Beyond the Boxscore: Notre Dame Dominates Army, Playoff Hopes Soar

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish took one step closer to a potential postseason playoff berth with a resounding 49-14 defeat of the Army Black Knights on Saturday at Yankee Stadium. The Irish took control of the game from the outset, mixing a huge night of running the ball with a shutdown defense.

Heading into the halftime locker room with a 28-7 lead, Notre Dame boosted that margin by seven more points on its first series after the break. The game was considered in hand early enough that reserve quarterback Steve Angeli replaced Riley Leonard during the third quarter.

Below are some of the key components of the pounding:

Flawless Beginning

Notre Dame’s gameplan was to simply come away with a victory, a plan made easier by the smooth start. In between stopping the potent Army running games, Notre Dame took the early lead by moving 68 yards on just five plays that ended with Jordan Faison’s 28-yard touchdown grab. One indication of just how strong the Irish defense was is that the Black Knights had averaged only two punts per game this season, yet matched that in the first seven minutes of action.

That second punt never made it past the line of scrimmage because of Bryant Young’s leaping block. The errant ball was picked up by Rod Heard and returned to the Army six-yard-line, where Leonard needed just three plays to double the Notre Dame advantage. That came on Love’s short reception that was capped by him leaping over a Black Knight defender.

Running with Abandon

Entering this game, both teams brought with them strong ground games but by the end of the chilly evening, Notre Dame’s runners stood out. The Irish backfield averaged 9.8 yards per carry, with four ballcarriers accounting for all the yardage. Jeremiyah Love’s 130 yards on just seven carries led the way.

Love was able to rack up that total, thanks in part to his 68-yard scoring dash to open the second half. That served as one of his three touchdowns for the night, two of them on the ground. Jadarian Price also scampered for a pair of scores, while freshman Aeneas Williams matched Love’s feat by romping 58 yards on the first play of a fourth-quarter drive.

Defensive Tour-de-Force

Indicative of the dominance the Notre Dame defense enjoyed was its performance in the second half. It began with the Irish holding a 35-7 advantage after Love’s game-breaking score to open the third quarter. Army had the ball for more than 23 minutes in the second half, gaining 163 yards on 42 plays and emerging with a last-minute touchdown.

The first three Black Knight drives after the break all stalled out, with Army surrendering the ball on downs. The 17-play scoring drive of more than 10 minutes nearly met the same fate, with the Black Knights scoring on fourth down at the Irish one-yard line. Army’s vaunted running games gained 207 yards to account for virtually its entire offense.

Self-Inflicted Wounds

The Irish defense did allow a touchdown in each half, the latter coming in the game’s final minute. That first Army score was aided by a trio of costly penalties along the way during the 12-play, 75-yard drive by the Black Knights. Jaiden Ausberry made the first mistake when he was flagged on a face mask call that moved the ball into Notre Dame territory.

Putting Army in a position of going for it on fourth-and-one at the Irish 33, an offside call against middle linebacker Jaylen Sneed kept the Black Knight drive going. Finally, after stopping Army signal-caller Bryson Daily on third-and-one at the Irish eight, nose tackle Rylie Mills was whistled on a hands-to-the-face call that gave the Black Knights an automatic first down. They converted that gift into seven points on the next play.

Kicking Concerns

Mitch Jeter was again in action but, outside of the extra points, struggled to get back to his old form. A field goal attempt near the end of the first half was already set for a 43-yard try when a false start call pushed the ball back five more yards. Jeter’s try was wide left. Then, with the Irish up 35-7, Jeter’s 30-yard field goal was blocked. In this matchup, such matters can be overlooked but with a playoff berth a distinct possibility, those issues need to be avoided against much stronger teams.

Next Up

Notre Dame closes out the regular season next Saturday night with its annual battle against the Southern Cal Trojans in the Los Angeles Coliseum. The Trojans have had a bumpy first year as a member of the now cross-country Big Ten. Entering Saturday night’s late clash against intra-city rival UCLA, the Trojans are just 5-5 overall and 3-5 in conference action. Despite that subpar mark, the combination of their rivalry with the Irish and a potential bowl berth on the line conceivably makes them a dangerous opponent.