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Notre Dame

How it happened: Notre Dame football brings the heat to Boise State

Eric Hansenby: Eric Hansen10/05/25EHansenND
Jaylen Sneed
Notre Dame linebacker Jaylen Sneed celebrates a big play on a big day for the Irish defense in a 28-7 victory for No. 21 ND over Boise State. Mike Miller/Blue & Gold

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — In the hottest October game on record (84 degrees at kickoff) at Notre Dame Stadium, the Irish defense played along with the theme as No. 21 ND stifled the nation’s No. 9 team in total offense and Boise State, 28-7, on a sweltering Saturday.

Coach Marcus Freeman’s Irish (3-2) won their third game in a row. Boise State is 3-2 after losing the first-time meeting between the schools. Here’s how it all unfolded:

First quarter: Notre Dame 6, Boise State 0

Top moment: In a surprisingly defensive-oriented first quarter, running back Jeremiyah Love’s 36-yard run on Notre Dame’s second offensive possession gave the Irish the momentum they needed to take the first lead of the game. Two plays later, Love went down and stayed down after a 7-yard gain, but he would return to action later in the game. Meantime, CJ Carr finished off the scoring drive with a 19-yard TD pass to Will Pauling at the 4:47 mark of the quarter. Freshman Erik Schmidt’s extra point was blocked.

Feature performers: Linebacker Drayk Bowen had the first of Notre Dame’s season-high four sacks, this one to force a punt on Boise State’s second drive, Carr was 6-of-8 passing for the Irish in the quarter for 85 yards and a TD. 

Stats: What would turn out to be a heavy penalty day for both teams showed that trend right out of the gate. The teams combined for seven penalties in the period. … The Irish outgained Boise State 147-29 yards in the opening quarter.

Items:  Starting ND right tackle Aamil Wagner came out of the game late in Notre Dame’s first offensive drive of the game, when his knee got rolled up on. He returned on ND’s next drive. Sullivan Absher came into the game at right guard and Guerby Lambert shifted from right guard to right tackle, with Wagner on the sideline.

Second quarter: Notre Dame 14 Boise State 7

Top moment: Notre Dame took the lead for good on a TD and 2-point conversion with 48 seconds left in the half. But Boise State tried to get some momentum back in the closing seconds, getting down to the Irish 31-yard line with time to — at the very least — add 3 points. Instead, redshirt freshman safety Tae Johnson got his first career interception and returned it 24 yards with 8 seconds left.

Feature performers: ND’s Malachi Fields started the go-ahead scoring drive with a 22-yard reception. Love was the workhorse on the drive, carrying the ball 5 times in the 9-play, 75-yard TD drive, including the final 4 yards untouched for his sixth rushing touchdown of the season and ninth overall TD. He and running back tag teammate Jadarian Price came into the game tied for third nationally in scoring, at 12 points per game. 

Stats: This was Boise State’s most impressive quarter offensively. The nation’s No. 9 team in total offense piled up 96 of its 315 total yards in this period, converted 3 of 4 third-down opportunities and scored on QB Maddux Madsen’s 1-yard naked bootleg run untouched. 

Items: Freshman Dallas Golden started showing up and showing out at the nickel position after grad transfer DeVonta Smith left the game with an apparent injury after playing just 7 defensive snaps.

Third quarter: Notre Dame 21, Boise State 7

Top moment: Notre Dame sophomore cornerback Leonard Moore’s first of 2 interceptions in his first game back from a high ankle sprain that had sidelined him the past two Irish games.

Feature performers: Malachi Fields caught a 6-yard TD pass to give the Irish a 21-7 lead. Jordan Faison in the passing game and Jadarian Price in the run game were the standouts earlier on that drive.

Stats: Boise State bent the Irish defense, but didn’t break it. Linebacker Jaylen Sneed’s sack on the Broncos’ first possession after halftime helped coax a punt. 

Items: The Irish held the Broncos running game, 20th nationally coming into the game, to just 2.5 yards per carry in the third quarter.

Fourth quarter: Notre Dame 28, Boise State 7

Top moment: Two plays after the Notre Dame defense turned over Boise State on downs near midfield, Price showed off his tackle-breaking and back-breaking prowess on a 49-yard scoring run to put the game out of reach. 

Feature performers: Moore had a second interception and the Irish had 4 on the day, the seventh time since 1996 they’ve had that many or more in a game. 

Stats: This was a day that belonged to the Irish defense. Notre Dame amassed season highs in sacks (4) and interceptions (4), and for the second week in a row held a team ranked in the top 10 nationally in total offense to fewer than 400 yards (315 vs. Boise State).

Items: Notre Dame’s linebackers surged collectively, accounting for 3 ½ of the 4 sacks. Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa and Jaiden Ausberry led the Irish in tackles with 8 each. Ausberry added a sack, and Viliamu-Asa combined on one with defensive end Boubacar Traore. KVA also had a pass breakup, which turned the ball over on downs to the Irish. Sneed played 24 productive snaps and had a fifth Irish interception wiped out by penalty. … Speaking of penalties, the teams combined for 24 of them, with each team being penalized 112 yards.