Notre Dame 31, Louisville 24 Postgame reaction show

Moments after Notre Dame’s 31-24 win over Louisville, Blue & Gold’s Mike Singer And Tim Hyde The videos, which have gone live on YouTube, break down everything you need to know about the contest, with stats, analysis and what’s next for the Fighting Irish.

Notre Dame fans shouldn’t miss this show. Watch a replay of the show in the video player below.

Also, make sure this is the case Subscribe to Blue & Gold’s YouTube channel for more video coverage of Fighting Irish football and recruiting.

Irish Best The Cardinals in a physical battle, 31-24

The 16th-ranked University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish earned a hard-fought 31-24 win over No. 15 Louisville in a marquee battle in front of a sold-out Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

The Irish earned their ninth ranked victory of the Marcus Freeman era by taking an early 21-7 lead, forcing three turnovers and fending off a late Cardinals charge. Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard threw for 163 yards and two touchdowns and added another touchdown on the ground while leading the team with 52 rushing yards. Leonard’s touchdowns went to Jaden Greathouse and Jeremiyah Love.

Freshman cornerback Leonard Moore, making his first career start, led the team with seven tackles, and senior safety Xavier Watts caught his second pass of the season and broke up Louisville’s final pass of the night with a desperate fourth-down throw.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Notre Dame got off to a rocky start in the highly anticipated top-20 matchup. On the first kick return, the Irish fumbled the ball and Louisville recovered. After the special teams mishap, Louisville wasted no time in capitalizing on the momentum swing by scoring on the third play of its drive. Senior quarterback Tyler Shough threw it to the back pylon and freshman Isaac Brown brought it in for a touchdown. In a flash the Irish were down 7-0.

Notre Dame responded well. Leonard was able to showcase his dual-threat ability as he led the Irish through the air and down the field with his legs. Offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock chose plays that complemented Leonard’s skills and consistently moved the pocket to keep the threat of the quarterback run in the mind of the Cardinal defense. The drive culminated in a six-yard touchdown up the middle by Jeremiyah Love.

The next ride began and ended in a wild turn of events. The Louisville quarterback took a keeper 43 yards down the field, but the ball was beaten by Leonard Moore and recovered by Jaiden Ausberry. Notre Dame once again had the ball and all the momentum.

At this point everything was going well for the Irish. After a big run down the sideline by Jadarian Price, Leonard threw a beautiful 34-yard touchdown over the seam to Jaden Greathouse. The Irish had a 14-7 lead in just four games.

Notre Dame was firing on all cylinders. They quickly stopped Louisville on their next drive and forced a punt. The Cardinals made a fatal mistake, however, as a bad snap on an attempted punt resulted in a 45-yard loss. Notre Dame regained the ball with full force at the four-yard line. One play later, Riley Leonard celebrated in the end zone after a four-yard touchdown rush. The Irish had a 21-7 lead.

Early in the second quarter, Notre Dame got a stop and the ball at its own 10-yard line. Louisville managed to force and recover a fumble on the first play of the drive, giving them excellent field position. Louisville started on the nine and tried to take the lead after the momentum change. The Irish defense made it to third down, but Shough threw a dart into the back of the end zone, hitting a defender in the face. The score was now 21-14 Notre Dame.

Louisville got a much-needed stop and gave its offense a chance to tie the game. After a somewhat promising Cardinals drive, receiver Jacorey Brooks threw a catch over the middle and Irish senior defensive back Xavier Watts intercepted the ball. Watts returned the ball for 33 yards before being tackled.

After the interception, Louisville’s defense held Notre Dame to a three-and-out possession. The Irish had to kick a field goal and extended their lead to 24-14.

With time running out before halftime, Louisville tried to score to take the lead. After a long drive down the field, Louisville decided to try fourth-and-1 from the Notre Dame 15-yard line. The Irish held strong, managed to make stops and went into halftime with momentum.

The third quarter was full of defense. Neither team managed to reach the end zone and the fourth quarter began with the score 24-14 in favor of Notre Dame.

The fourth quarter started with more of the same. Louisville forced a fourth down, which Notre Dame went for, but to no avail. After that, the Irish defense protected the end zone, but Louisville rushed for a school-record 56 yards, cutting the lead to seven points.

Jeremiyah Love was ready to find the end zone again. Notre Dame advanced to just above midfield and took the lead from there. On a seemingly routine screen pass, the running back from St.Louis, Mo., made it all the way to the house for a 32-yard touchdown. Notre Dame extended its lead to 31:17.

Despite the short amount of time, Louisville didn’t give up. Shough drove them around the field, demonstrating his presence and experience at the position. He managed to find Jacorey Brooks in the back of the end zone and cut the lead to seven points with five minutes left. The Irish led 31-24 and Notre Dame was looking to finish them off once and for all on their next drive.

However, it wouldn’t be that easy. Louisville managed to force a crucial three-pointer to get the ball back with 2:44 seconds left. After a few positive wins, the Cardinals found themselves in midfield and hoping to continue marching toward the end zone. However, Notre Dame forced a fourth down to put the game on the line. Shough targeted Caullin Lacy in the middle of the field, but the pass was deflected by Xavier Watts to seal the game. The Irish ran until the end of time, left the field victorious and won the match 31:24.

Story by Justin O’Neal, a student employee in the Notre Dame Athletic Communications office at Holy Cross College.