Notre Dame, Louisville separated after Fighting Irish hold on for win
Notre Dame got a much-needed victory Saturday against No. 15 Louisville to potentially keep its College Football Playoff hopes alive. But afterward, the two teams had to be separated after exchanging words.
The Fighting Irish got done singing the Alma Mater and were gathered at midfield when they had to be separated. They moved away from each other without incidence after Notre Dame held on to get the 31-24 victory and get revenge for last year’s loss in Louisville.
It’s unclear what sparked the exchange as Notre Dame celebrated its victory. The Fighting Irish improved to 4-1 on the year and are sure to move back into the CFP picture after winning what many called a must-have entering Saturday.
The first quarter was interesting for both teams in Saturday’s affair. Notre Dame fumbled the opening kickoff, leading to a Louisville touchdown. The Fighting Irish then answered back with a touchdown from Jeremiyah Love, then capitalized on a Tyler Shough fumble to score again and jump out in front, 14-7. After the Cardinals botched the snap on the punt, Notre Dame scored another one to go up 21-7.
Notre Dame then fumbled again, and Louisville was able to turn it into a touchdown to cut it to 21-14. A Mitch Jeter field goal made it 24-14 before halftime, and that score held until the fourth quarter when the Cardinals drilled a field goal of their own to make it a 24-17 Notre Dame lead.
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The Fighting Irish didn’t wait long to answer, though. Riley Leonard found Love on a screen pass, which turned into a 32-yard touchdown to go back out in front, 31-17. Louisville used a 4-minute drive to get back within a touchdown, 31-24, but was out of timeouts.
While the Cardinals made a late surge, it wasn’t enough. Notre Dame came away with the victory and could get a nice boost in the rankings after a wild Week 5 slate.
Leonard had a huge game in both the passing and running game as he settles in as the Fighting Irish quarterback. He completed 17 of 23 passes for 163 yards and two touchdowns while also leading the team with 52 rushing yards and a score on the ground.
Louisville’s offense also had a big day, totaling 395 yards. Shough threw for 264 yards – including a 34-yarder to Caullin Lacy that turned into a highlight-reel catch – and three touchdowns. The running game also saw success, led by 72 yards from Isaac Brown.