginia last weekend.

Leonard threw two TDs and Jadarian Price ran for two scores as the Irish (10-1) improved their College Football Playoff chances with their ninth straight win. Notre Dame ranked No. 6 in this ranking this week and looks like a national championship contender with 14 points or fewer in six straight games.

“Everyone in our offense is a dog,” Love said. “Coach Freeman calls us ‘savages,’ and that’s exactly what we are. “We continue to grow and get better every week.”

Army quarterback Bryson Daily rushed for 139 yards and both touchdowns, giving him 23 yards this season. The loss to the Black Knights (9-1) left No. 1 Oregon as the only undefeated team in the FBS. Army led the nation in rushing for 334.9 yards per game but managed just 207 yards against Notre Dame.

“We couldn’t stay on the field and support them,” Daily said. “They’re a great team.”

Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love (4) leaps over Army cornerback Donavon Platt for a touchdown during the first half of an NCAA college football game at Yankee Stadium, New York, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. (Man Hunger/AP)

Notre Dame defeated Army for the 16th straight time in the first meeting in which both teams were ranked since 1958, the Black Knights’ last victory. This meeting is to honor the 100th anniversary of Notre Dame’s 1924 victory at the Polo Grounds in New York, where Grantland Rice began his story about the exploits of Harry Stuhldreher, Jim Crowley, Don Miller and Elmer Layden with one of the most famous openings It was planned. “Outlined against the blue-gray October sky, the Four Horsemen rode again,” the history reads.

That quote covered the wall above Monument Park in the stadium’s outfield, behind the end zone where Notre Dame took a 14-0 lead on TD passes on Leonard’s first two possessions. Army cut the lead to 14-7 on Daily’s 4-yard run early in the second quarter, but the Irish again took a two-TD lead on Love’s 14-yard run, breaking Wayne Bullock’s record of 11 consecutive games with a rushing TD in 1973. equalized. 74.

Army coach Jeff Monken said playing the Irish at Yankee Stadium was a great experience for his players, but he wishes they could make it more competitive.

“I mean, they outperformed us every step of the way,” Monken said.

Notre Dame scored on four of six drives in the first half, then added 10 more in the second half as Love went 68 yards on the first play to make the score 35-7.

takeaway

Army: Saturday’s game was a high-profile meeting, but the Black Knights have two of their most important games remaining. Army will face No. 20 Tulane in the American Athletic Conference championship game on Dec. 6, followed by its annual matchup with Navy on Dec. 14.

Notre-Dame: The Irish, with plenty of playmakers on offense and one of the nation’s best defenses, haven’t had anything resembling a close game in two months.

Survey results

While the team above them fell during No. 5 Indiana’s 38-15 loss to second-seeded Ohio State earlier Saturday, the Irish could be in the top five in the next AP poll. Army hopes to stay above Tulane in the College Football Playoff standings (the 19th-seeded Black Knights are one spot ahead) in case they are needed in the tiebreaker to determine who the home team is in the AAC championship game.

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Army: Hosts UTSA next Saturday.

Notre-Dame: Will visit Southern California next Saturday.