By Chris Schumerth

Sports Capital Journalism Program

SOUTH BEND – It did not seem like an accident that Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard appeared at the post-game press conference in a Jeremiyah Love T-shirt after the Irish beat an upstart Indiana team, 27-17, in the inaugural first-round game of the expanded College Football Playoff.

“I’ve got the best view in the house,” Leonard said. “Every time I hand him the ball it’s, ‘What’s he going to do now?’”

The answer on Friday night was sudden and historic, a 98-yard touchdown run that became the second-longest in Football Bowl Subdivision bowl or postseason history and tied for the longest in Notre Dame history. A 99-yard touchdown by Oregon State’s Terry Baker in the 1962 Liberty Bowl victory over Oklahoma is the only longer postseason run. Notre Dame’s Josh Adams had set the school record against Wake Forest in 2015.

Irish offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock was glowing about Love, too. “He is the engine that kind of sparks this thing,” he said.

Surely neither Leonard nor Denbrock had forgotten how their side of the ball had started the game against the Hoosiers, with an interception by cornerback D’Angelo Ponds on Leonard’s first throw of the night.

Ponds would factor in again on the record-setting play that set the tone for the entire game—the same play that had Leonard and Denbrock feeling grateful at the end of the night.

Notre Dame safety Xavier Watts had just made a diving interception of an overthrown pass by Indiana quarterback Kurtis Rourke just four plays after Leonard’s interception.

Then, with a light snowfall having subsided and yellow towels waving all around Notre Dame Stadium like a Pittsburgh Steelers game, Notre Dame started at its 2-yard line.

With Love to Leonard’s right in the backfield, the Irish sent wide receiver Jayden Thomas in motion from left to right. This brought Indiana’s Amare Ferrell up from a safety position to more like a linebacker slot.

As the shotgun snap arrived in Leonard’s hands, he handed it to Love going left. Ferrell and the other Hoosier linebackers stepped forward to fill their gaps, but each was met by a capable block.

Two especially important ones were made by freshman tackle Anthonie Knapp and junior tight end Eli Raridon, who sealed their defenders to the outside, creating a lane for Love to run through.

That’s when Pond stepped forward from the lone true safety position on the play, but his angle was poor and Love ran right by him. Ponds’ only available option was to turn and attempt to chase Love from behind.

Further down the field, it was the Clemson transfer Beaux Collins who was blocking Hoosier sophomore defensive back Jamari Sharp. When Sharp was able to sneak by Collins, the wide receiver appeared to consider a block in the back but thought better of it.

Love ran by Sharpe, too, and then Sharpe turned and chased Love all the way to the end zone. Neither he nor Ponds touched Love before he reached the end zone to give Notre Dame a 14-0 lead, one the Irish would never relinquish.

“I was looking up on the video board,” Love admitted. “He wasn’t going to catch me.”

Love’s voice sounded gruff as he spoke. “I came into this game battling a few things,” he said. “I probably sound pretty terrible … I’m sick.”

The admission may have explained some personnel decisions, as third-string freshmen running back Aneyas Williams appeared to take on more than his usual load, including on the final drive of the first half.

Williams finished the game with four receptions, more than either of the two backs who usually play in front of him, and he also added four rushing attempts for 24 yards in a game where most first downs felt like noteworthy achievements.

Love would finish with 108 rushing yards on eight carries and the unforgettable touchdown. He is the only player in the FBS with a rushing touchdown in each game this season.

But take away the one big play and it would have been a below-average performance, the performance of a sick running back.

“The rest of the yardage was ugly,” Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman said. “You had to claw and scratch for every yard you got.”