Notre Dame’s keys to victory against Indiana
By TYLER REIDY Sports Editor
On Friday night, Notre Dame and Indiana will square off at Notre Dame Stadium in the first oncampus College Football Playoff game. The Irish and Hoosiers, both at 11-1 on the season, rank among the nation’s best teams in numerous categories. Here are five ways Notre Dame can reach its biggest win of the Marcus Freeman era and punch its ticket to the Sugar Bowl.
Don’t wait around Notre Dame can’t afford to come out of the gate colder than the wintry air on Friday. Both the Irish and Hoosiers move and score the ball with tremendous efficiency, riding into the postseason as college football’s top two teams in offensive points per play. Unless this game starts in a 2023 Notre Dame vs. Ohio State-like defensive slog, it feels that if one offense doesn’t have its fastball in the opening quarter, the other will capitalize.
The Irish and Hoosiers each have the killer instinct, too. You can say what you’d like about strength of schedule, but Notre Dame and Indiana have blown out almost every team in their path, respectively ranking first and third nationally in scoring margin. Put momentum
SEASON RECAP
on the wrong sideline early, and you might not see control of the game again. Watch for the matchup between Notre Dame’s rushing offense and Indiana’s interior defense, both second in America in yards per carry, as the Irish look to establish their game on the first few drives.
Make Kurtis Rourke and company uncomfortable
Indiana has faced one team near the caliber of Notre Dame this season, and that team gave the Hoosiers the only blemish on their schedule. Ohio State clobbered the Hoosiers, 38-15, on Nov. 23, denying Indiana’s unbeaten bid in Curt Cignetti’s first head coaching season. How did the Buckeyes pull away with that game? By disrupting Indiana’s passing attack. By all accounts, Indiana’s air raid has enjoyed a terrfic season under new signal-caller Kurtis Rourke. The Ohio transfer leads the Big Ten in yards per attempt and passing efficiency, leading to a career high of 27 passing touchdowns. Rourke finished the regular season with a dynamite, six-touchdown performance against Purdue, but the week before that in Columbus, he was 8-for-18 with 68 yards passing. Ohio State sacked Rourke five times and never gave him a chance to settle into the top-five matchup.
If any team has the track record to repeat Ohio State’s defensive performance, it’s Notre Dame. The Irish have left opponents with the lowest completion percentage (46.7) and passer rating (94.1) in the country this season, ranking fifth with 1.4 interceptions per game. All Notre Dame needs is a consistent pass rush, and with graduate defensive tackle Howard Cross III returning from a threegame absence for the Indiana game, the Irish will take a step in the right direction.
Own the early downs
Offensively, no team in America gets to third down less than Notre Dame and Indiana. With their effective rushing attacks and highefficiency passing plans, the Irish and Hoosiers tend to go up and down the field quickly.
However, they haven’t run into one another’s defenses yet, so don’t expect either offense to coast for 60 minutes in the way that they might have in the regular season. Still, Notre Dame has to do everything it can to succeed on early downs, whether or not that involves moving the chains, for two reasons. First, the Irish don’t have it all figured out on third down, ranking 82nd in the country with a conversion percentage below 38%. That figure, for whatever reason, drops
to 33.3% at home.
For the second reason, keep reading to Notre Dame’s fourth key to victory.
Play aggressively on fourth down Notre Dame’s most obvious problem heading into the postseason is kicking. With graduate kicker Mitch Jeter nursing an injury for the regular season’s entire second half, the Irish have lost all consistency in making field goals. As a result, they sit dead last in America with a field-goal make percentage of 44.4. It’s hard to imagine the situation has improved all that much in the last 20 days, especially with the weather conditions worsening as winter deepens in South Bend.
Depending on how Jeter looks and feels in warmups, Marcus Freeman may have to go Dan Campbell mode on Friday night and treat almost any fourth down on the plus side of midfield as a chance to keep drives alive. Statistically and stylistically, Notre Dame’s offense sets up well for fourth downs, especially from within three yards. The Irish rank seventh in college football with their 76% fourth-down conversion rate, and the tough, physical running ability of senior quarterback Riley Leonard bodes perfectly in short-yardage situations. Expect
to see him get his nose dirty a few times in four-down territory against the Hoosiers.
Win the turnover battle
Coach Freeman has preached this key to victory all season, and it rings especially true heading into Friday. The Irish and Hoosiers both exist among the elites of college football in terms of turnover margin. Notre Dame has done so by taking the football away on interceptions, Indiana by taking great care of the football on offense.
Nevertheless, with both defenses playing at such high quality all season long, something may have to give. Indiana defensive end Mikail Kamara, one of 13 Cignetti-following transfers from James Madison, ranks second in the Big Ten with 10 sacks and could wreak real havoc in the Irish backfield. Notre Dame graduate safety Xavier Watts just earned consensus All-American status for the second consecutive year with five interceptions on the season. Both teams have stars on either side of the ball, and everyone will get theirs at some points throughout the night. Notre Dame’s best will just have to earn one or two more big moments.
Contact Tyler Reidy at treidy3@nd.edu
Notre Dame’s and Indiana’s seasons in review
By CLAIRE WATSON Sports Writer
With excitement around campus, the No. 7-seeded Notre Dame football team will host the No. 10-seeded Indiana Hoosiers in the first round of the College Football Playoff on Friday. The last time the two teams met was in 1991 when the Irish took the 49-27 win.
Notre Dame
The Irish are heading into the playoffs with an impressive 11-1 record, their only stumble being a shocking 16-14 upset against Northern Illinois — a result that stunned Notre Dame fans. Undeterred, the team is now focused on hosting the first round of the playoffs, eager to continue their strong season.
Key players
Riley Leonard: The senior quarterback transfer from Duke quickly made his mark on the Notre Dame offense, seamlessly integrating into the team. Leonard capped off the regular season with 14 touchdowns and an impressive 721 rushing yards. However, his work as quarterback is far from over. Known for his dual-threat capabilities, Leonard also showcased his passing prowess, amassing
2,092 yards through the air on 194 completions.
Xavier Watts: Graduate safety Xavier Watts, who was named a consensus AllAmerican for the second straight year and earned Walter Camp Defensive Player of the week, Senior Bowl Defensive Player of the Week and Lott IMPACT Trophy Player of the Week after the USC game, excelled in helping the Irish reach the playoff this year. Watts finished with a total of 14 passes defended, nine pass break-ups, 19 assisted tackles and five interceptions. Watts also got his chance to shine on offense during the USC game with an interception and ran back a 100-yard touchdown for the Irish.
Jeremiyah Love: Sophomore running back Jeremiyah Love has been a cornerstone of the Irish offense, delivering standout performances throughout the regular season. Famous for his signature heart-shaped hand gesture after touchdowns, Love racked up an impressive 17 touchdowns, scoring in every game this season. Heading into Friday’s matchup, the dynamic sophomore also boasts 206 receiving yards.
Jadarian Price: Hailing from Denison, Texas, junior running back Jadarian Price was another key player for
the Irish. On offense, Price finished with a total of seven touchdowns, but more importantly, he finished with 651 rushing yards.
Mitch Jeter: As a transfer from South Carolina, graduate kicker Mitch Jeter started off his season strong, but after suffering an injury, the rest of the season was shaky. After starting off his season well and finishing the first five games of the season with a perfect field-goal percentage, Jeter suffered a strained right hip injury during the Notre Dame-Stanford game that greatly impacted the rest of the season. Jeter finished the regular season kicking 50 percent in comparison to the start of the season when he was kicking 100 percent.
Defense
A key factor in the team’s success this season has been its dominant defense, widely recognized as one of the best in college football. The Irish defense concluded the regular season with a stellar passing efficiency rating of 94.1, 28 turnovers gained and 141 points scored off those turnovers. They also contributed directly to the scoreboard with six defensive touchdowns, while racking up 17 interceptions and recovering 11 fumbles.
Offense
Notre Dame’s offense also shined this season, amassing 2,698 rushing yards, 2,357 passing yards and 5,055 total yards — an average of 421.3 per game.
Indiana
The Indiana Hoosiers, also finishing the season with an 11-1 record, will face Notre Dame in the first round of the playoffs. Their sole loss came against fellow CFP qualifier Ohio State in a 38-15 defeat.
Key players
Kurtis Rourke: Redshirt senior quarterback Kurtis Rourke has been the driving force behind the Hoosiers’ offense, showcasing his precision and versatility. Rourke tallied 27 passing touchdowns, two rushing touchdowns and 2,827 total passing yards, earning a reputation for his exceptional efficiency.
Justice Ellison: Next up is senior running back Justice Ellison. The senior led the Indiana backfield as he finished with 10 rushing touchdowns and 830 yards per game.
Aiden Fisher: Junior linebacker Aiden Fisher was key for the Hoosiers on defense.
The junior was an All-Big Ten linebacker in his first season at Indiana, finishing the season with a total of 108 tackles.
Nicolas Radicic: Redshirt freshman kicker Nicolas Radicic scored the most for the Hoosiers, putting up a total of 96 points over the season. Radicic successfully kicked nine field goals alongside going 69-for-69 in extra point attempts.
Ty Son Lawton: A redshirt senior running back, Ty Son Lawton made his comeback this year for the Hoosiers as he finished with the second-most points of the regular season at 72. Lawson finished with 634 rushing yards, 114 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns.
Offense
The Hoosiers’ high-powered offense was pivotal to their success this season, amassing 520 points and averaging 43.3 points per game. They also excelled on the ground, racking up 2,355 rushing yards and 37 touchdowns.
“They play, as I often say, with the clarity you look for,” Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman said of the Hoosiers.
After both teams finished their regular seasons 11-1, Notre Dame will face Indiana in a sold-out Notre Dame Stadium on Dec. 20, starting at 8 p.m.
Contact Claire Watson at cwatson01@saintmarys.edu
Dowd finishes first semester as president
In Observer interview, Fr. Robert Dowd discussed Notre Dame’s opportunities, cost of attendance
By ISA SHEIKH Editor-in-Chief
After Notre Dame’s stressful victory over the Trojans in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in November, Fr. Robert Dowd rushed across the field towards the team. As the players gathered for the alma mater, Dowd joined, singing “Notre Dame, Our Mother” in an audible voice.
Later, as the University president silently stood along the tarp walls of the small post-game press conference, Irish head coach Marcus Freeman said, “There’s an unbelievable feeling to be able to sing alma mater a cappella with our fans, our parents and everybody that loves this university.”
It has been a notable semester for the Fighting Irish football, but also for Dowd who marked the beginning of the semester with festivities for his inauguration, and has since been a stalwart presence on campus, from attending women’s basketball games to moderating public events.
“It’s been an eventful semester, you know, with the inauguration and football season and everything that means,” Dowd said in an interview.
On most mornings, the priest has made the short walk from 239 Cavanaugh Hall to his office on the fourth floor of the Main Building. The fleeting commute is familiar to Dowd, who has previously served in various positions in the administration, including as the assistant provost for internationalization.
Ann Firth, vice president and the chief of staff, worked under Fr. John Jenkins for over a decade, and has retained the role under Dowd.
“I’ve known Fr. Dowd for many years,” she said. “Notre Dame’s so very fortunate to have a great continuity of leadership and such great leaders who are so rooted in the in the mission of the place. I see each as different leaders with different ideas and different priorities, but a deep sense of shared values and different leadership styles, of course. They’re different people.”
Dowd said he’s had a smooth transition into the position, thanks to many including his
predecessor and colleagues. He named former presidents Jenkins, Fr. Edward “Monk” Malloy, Fr. Ted Hesburgh and Fr. Edward Sorin as personal “heroes.”
“For me, the key is to surround myself with people who are competent and committed, and who are honest, who are able to speak hard truths when it’s necessary. We just want to make sure that we build on the great work that has gone before and make Notre Dame better and better. And the only way we’ll make Notre Dame better and better is if we recognize our shortcomings,” he said.
In his inaugural address at the beginning of the semester, Dowd announced the Pathways to Notre Dame initiative, promising that Notre Dame will go loan-free for all undergraduates and need-blind for both domestic and international students.
Dowd said the University still has shortcomings that he hopes to tackle.
“It’s clear we need to continue to make Notre Dame more accessible and more affordable,” he said. “We’re doing our best to try.”
Dowd noted that he wishes to increase the socioeconomic diversity of international students at Notre Dame, “ensuring that those international students who are at Notre Dame are perhaps more representative
of the countries from which they come.”
Dowd also said he wanted to strengthen the sense of community at Notre Dame.
“We have a great community here, but we can always add,” he said. “We need to make sure that we never let anything divide us. Differences are natural in the community. In fact, they’re good and any university really needs difference in order for it to be a community that cultivates growth.”
“There need to be differences. There needs to be a certain degree of diversity. But those differences don’t need to be deep divisions,” he added.
Dowd added that there is a problem with being too comfortable.
“We need to be willing to move beyond our comfort zones. And sometimes we live our lives in our comfort zones, connecting with or relating with people who are like us in many ways. We all need a certain degree of comfort,” he said. “There’s nothing wrong with that, per se, but if that’s all, [if] we’re only relating with people who are like us, first of all, we’re inhibiting our own growth as human beings. And secondly, we’re not building the kind of community that I think we need to have here at Notre Dame.”
While Dowd has made steps on the cost of attending the University, he said he
recognizes concerns about the pricetag.
“We’ve tried to be very conscious of the cost and thoughtful about the tuition and the room and board and cost of a Notre Dame education, and that’s something we’ll continue to be very thoughtful and vigilant about,” he said.
Dowd said that expenses have risen for the University, but also that questions about student cost of attendance are legitimate.
“I do think that it’s legitimate to ask why the cost of a college education has increased so dramatically. The cost of offering what we offer here at Notre Dame has gone up, and we have to be conscious of that,” he added.
“I think at the same time, we want to make sure that the tuition we are charging makes sense, and we’re not quite confident that we’re doing this, that we’re being very thoughtful about what it is that we are charging.”
“The bottom line is that we are committed to meeting the full financial need of everyone who’s admitted to Notre Dame and we’re doing that more than ever,” he added.
Dowd said that Notre Dame’s distinctive nature is rooted in its Catholicism.
“Notre Dame is unimaginable without a Catholic mission,” he said.
“Here at Notre Dame, we
have something truly special, a legacy of [holistic education] and for me as president, I see it as my special responsibility to ensure that we are deepening our Catholic mission and that we are helping students to grow, not only intellectually, but to grow socially and spiritually,” he said.
Dowd said that tackling affordability is an element of deepening the University’s Catholic mission.
“We can’t simply rest on our laurels when it comes to anything, including our Catholic mission,” he said. “That Pathways initiative is going to make our undergraduate student body more reflective of the rich diversity of the Catholic community in and beyond the United States and so that’s another great way to serve the Church.”
Dowd has chosen to remain in Cavanaugh Hall, the North Quad women’s dorm, where he lived before his presidency. He said being in the residence hall is one way he feels connected to the student body.
“I do think it’s helpful to rub shoulders with students, to interact with students where they live. I think it’s helpful for me to get a sense of the pulse of the student body,” he said.
But the ladies of Cavanaugh Hall are not the end of Dowd’s student engagement.
“Of course, Cavanaugh is just one segment of the student body, so there have to be other ways to do that, and I intend to keep teaching. I’m not teaching this academic year, but in the spring semester of next year, my hope is to teach, and I look forward to doing that,” Dowd said. “There’s one thing I miss already, in the short time that I’ve been president, it has been teaching, interacting with students in the classroom.”
Dowd’s career as a priest, professor and administrator has been shaped by his research and scholarship on politics and religion in Africa. He said that his time in the continent has shaped his view of Notre Dame and its mission.
“My time in Africa, beginning when I was
GRAY NOCJAR | The Observer
University President Fr. Robert Dowd was inaugurated as president in September, succeeding Fr. John Jenkins. During his inauguration speech, Dowd announced new financial aid opportunities for international students.
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a seminarian, and continuing for many years when I returned and conducted research in Africa and spent time with the Holy Cross Community in East Africa. I think all of that kind of opened my eyes to the world, first of all, to the international mission of Holy Cross, and to the global reach of the Church, but also to the challenges and the opportunities that the people face in other parts of the world,” he said.
“No doubt my experience in Africa informs my conviction that Notre Dame needs to continue to make strides in becoming a more global institution
and in a way that that really helps us to be the Notre Dame the world needs,” he added.
At the same time, Dowd has emphasized the University’s obligations to South Bend and the local community.
“When I talk about becoming a more global institution, I never want that to be seen as at the expense of local engagement. I grew up in Indiana, not far from this area,” he said. “It’s important for Notre Dame that this city of South Bend and the people of this region, they really thrive. This is a vibrant community. Notre Dame and people of this community share a future.”
Contact Isa Sheikh at isheikh@nd.edu
ND releases REA decisions
Observer Staff Report
On Wednesday evening at 6:42 p.m., Notre Dame released its restrictive early action decisions for 12,917 applicants. 1,669 applicants were admitted to the class, according to a University press release.
This year’s admissions rate for restrictive early action measured at approximately 12.9%, roughly down 2% from an admissions rate of 14.9% last year. Applicants included students from 149 countries, up from 109 countries last year. This increase comes after the University announced in September admissions would go need-blind for all international and domestic applicants.
“We could not be more excited to welcome this group of admitted students home to Notre Dame,” vice president for undergraduate enrollment Micki Kidder stated in the press release. Last year, roughly half of the class of the class of 2028 was admitted via restrictive early action, according to Kidder. The restrictive early action process prevents students from applying via early decision to any other schools, but does not require students to attend Notre Dame if accepted.
PLAYOFF OUTLOOK
Could an Irish national title be on the horizon?
By NOAH CAHILL Associate Sports Editor
With a 49-35 win over rival USC in the final game of the regular season, Notre Dame finished 2024 on a 10-game win streak at 11-1 for the year. The win punched a ticket to the College Football Playoff, where the Irish are set to host a firstround game in Notre Dame Stadium for the first time in school history. Following a wild weekend of conference championship matchups, the Irish slotted into the No. 7 seed, setting up a matchup with No. 10 Indiana in South Bend on Friday night, Dec. 20, the first playoff game of the 12-team era. Texas’ loss in the SEC Championship handed Georgia the No. 2 seed, the 11-2 Longhorns falling to the No. 5 spot. Behind a competitive loss against No. 1 Oregon in the Big Ten championship, 11-2 Penn State fell to No. 6. Despite the extra loss, however, both teams remained above the 11-1 Irish, who did not play a conference championship game.
While probabilities for the five and six seeds were higher for Notre Dame heading into the final weekend, the Irish still left with a favorable matchup in their stadium, which is more than they could have asked for back in September after collapsing against Northern Illinois. They opened up as 7.5-point favorites over the Hoosiers. Should they get past their in-state opponents, they will travel to New Orleans to face No. 2 seed Georgia in the Sugar Bowl as part of the CFP quarterfinal. But how confident should Irish fans be in round one?
Cautious optimism. This defines the mindset entering most Notre Dame games this season, especially after
COLUMN
NIU. Once again, as they have been throughout a weak regular-season slate, the Irish expect to win and win somewhat comfortably. They face an 11-1 Hoosiers team that has been the Cinderella story of the college football season. After being introduced as head coach just over a year ago, Curt Cignetti has transformed one of the losingest programs in the nation into a playoff team. Picked in the preseason to finish 17th of 18 teams in an expanded and talented field of Big Ten teams, Indiana blew all expectations out of the water.
This was largely the result of Cignetti’s accelerated rebuild approach which capitalized on the rapidly evolving college football landscape. The addition of 31 new players through the transfer portal and increased NIL funding powered the team to 11 wins despite their preseason over-under total being set at 5.5. But another key aspect of his approach was the choice of a more favorable regular-season schedule, which ranks 67th in ESPN’s Power Index, the second weakest amongst teams in the playoff field barring only Boise State. The Hoosiers are without a win against a currently ranked team, and their only ranked opponent, No. 8 Ohio State, throttled them 38-15. Despite the incredible strides they have taken as a program, there is a clear talent gap between them and Notre Dame.
This is not to say that the game should be a cakewalk. Indiana has the potential to be a matchup problem, boasting the best rushing defense in the nation. But they haven’t seen the three-headed monster in the backfield of senior quarterback Riley Leonard, sophomore running back Jeremiyah Love and junior
running back Jadarian Price, who have looked more dangerous by the week behind a constantly improving offensive line. Despite exiting the USC game in the third quarter, Love is set to return at full strength, which is massive news for the Irish. On the other side of the ball and arguably just as important, graduate defensive tackle Howard Cross III, who had been sidelined the previous three games, is also set to play. His return will be vital to bolstering both the Irish run defense and pass rush. Before his injury, the graduate student pairing of him and Rylie Mills wreaked havoc on opposing offensive lines, the two combining for eight sacks in six games after a slow start to the season.
The performance of the secondary in their first real test of the season against a strong USC passing attack was a bit concerning. The injury to junior and projected first-round corner Benjamin Morrison appeared far more glaring as sophomore Christian Gray was picked on all day in one-onone coverage. However, Gray responded at the vital moment to stifle USC’s attempt at a game-tying fourth-quarter drive with a 99-yard pick-six, and freshman Leonard Moore held up well on the other side of him all game. The safety duo of graduate student Xavier Watts and sophomore Adon Shuler continues to prove itself among the nation’s best. Watts delivered another highlight moment against USC with a game-sealing 100-yard picksix, coming just one drive after Gray’s pivotal play. Indiana’s offense will pose a legitimate threat, but this Irish defense remains the most dominant unit in the game and should set the tone from the beginning.
While I see Indiana keeping the contest close, the defense will generate the necessary game script to lean on them in the run game. Eventually, the Hoosiers will break.
After the first round, I believe Notre Dame has as good a path as anyone to the national championship. No. 2 Georgia is not the same fear-inducing juggernaut of old, and the injury to starting quarterback Carson Beck further stresses an already underwhelming offense. The Bulldogs have the talent to hit as high of a ceiling as any team in the field, but I once again view this Irish defensive unit as the best in the matchup. The formula for Notre Dame would remain the same: get into a good game script early and run the ball. The Bulldogs have been vulnerable at times against the ground game, showing that vulnerability against a mobile quarterback in Georgia Tech’s Haynes King, who helped power the Yellow Jackets to 260 rushing yards in their eightovertime thriller.
Riley Leonard is another level of rushing threat. I could see him finding similar success en route to an Irish win. That would leave them with one of Boise State, Penn State or SMU, all extremely enticing matchups. Boise State and SMU rank bottom-three in strength of schedule among the playoff field, and Penn State’s only ranked win came against No. 20 Illinois. Their resume is also marked by several narrow escapes, including an overtime comeback against common opponent USC and a onepoint victory over a mediocre Minnesota team. I’ll bet that Notre Dame would love to see any of those three in a semifinal. No. 1 seed Oregon looms on the other side of the bracket
as the most likely national championship candidate on paper, but its path to the playoff is controversially challenging. The Ducks’ reward for earning the top seed is a date with the winner of sleeping giants Ohio State and Tennessee. Win that and they would most likely see No. 5 seed Texas, whose path of Clemson and Arizona State looks just as favorable despite the extra game. I believe Notre Dame could beat both of those teams, but if Oregon is considered the greatest threat, it is worth noting they are no guarantee to be waiting in the title.
After the euphoric high of a program-defining win over Texas A&M in College Station followed by an all-time low in the hope opener a game later, head coach Marcus Freeman has brought this team a long way. In his first two seasons, he showed an inability to sustain routine winning. For all the griping about former coach Brian Kelly on his way out, it took Freeman only two seasons to match Kelly’s loss total over his final five seasons at Notre Dame. Many of those losses came against teams the Irish had no business losing to, Marshall and Stanford the prime examples. After the NIU loss, all of the tough questions for Freeman resurfaced as fast as they were silenced by the Week One win. But in the following 10 games, he flipped the script. Showing his team film of the NIU game every single week, he did not let them look past anyone on their dominant 10-game win streak. The dream of the magical third-year run remains alive and well for Freeman, and for the first time ever, it will start in South Bend.
Contact Noah Cahill at ncahill2@nd.edu
Kelly: the Irish of old must ride again tonight
By LIAM KELLY Notre Dame News Editor
On Friday night at Notre Dame Stadium, amidst the cold and the snow, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish will kick off the first 12-team College Football Playoff in history.
The eyes of the nation will be upon Notre Dame in the primetime affair. After a crushing defeat to Northern Illinois in September, the Irish crawled back from the brink and now have the chance to move forward in the playoffs if they can defeat Indiana.
Far, but surely visible in the distance, a national championship now lies in view. Athletic director Pete Bavacqua recently stated that
he and Marcus Freeman are “maniacally obsessed” with winning a championship. They will need to be.
The days of Knute Rockne, of Ara Parseghian, of Lou Holtz, brought glory and 11 national championships to Notre Dame football. They cemented Notre Dame on the Mount Rushmore of college football and established the school as the preeminent team of choice for Catholics across America.
For too long, however, Notre Dame football has lingered in mediocrity. 36 years have now passed since we hoisted a national championship trophy. We have forgone the standard of excellence which our name expects of us. We have rested upon our laurels, content to
reap the benefits of fame that our predecessors built upon. We have enjoyed the media attention, the broadcasting deals, the stadium upgrades and the merchandise deals. Despite valiant attempts to return to glory, we have been complacent.
All the while commentators and opposing teams wait in the wings, eager to tear down the champion of old, to cast it off its pedestal. We have an easy schedule, they say. We should join a conference. We don’t win the big games. The old attacks are all too familiar.
Now lies the chance to prove the noise wrong. At our home stadium we have the opportunity to exorcise our demons, to reestablish our
glory and pedigree. All the pieces are in place. An athletic program driven to win and committed to expending the resources necessary to make it happen. A head coach admired by the players, who has proven his ability to win. A talented quarterback trusted by his teammates. A team that has been hardened by adversity and emerged victorious.
For the first time in years, Notre Dame Football can truly return to glory. Victory is within reach. We need only reach out and grasp it. The Irish may not hold the place in college football that they once did. Other teams may have more championships, they may have more skill, they may be better funded. But,
although much has changed, there is still fight within the Irish.
As the poet Alfred Tennyson writes of the mythical character Ulysses, Notre Dame football is “not now that strength which in old days moved earth and heaven,” but “that which we are, we are; one equal temper of heroic hearts made weak by time and fate, but strong in will to strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.”
On Friday evening, the crowd must wake up the echoes and the Fighting Irish, as of old, must ride again, outlined against a blue-gray December sky.
Contact Liam Kelly at lkelly8@nd.edu
History of the Notre Dame-Indiana matchup
By CHRIS DAILEY Sports Writer
On Friday night, Notre Dame will square off against in-state foe Indiana in the College Football Playoff. This matchup marks only the 30th time the two programs have shared the field together. The Irish hold a 23-5-1 all-time record against the Hoosiers, but this game is unlike any other. The stakes have never been higher for Notre Dame as it seeks to move one step closer to winning its 12th national championship. Indiana, led by fiery first-year head coach Curt Cignetti, has a chance to pick up its first win against the Irish since a famous upset in 1950.
Last time out
It’s been 33 years since Notre Dame and Indiana last saw each other. The 1991 season opener for both programs took place at Notre Dame Stadium. The Irish prevailed 49-27, highlighted by tight end Irv Smith carrying a Hoosiers defender on his back for 20 yards to score his first career touchdown and send the home fans into a frenzy.
Irish legend Jerome Bettis left
his mark against Indiana with 111 yards on just 11 carries. At only 19 years old, Bettis showed early signs of greatness, eventually becoming an NFL icon and earning a permanent place in Canton, Ohio, as a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
The game marked a historic milestone for Notre Dame football, as it was the debut of the Irish’s landmark contract with NBC, which has aired every home game since — until this Friday.
The early years
The first game of the series can be traced back to 1898. Indiana prevailed 11-5 at Brownson Hall Field, the original home for the Irish. Notre Dame then evened the score in 1899 with a 17-0 win, this time coming at Cartier Field — the first permanent stadium for Notre Dame that was torn down in 1928 to pave the way for Notre Dame Stadium.
The two programs continued to play yearly games until 1908. Four of Indiana’s wins came within that initial time period.
Notre Dame’s dominance
From 1908 onwards, the Irish
have won 20 of the 21 games. Indiana’s lone win during that time period came on Oct. 21, 1950, in a famous 20-7 victory. The loss came as a shock for Notre Dame, which had won three of the last four national championships and produced three of the last seven Heisman winners: Angelo Bertelli, Johnny Lujack and Leon Hart.
The most lopsided victory for Notre Dame occurred in 1949, when the Irish won 49-6 in their first game en route to Frank Leahy’s fourth national championship. That Irish team is considered to be the cutoff for Notre Dame’s legendary dynasty in the 1940s, which is often regarded as one of the greatest in college football history.
Bernie Crimmins, a member of the Notre Dame coaching staff during the 1949 game and former Irish player from 19391941, was later hired as the head coach of Indiana in 1952. After four years, Crimmins came back to South Bend and was a 1975 inductee in the Indiana Football Hall of Fame.
Overall, throughout the 1940s and 50s, Notre Dame outscored Indiana 248-50 over the course of the nine times they played.
More than just Indiana
This game not only marks the 30th time Notre Dame faces Indiana, but it is the first time Notre Dame has played on a Friday since Nov. 30, 1900, when the Irish beat the Chicago Physicians and Surgeons, 5-0, in a low-scoring affair. Furthermore, this will mark the first non-NBC broadcast of a Notre Dame game since Nov. 17, 1990 — a 24-21 victory over Penn State.
Looking ahead
With the ever-changing landscape of college football, Friday night’s playoff game against Indiana won’t be the only time these teams square off in the near future. The
programs have scheduled a home-and-home series for a 2030 game in South Bend followed by a 2031 matchup in Bloomington.
Notre Dame vs. Indiana won’t just be a playoff game restoring the greatest “what-if rivalry” in college football, it’s an audition for the future. With Notre Dame needing to make tweaks to its schedule due to conference realignment, it could very likely mean that the 2030 and 2031 games in the near future receive an extension, especially if Friday night lives up to the expectation circulating around campus.
Contact Chris Dailey at cdailey2@nd.edu
Years Hence”
• No prerequisites
• No exams, quizzes or textbooks
• Eight lectures on select Fridays
One
PREDICTIONS
Football beat picks: Notre Dame vs. Indiana
By Observer Sports Staff
Noah Cahill
The time has finally come. After three weeks of eager anticipation, the muchawaited 12-team College Football Playoff kicks off, and Notre Dame will play the first-ever game under the new format in its stadium on Friday night. It is an exciting time in South Bend. After rattling off 10 consecutive wins to finish the regular season and punch their ticket to the playoff, the Irish enter the matchup with No. 10 seed Indiana as a little over a touchdown favorite. The game now comes in light of head coach Marcus Freeman’s contract extension, locking the third-year head coach down for the following six years at one of the highest-paid numbers of any coach in the country. New athletic coordinator Pete Bevacqua has expressed being “maniacally obsessed with winning” and has put his money where his mouth is. Freeman will hope to consolidate his new raise with a first postseason win. Turning to the field, injury news for Notre Dame captures the headlines as star sophomore running back Jeremiyah Love and former All-American graduate defensive tackle Howard Cross III will both play in the game, two of the most pivotal contributors on either side of the ball. Love will power a three-headed monster in the backfield alongside Riley Leonard and Jadarian Price, the three running behind an offensive line playing its best football at the right time. They will face the No. 1 rushing defense in the country in the Hoosiers, a group that has controlled the line of scrimmage and pressured the quarterback at a high level all season. They have allowed only 70.8 yards per game on the ground albeit against a relatively weak schedule of opponents. I see the matchup in the trenches as defining the game, particularly for a Notre Dame team that will look to establish an early lead and control the game script with their rushing attack and staunch defense. Cross will join his graduate student partner in crime Rylie Mills to set the tone up front for a dominant Irish defense, which I contend to be the best unit on the field in this game. I don’t see Indiana moving the ball effectively in this game. The Irish secondary proved somewhat gettable against a talented USC wide receiver corps, especially without projected firstround junior cornerback
Benjamin Morrison, but it won’t be tested in the same way by this Hoosier passing attack, which tends to operate more in the quick game than pushing the ball downfield as the Trojans did. Powered by a home crowd which is shaping up to be one of the strongest Notre Dame Stadium has seen since last year’s Ohio State game, the Irish will take control of this game in the second half. I predict a competitive first half with some nervy moments and a potential early Indiana lead, but the game will always be there for Notre Dame to take. Over time, the Irish rush attack will wear down the Hoosier front, as formidable as they have proven to be this year, and who I believe to be the tougher and more talented team will win.
Indiana 21, Notre Dame 35 SMU at Penn State pick: Penn State
Clemson at Texas pick: Clemson
Tennessee at Ohio State pick: Ohio State
Matthew Crow
After 10 consecutive wins to close out the regular season, the Irish are right where they hoped to be at the start of the year – playing December football in South Bend with a spot in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals on the line. Notre Dame and Indiana have been two of college football’s most dominant teams all year, with both teams ranking inside the top six nationally in scoring offense and defense.
The defining matchup of the game could be a strengthon-strength duel between the Hoosiers’ top-ranked rushing defense and Notre Dame’s always-dangerous ground attack. With Indiana likely keying in on slowing down the Irish’s outstanding backfield duo of sophomore Jeremiyah Love and junior Jadarian Price (who combined for 210 yards and two touchdowns on just 25 carries in their last time out against USC), Notre Dame will have to find success through the air, and senior quarterback Riley Leonard – who was excellent during the back half of the regularseason slate – will need to be at his absolute best on Friday night in order for the Irish to get any separation from the Hoosiers and prevent a low-scoring slugfest.
The other side of the ball is where I think the Irish have the biggest edge. Indiana has impressed offensively, averaging 43 points per game on the year, but has struggled to find that same
explosiveness against some of the best defenses on its schedule. While splitting a pair of November games against Michigan and Ohio State, the Hoosiers scored just 35 total points. Notre Dame’s defense didn’t have its best outing against USC but stepped up to make key plays down the stretch, and I trust that defensive coordinator Al Golden will have his unit ready to roll after nearly a month off to prepare for everything that Indiana has to offer. Given the Irish’s inconsistency in the kicking game and Marcus Freeman’s recent willingness to play extremely aggressively, the game’s outcome could hinge on a few critical fourth-andshort situations for Notre Dame, and Leonard and Co. have thrived in those scenarios all year long. With home-field advantage on their side in what should be an electric atmosphere under the lights at Notre Dame Stadium, I see the Irish continuing to play their brand of well-rounded football to earn a hard-fought two-possession win and set up a New Year’s Day showdown with Georgia.
Indiana 24, Notre Dame 35 SMU at Penn State pick: Penn State
Clemson at Texas pick: Clemson
Tennessee at Ohio State pick: Ohio State
Annika Herko
Indiana is like no other team Notre Dame has faced this year. The Hoosiers are talented, and they have experience in big games. No one really expected Indiana to have the season it did, but the Hoosiers were successful because of their up-tempo offense and quarterback Kurtis Rourke’s ability to get the ball out to his receivers quickly. Having graduate defensive tackle Howard Cross III back should help give the Irish defense an edge, but the Irish won’t be able to keep the Hoosiers out of the end zone like they have with many other opponents this season.
On offense, this has to be the game of Riley Leonard’s life. Against Ohio State, the Hoosiers keyed in on the run, and it wouldn’t be surprising if they used the same strategy this week given Jeremiyah Love’s season. Leonard and the receiving corps come out of the locker room ready to throw deep. The Irish win after an initially back-and-forth game by staying tough in the second half.
Indiana 21, Notre Dame 35 SMU at Penn State pick: Penn State
Clemson at Texas pick: Texas Tennessee at Ohio State pick: Ohio State
Madeline Ladd
Friday night, Notre Dame will make history as the first college campus to host a College Football Playoff game. The in-state showdown between the seventh seeded Irish and the 10th seeded Hoosiers will be a battle of contrasts, pitting Indiana’s dynamic offense against Notre Dame’s dominant defense. With nothing to lose, Indiana is likely to play aggressively. The Irish must maintain the sharp focus they’ve shown since their loss to NIU, avoid costly penalties and turnovers and execute on special teams.
Indiana, riding high after its best regular season in decades under National Coach of the Year Curt Cignetti, boasts the nation’s second-ranked scoring offense (43.3 points per game). Quarterback Kurtis Rourke, a pocket passer with a nation-leading 181.3 pass efficiency rating, could pose a significant challenge for Notre Dame’s defense.
The Hoosiers also feature a strong ground game, with Justice Ellison and Ty Son Lawton each surpassing 600 rushing yards with a combined 22 touchdowns. However, Indiana’s offense will face a stern test against Notre Dame’s ninth-ranked scoring defense (13.58 PPG allowed), bolstered by the return of Howard Cross III to the defensive line.
On the other side, Indiana’s top-ranked run defense will aim to stifle the Irish rushing attack. However, their strength is questionable, having faced only one top-60 rushing offense this season in Ohio State. Riley Leonard will be key in exploiting Indiana’s defensive gaps with smart decision-making and timely runs.
Weather could play a factor, with wind gusts favoring a ground game that suits Notre Dame.
Indiana hasn’t won in South Bend since 1898. Give me the Irish to the Sugar Bowl to take on Georgia.
Indiana 24, Notre Dame 31
SMU at Penn State pick: Penn State Clemson at Texas pick: Texas Tennessee at Ohio State pick: Tennessee
Tyler Reidy I’m just glad it’s finally gameday. All of the black uniform discourse among Notre Dame fans and social
media dunking between Irish and Hoosier fans can give way to an epic in-state battle in The House that Rockne Built. Both teams mostly plowed through their regular-season schedules, entering the postseason with two of college football’s top three scoring margins. Indiana’s transfer-fueled offense just had a 66-point field day against Purdue but looked uninspiring the week prior against Ohio State, the only high-level team Indiana has faced this season. On the other side, Notre Dame’s run-first offensive attack with the three-headed monster of Riley Leonard, Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price hasn’t scored less than 30 points in almost three months. Both teams also enter Friday with phenomenal defenses, Indiana’s better against the run and Notre Dame’s harsher through the air.
As I outlined in the keys to victory article, turnover margin and offensive comfort will largely decide Friday’s game. The Irish and Hoosiers each take care of the football, traverse the field efficiently on offense and play an opportunistic defensive game. Any disruptions from takeaways, pressure or crowd noise will play a significant role in determining Georgia’s opponent in the Sugar Bowl. I’ve also got my eye on Friday night’s red-zone play. Indiana scores at a higher rate than anyone in the country inside the 20-yard line but doesn’t defend that area nearly as well. Notre Dame keeps opponents off the board in the red zone – if they can make it there – but has struggled to score points there because of its nagging issues in the kicking game.
Notre Dame needs a fast start. If the game remains close, the Irish will have to contend with sending an unreliable kicker out to take the tying or winning attempt. Fortunately for them, I don’t believe the Hoosiers have the ammunition nor the regular-season pedigree to hang with a focused and energized Irish team. They had their chance to prove the opposite against Ohio State and lost by 23 points. Indiana made for a great story this season, but its twotouchdown loss in South Bend will send Notre Dame on to Sugar Bowl.
Indiana 20, Notre Dame 34 SMU at Penn State pick: Penn State Clemson at Texas pick: Clemson Tennessee at Ohio State pick: Ohio State
