By Cort Street | @cort_street
Sports Capital Journalism Program
SOUTH BEND – No other result would have been sufficient.
There was no arrogance to the processional as the No. 7 Notre Dame Fighting Irish trotted off the field following a 27-17 victory over the No. 10 Indiana Hoosiers. There was, more noticeably, an air of confidence paired with an overwhelming feeling from fans, players, and coaches alike that permeated through the bitter cold atmosphere of Notre Dame Stadium – a feeling that this historic moment belonged to the Irish.
“It’s not many times in life you’re the first to do something, right?” Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman expressed after the game. “We’re the first to play and win a playoff game in Notre Dame Stadium. It’s historical, so something we’ll cherish for the rest of our lives.”
It was a game that represented an abundance of firsts for not only Notre Dame, but also college football as a whole. The in-state clash was the inaugural game of the 12-team playoff era. It was the first ever playoff game played on a school campus. And, most importantly for the Irish (12-1), who advanced to a quarterfinal game against the Georgia Bulldogs in the Sugar Bowl on January 1, it would become their most pivotal postseason win in recent history.
The energy of the home crowd of 77,622 acknowledged the gravity of the occasion. Notre Dame Stadium provided a raucous environment for a match with stakes that were higher than ever and managed to maintain their vigor despite a sloppy start from both sides. It was the crowd’s anticipation – rather, its expectation – that spurred running back Jeremiyah Love on his 98-yard touchdown run to open the scoring just 4:03 into the first quarter, a run that was second-longest in the history of the FBS postseason. Only Terry Baker of Oregon State, who ran 99 yards against Villanova in the 1962 Liberty Bowl, had a longer run.
The Hoosiers had begun the night having allowed an average of just 70.8 rushing yards, the fewest in the nation. Love’s total of 108 yards led the Irish, who gained 193.
“It was a great experience,” Love lauded. “I don’t think I’d be able to match any other experience with that. It was really special to see all the fans cheering for us, just rooting for us, and just helping us play to the best of our abilities.”
Freeman added: “I’ve never been a part of an environment like that. It was special. The crowd played a factor.”
The Fighting Irish quickly began to take control after the early score. On their ensuing offensive possession, Notre Dame utilized a ruthless ground attack on a 16-play, 83-yard touchdown drive that took over nine minutes off the clock and gave them a two-touchdown lead just 17:08 into the game.
The Irish continued to rely on a conservative offensive gameplan, settling for field goals on long drives into the red-zone while asserting their dominance in the trenches. The Hoosiers showed fight late, leading two scoring drives in the final two minutes to pull within ten points. In the end, however, it was a comfortable Notre Dame victory aided in large part by a rushing attack that combined for 194 yards on the ground.
“No one phase was perfect,” Freeman acknowledged. “But what happens is, when one phase isn’t getting the job done, another phase picks it up, and we’ll need that as we continue to move throughout these playoffs.”
And – to his point – despite the plethora of electric plays from the running game, it was Notre Dame defense stole the show with a ferocious performance. The tenacious defensive line held the Indiana offense to just 2.3 yards per rush and consistently came up with crucial sacks and tackles for loss in the pivotal moments of the game. Senior safety Xavier Watts led the way with 10 tackles and a momentum-shifting interception early in the game.
“He’s just a competitor,” Irish defensive coordinator Al Golden said of the senior playmaker. “He just attacked, executed, and finished no matter what. Just really proud of the guys. They just played really well together and really executed at a high level.”
For the Hoosiers (11-2), the discouraging loss will be hard to accept after a sensational campaign in which they achieved the first 11-win season in school history. On Friday night – in their most significant moment of the season – Indiana looked and played like a team that had failed to reach a game of this magnitude in over half a century. For all the firsts for Notre Dame, history seemed to repeat itself in the case of the Hoosiers, who dropped to an abysmal 1-21 in their last 22 matchups against the Fighting Irish.
The Hoosiers struggled to find the positives of the season when reflecting on their performance.
“All good things come to an end,” Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti lamented. “I have a lot of guys hurting in there, but part of life is learning how to deal with disappointment the proper way and come back a stronger person because of this experience.”
Offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan was quick to point out that this historic Hoosier team does not deserve to be remembered for one performance alone.
“I hope they’re remembered for the way they played all year long and not just this one game,” Shanahan said. “I know that these guys have really battled and I think you saw that there in the fourth quarter. There was no give up.”
For the Fighting Irish, there was little time for jubilation from players or coaches with a quarterfinal matchup against the No. 2 Georgia Bulldogs in the Sugar Bowl still ahead.
“I’m grateful to be a part of team that has accomplished this, but we all agree my focus is… on getting ready for the next opportunity,” Freeman confessed.
No moment better encapsulated the environment of the night than at the start of the fourth quarter, when a light flurry of snow began to fall onto the field at Notre Dame Stadium. At the time, it seemed to signify an early coronation of the Irish as victors of a momentous time in the history of college football. But from the testimonies of both coaches and players, a different message shone through the brisk night – Notre Dame expected to win this moment. The Irish were meant to be here. And their hope is that this game will be just one small part of a much larger story as they continue to charge forward into the uncharted future of college football.
