No. 16 Notre Dame vs. No. 15 Louisville live updates, game score

Notre Dame begins another must-win game at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday in South Bend. Follow along for live updates and a running game score as the Irish take on the Louisville Cardinals.

First quarter

• Louisville won the toss and elected to defer. Riley Leonard and the Notre Dame offense will start with the football.

• Devyn Ford fumbled the opening kickoff return and the Cardinals will start inside the 25-yard line. Disastrous start for the Irish.

• The nightmare continues for the home team: Louisville quarterback Tyler Hough completed a 10-yard touchdown pass in the back-left corner of the end zone to Isaac Brown. Louisville 7, Notre Dame 0.

• Touchdown, Fighting Irish. Sophomore running back Jeremiyah Love finishes off a heck of a drive, engineered by Riley Leonard’s 55 total yards (31 passing, 24 rushing). Leonard looks sharp early, converting a fourth-and-3 to senior wide receiver Jayden Thomas. Great response for the Irish. Notre Dame 7, Louisville 7.

• It’s the Irish’s turn to recover a fumble. Leonard Moore punched it out of Shough’s hands after a lengthy run, and Jaiden Ausberry recovered. The home team takes over near midfield.

• Touchdown, Fighting Irish. Leonard to Jaden Greathouse over the middle for a 34-yard score. Greathouse has 3 receptions for 58 yards so far, and Leonard is 6-of-7 for 65. We have a barn burner on our hands. Notre Dame 14, Louisville 7.

• There’s a lot to unpack here. The Irish got a defensive stop, thanks to big hits from Adon Shuler and Jordan Clark. Then the Cardinals airmailed a snap on the ensuing punt attempt, which was recovered inside the 5 by Kennedy Urlacher. Leonard then finished off the sequence on the ground. A wild game on Peacock is now a two-touchdown lead. Notre Dame 21, Louisville 7.

Second quarter

• Notre Dame got off the field, thanks in large part to Shuler’s efforts on a third-and-long blitz. Shuler forced a hurried throw over the middle, which graduate student safety Xavier Watts broke up. The Irish will take over at their own 7-yard line.

• Jadarian Price fumbled. Louisville takes over in a goal-to-go situation.

• The Cardinals made the Irish pay for the fumble. On third-and-goal, Shough made an incredible cross-body throw to star wideout Ja’Corey Brooks in the back of the end zone. Brooks caught it and got a foot inbounds, cutting the Irish lead in half. Notre Dame 21, Louisville 14.

• Notre Dame punted, but in this game, nothing is without drama. Leonard left the game in a great deal of pain, but he came back one play later. Louisville wound up getting off the field around midfield by tackling Mitchell Evans short of the sticks, but Irish punter James Rendell pinned the Cardinals at their own 5-yard line.

• Xavier Watts has his second interception of the season, on a drop from Brooks. The Irish went three-and-out on their ensuing possession, but Mitch Jeter’s 48-yard field goal was good. Notre Dame 24, Louisville 14.

• Notre Dame picked up a critical fourth-down stop, with Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa pursuing Louisville running back Donald Chaney to the sideline and Watts tackling him short of the line to gain. The half will end 24-14.

Third quarter

• The Irish forced a three-and-out to start the second half. Graduate student defensive tackle Rylie Mills made a terrific play for a tackle for loss on first down, setting Louisville back on the drive.

• Two penalties — holding on Mitchell Evans and block in the back on Kris Mitchell — set the Irish back to first-and-25, from which they could not recover. Notre Dame punted the ball back to Louisville, still up by 10, and the Cardinals will take over at their own 16-yard line.

• Notre Dame picked up another fourth-down stop, as Rod Heard II picked up two-straight PBUs to shut down Louisville. The Irish take over just across midfield.

• Ashton Gillotte is a superstar for Louisville, and he got to Leonard on third-and-7 before anyone on the Irish had a chance to do anything. The Irish punted, and the Cardinals take over inside their own 10.

• Notre Dame linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa can bend the edge with the best of them, and he used that ability to pick up a sack on second-and-8 against Shough. The resulting third-and-long fell incomplete, and the Irish forced another punt.

Fourth quarter

• The ensuing Irish drive killed 6 minutes, but it ended in a failed fourth-down conversion. Leonard ran up the middle on fourth-and-3, but he was stopped for only a gain of 2. Louisville takes over just shy of midfield.

• For the first time all half, a team has scored points. Cardinals kicker Brock Travelstead’s 56-yard field goal is good, and this is a one-score game. Notre Dame 24, Louisville 17.

• The Irish needed a drive. The Irish got a drive. A 34-yard completion on third-and-6 to Jayden Harrison extended the possession, and two plays later, Leonard threw a throwback screen to Love for a 32-yard touchdown. Notre Dame 31, Louisville 17