SOUTH BEND, Ind. — On Saturday, Riley Leonard threw three touchdown passes, while Notre Dame’s defense generated five turnovers, leading the No. 8 Fighting Irish to a 35-14 victory against Virginia.
Leonard completed 22 of 33 passes for 214 yards, helping Notre Dame (9-1) establish a commanding 35-0 lead before ultimately securing its eighth consecutive win.
All three of Leonard’s touchdown passes occurred in the first half; he connected with Jayden Harrison for an 8-yard touchdown, found Cooper Flanagan from 2 yards out, and threw a 16-yard pass to Mitchell Evans.
Notre Dame’s defense was relentless, forcing five turnovers in the first half, four of which resulted in touchdowns. Xavier Watts made an interception and recovered a fumble, while Adon Shuler and Leonard Moore also picked off passes. Max Hurleman recovered a fumble, and Rod Heard II contributed by causing a fumble.
The Fighting Irish capitalized on an early mistake from Virginia when Chris Tyree, a former member of the Notre Dame team, mishandled the opening kickoff. The ball bounced off the ground, and Hurleman scooped it up, giving Notre Dame possession at the Cavaliers’ 25-yard line.
From there, it took just five plays for Jeremiyah Love to score a 4-yard touchdown. Love had a standout performance overall, rushing for 137 yards on 16 carries, which included a long 76-yard touchdown run in the third quarter.
Despite their dominance, Notre Dame had two potential touchdowns and 151 yards nullified by penalties within a mere 10 seconds. A 78-yard completion from Leonard to Harrison was brought back due to a hands-to-the-face call against Pat Coogan, and a 73-yard fake punt touchdown run by Jordan Faison was overturned by an illegal formation penalty.
At halftime, Virginia (5-5) opted to replace starting quarterback Anthony Colandrea with Tony Muskett. Muskett ultimately led a five-play drive that ended with an 18-yard rushing touchdown and added another score with a 2-yard run just 18 seconds shy of the game’s end.
Virginia’s Malachi Fields had a solid day receiving, catching four passes for a total of 81 yards, while Jonas Sanker recorded a fumble recovery, a sack, and a tackle for loss, finishing with eight tackles from his safety position.
The Takeaway:
For Notre Dame, a formidable defense paved the way for an effective offense, showcasing their talents as the opportunity to impress the College Football Playoffs committee closes in.
In contrast, Virginia’s aspirations for a road upset against a Top 25 opponent and a chance for bowl eligibility suffered due to turnovers. Following a victory over then-No. 23 Pitt the previous week, Virginia now needs to defeat either No. 14 SMU at home or archrival Virginia Tech on the road to secure a bowl game appearance.
Poll Implications:
Notre Dame solidified its position within the Top 10 rankings following this comprehensive win.
Next Up:
The Fighting Irish will face off against No. 16 Army at Yankee Stadium on Saturday, while Virginia is set to host No. 14 SMU the same day.