Notre Dame’s game to honor its “Four Horsemen” turned into a standout performance by Jeremiyah Love.
Love scored three touchdowns, tying a school record with his 11th straight game having a rushing TD. The No. 6 Fighting Irish defeated No. 18 Army 49-14 on Saturday night at Yankee Stadium, ending Army’s 13-game winning streak.
Love had touchdown runs of 68 and 14 yards, finishing with 130 yards on just seven carries. He also caught a 6-yard touchdown pass from Riley Leonard, leaping over a defender at the goal line.
Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman praised Love, saying, “It’s almost like he’s anticipating what the defense is going to do and when he breaks through that second level, I don’t see many people that can catch him.” Love had a 76-yard touchdown run the previous week against Virginia.
Riley Leonard threw two touchdown passes, and Jadarian Price ran for two more touchdowns for the Irish (10-1). Notre Dame has won nine straight games, boosting their College Football Playoff hopes. They are ranked No. 6 in this week’s rankings and have shown they are serious contenders for the national title, having allowed 14 or fewer points in six consecutive games.
“Everybody on our offense is a dog,” Love said. “Coach Freeman calls us ‘savages’ and that’s really what we are. We’re just continuing to grow every single week and get better.”
Army quarterback Bryson Daily ran for 139 yards and two touchdowns, bringing his total to 23 rushing touchdowns this season. The Black Knights (9-1) had the nation’s top rushing offense, averaging 334.9 yards per game, but were held to just 207 yards by Notre Dame’s defense.
“We couldn’t stay on the field and props to them,” Daily said. “They’re a great team.”
This was Notre Dame’s 16th consecutive win over Army, and the first time both teams were ranked since 1958, which was also the last time Army won. This game was scheduled to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Notre Dame’s 1924 victory in New York, when Grantland Rice first wrote about the team’s legendary “Four Horsemen” in his famous story.
The quote “Outlined against a blue-gray October sky, the Four Horsemen rode again” was displayed above Monument Park at Yankee Stadium.
Notre Dame took a 14-0 lead in the first quarter with two touchdown passes from Leonard on their opening drives. Army responded with Daily’s 4-yard touchdown run to make it 14-7 early in the second quarter.
But the Irish extended their lead with Love’s 14-yard touchdown run, tying Wayne Bullock’s record for the most consecutive games with a rushing TD.
Army coach Jeff Monken said playing Notre Dame at Yankee Stadium was a great experience but wished the game had been more competitive. “I mean, every phase they outclassed us,” Monken said.
Notre Dame scored touchdowns on four of their six drives in the first half. They added another 10 seconds into the second half, when Love ran for 68 yards on the first play to make it 35-7.
