Complete performance lifts Notre Dame to a 41-24 win at No. 16 Syracuse
In what was expected to be a difficult matchup against one of the best offenses Notre Dame will face this season, the Irish defense instead played one of its best games this year in a 41-24 win Saturday at No. 16 Syracuse (6-2).
The Irish defense and special teams weren’t too shabby either in its 26th consecutive win over an ACC opponent.
Paced by 246 rushing yards, two interceptions — one returned for a touchdown — and another blocked punt that set up a score, Notre Dame never trailed.
Only briefly did this one get interesting after the Irish led 24-7 early the third quarter when Syracuse scored 10 straight points and pulled to within 24-17. Its comeback stalled out early in the fourth quarter when with Syracuse driving, a tipped pass by Irish junior lineman Howard Cross III was intercepted by senior linebacker Marist Liufau, a turnover that Notre Dame parlayed into a 7-play, 54-yard touchdown drive and a 31-17 lead.
Things got rolling
The Irish advantage swelled to 38-17 midway through the fourth quarter after a blocked punt by junior cornerback Clarence Lewis set up a 2-yard touchdown run from sophomore tailback Audric Estime, his second score the game.
Estime — who tallied 20 carries for 123 yards — was part of a Notre Dame rushing attack that piled up 246 yards and 3 rushing touchdowns.
Sophomore Logan Diggs added 20 carries for 85 yards with 1 touchdown.
Already leading 14-7 late in the second quarter, Notre Dame (5-3) took control of the game shortly before halftime when Irish junior quarterback Drew Pyne connected with sophomore wide receiver Jayden Thomas to push the lead to 21-7 at halftime.
Pyne finished only 9-of-19 passing for 116 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception in a game Notre Dame didn’t need much from its aerial attack.
In the second straight game that Notre Dame never trailed, the Irish drew first blood early in the first quarter.
On the first offensive play of the game, Irish senior safety Brandon Joseph intercepted a pass from Syracuse quarterback Garrett Shrader and returned it 29 yards for a touchdown to open the scoring.
Syracuse regrouped on its next possession and tied the game 7-7 on a 7-play, 53-yard drive that was capped with a 13-yard touchdown pass from Schrader to sophomore wide receiver Oronde Gadsden III.
That was about all the talented Orange offense managed during an extended stretch when the Irish took control of the game.
Following the Orange first touchdown drive, Notre Dame held Syracuse to only 1 first down on its next 7 possessions through the second and early third quarters.
To illustrate the domination of its rushing game, Notre Dame ran the ball 9 times on an 11-play 55-yard drive that Diggs capped with a 3-yard touchdown run for a 14-7 second-quarter Irish lead that was never seriously threatened.
After a rough 0-2 start, Notre Dame has now won five its last six games.
