Live updates, highlights, score: No. 12 Notre Dame vs. Georgia Tech
Notre Dame is at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Saturday to take on Georgia Tech at 3:30 p.m. ET. Follow along below with Blue & Gold‘s live updates, highlights and game score.
The following updates will be in reverse chronological order, with the most recent events at the top of the page and the ones that preceded them at the bottom.
SCORE: Adon Shuler takes interception to the house (31-7 ND)
SCORE: Zac Yoakam hammers it home for three-score lead (24-7 ND)
With graduate student kicker Mitch Jeter (hip) out, junior walk-on Zac Yoakam boomed a 42-yarder with room to spare. Notre Dame has some breathing room, up by three scores in the fourth quarter.
BIG PLAY: Notre Dame runs fake punt to perfection
The Irish ran a touch-pass reverse to Love, who picked up the first down on fourth-and-8. Gutsy call by Freeman and special teams coordinator Marty Biagi.
BIG PLAY: Xavier Watts gets it right back
Watts leaped to intercept Pyron, giving the ball right back to Notre Dame’s offense. That’s his third of the season, and time is getting short for the Yellow Jackets.
Georgia Tech stops Notre Dame on fourth-and-5
Leonard scrambled, but he couldn’t convert. Another promising drive for the Irish stalls.
BIG PLAY: Bryce Young blocks field goal
After a 60-yard Georgia Tech completion, Jaiden Ausberry picked up a tackle for loss and Rylie Mills sacked Pyron to force a field-goal attempt. That attempt was blocked by freshman defensive end Bryce Young, his second of the season. Notre Dame maintains a 21-7 lead.
Notre Dame punts, still holding two-score lead
Georgia Tech will take over at its own 24.
Pre-snap penalties kill Georgia Tech drive
Notre Dame sophomore linebacker Drayk Bowen was all over the field as the Irish got the ball back with a two-score lead. Two-straight false starts put the Yellow Jackets in a third-and-20 situation.
SCORE: Notre Dame marches down the field, Love finishes it off (21-7 ND)
The Irish went 60 yards in 6 plays, with Love punching it in from 1 yard out. Leonard completed passes of 15 yards to Collins and 28 yards to sophomore Jaden Greathouse on a back-shoulder fade from the slot against man coverage. Jadarian Price also carried twice for 11 yards. It was a perfect drive, and Notre Dame leads by two scores.
Georgia Tech goes three-and-out thanks to pass breakups from Clark and Moore
Clark probably should have had a pick-six on first down, but he settled for a pass breakup instead. Then, freshman cornerback Leonard Moore played perfect coverage on Eric Singleton Jr. to force a punt.
HALFTIME: Notre Dame 14, Georgia Tech 7
Georgia Tech drove down and put itself in a position for a field goal, but a botched hold destroyed the Yellow Jackets’ chance to pick up points at the end of the first half.
SCORE: Leonard runs for 10th rushing touchdown this season, puts Notre Dame in front (14-7 ND)
The Irish have followed the same script every week: Bad start, excellent response.
Leonard pulled the ball on a zone read and scampered 12 yards for a touchdown, putting the Irish up with 1:53 to go in the first half. Leonard has also completed 12 passes to 8 different receivers.
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Clark, Watts help Irish force three-and-out
Big play by Xavier Watts and Jordan Clark to halt a reverse on third-and-2. Watts didn’t make the play, but he broke through the line of scrimmage and re-routed the runner, giving Clark time to tackle Eric Singleton for no gain. Strong response from the Notre Dame defense.
SCORE: Notre Dame bounces back with Leonard at the goal line (7-7)
Run Riley Leonard enough at the goal line, and you’ll eventually score. He punched it in from one yard out, and sophomore running back Jeremiyah Love made a vicious block to clear the way.
Much-needed bounce back for Notre Dame, with a heavy dose of Love, freshman running back Aneyas Williams and senior tight end Mitchell Evans.
SCORE: Georgia Tech gets on the board with Jamal Haynes touchdown (7-0 GT)
Yellow Jackets running back Jamal Haynes ended the first quarter by recovering his own fumble in the end zone, which resulted in a 1-yard touchdown. Pryon is 9-of-9 for 81 yards, and Notre Dame trails 7-0.
Leonard throws interception, halts promising Notre Dame drive
Leonard made his first major mistake in a few weeks, tossing a deep ball to a well-covered senior wide receiver Beaux Collins. It was intercepted in the end zone, and Georgia Tech DB Warren Burrell returned it to the Yellow Jacket 29-yard line.
Georgia Tech punts, thanks to textbook tackle from Kiser and Bowen
Excellent combo tackling by linebackers Drayk Bowen and Jack Kiser on third down. Each of them kept Georgia Tech quarterback Zach Pyron on their inside shoulder to bring him down short of the sticks. The Irish get a stop and will take over at their own 10.
Notre Dame goes three-and-out
The Irish gained 8 yards on their first play, but they couldn’t convert. A booming James Rendell punt pins Georgia Tech at its own 20.
Georgia Tech wins the toss, elects to defer
Riley Leonard and the Notre Dame offense will start with the football.
