Flashback Friday: Top 10 Moments from the 2024-25 Season
- Brenden Duffy
- Jun 6
- 5 min read
As we approach a new season, recovering from a National Championship defeat, we look back on what was one of the most special seasons in Notre Dame history. Relive the top ten ‘moments,’ in my opinion, including some honorable mentions below:
Photo via Notre Dame Athletics
Honorable Mentions:
Pat Coogan bails out Riley Leonard with a first down reception (video)
Jack Kiser breaks the Notre Dame record for games played (63) on Senior Day
Bryce Young blocked kicks (2 field goals and a punt)
Jeremiyah Love breaks the Notre Dame record for consecutive games with a rushing touchdown (12)
Opening drive of the National Championship versus Ohio State
Tyler Buchner fakes (rushed for a first down on a fake field goal and threw a 23-yard first down completion on a fake punt)
10. Purdue Beatdown
Just one week after the loss to Northern Illinois, it is hard to bounce back as well as the Irish did when they hammered Purdue 66-7. The 59-point loss was the worst loss in Purdue history and one the Irish needed. Jeremiyah Love had his first 100-plus yard rushing performance of the season. On defense, the freshmen showed out as DE Boubacar Traore had a pick-six and LB Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa recorded his first career interception. This victory was the first of a 13-game win streak for the Irish.
9. Freshman CB Leonard Moore Breaks Out versus Louisville
While this may not have been Moore’s best game of the year, it was the beginning of a special season for the former three-star recruit. The freshman corner earned his first career start just five games into the year against the Cardinals, where he tallied seven tackles and a forced fumble. Given Benjamin Morrison’s season-ending injury in the following game versus Stanford, the emergence of Moore could not have happened at a more convenient time. The freshman ended the season as the clear-cut starting cornerback in South Bend, finishing the year as the seventh-highest rated CB among FBS defenders, per PFF. As Morrison enters the NFL, Notre Dame fans can be at ease knowing they have their next lockdown CB for at least two more seasons.
8. Defensive Dominance versus Florida State
Eight sacks for number eight on this list. Along with recording the most sacks in a game since 2019, the Irish defense held Florida State’s offense to 208 total yards and three points. Senior Rylie Mills contributed three sacks, and sophomore Donovan Hinish added two in his first career start. The secondary showed up too, as sophomore Safety Luke Talich recorded a 79-yard pick-six and senior DB Jordan Clark recorded his first interception in a Notre Dame uniform.
7. Love and the Defense Sink Navy
MetLife Stadium was the site of Notre Dame’s 51-14 victory over the 24th-ranked Midshipmen, marking the first loss of the year for Navy. Love rushed for 102 yards and two touchdowns including a 64-yard score. On defense, the Irish forced six turnovers including five fumble recoveries. Sophomore Jaylen Sneed had nine tackles and a scoop-and-score. Adon Shuler and Junior Tuihalamaka each added seven tackles and a fumble recovery. To top it off, Leonard Moore recorded his first career interception in another dominant defensive showing.
6. Back-to-Back Pick-Sixes Seal USC’s Fate
In the regular season finale, Notre Dame walked out of LA Memorial Coliseum with a 49-35 win thanks to clutch defense from the Irish secondary. With around four minutes remaining in a 35-28 game and USC driving, sophomore CB Christian Gray came up huge with a 99-yard pick-six to give the Irish a two-score lead. On the next drive, USC was again moving the ball down the field quickly seeking a late comeback, when senior S Xavier Watts set a Notre Dame record for longest pick-six in history with his 100-yard interception return to put the Irish up 49-28 with under two minutes to play. Additionally, Watts tallied nine tackles in the win while Gray contributed seven.
5. Jaden Greathouse Gashes Penn State
The receiver saved his best career performance when it mattered the most, playing a key role in the Irish’s Orange Bowl victory over Penn St. He ended the game with a career-high 105 yards including a 54-yard touchdown to tie the game with under five minutes to play. This game-tying score eventually allowed the opportunity for Kicker Mitch Jeter to nail the game-winner with seven seconds remaining.
4. Unexpected Heroes Propel Notre Dame Past Georgia
The Irish finally found a way to get over the hurdle that is the Georgia Bulldogs thanks to efforts from those that us fans may not have seen coming. Jayden Harrison took the second-half kickoff 98 yards to put the Irish up 20-3 in the Sugar Bowl. On defense, junior Tackle Gabriel Rubio had a positive impact in his first career start when he notched four tackles. Also, senior RJ Oben recorded his first career sack in a Notre Dame uniform to help secure the Irish a 23-10 CFP Quarterfinal victory.
3. Season-Opening Upset Victory at Texas A&M
Despite entering College Station as the higher-ranked team, all the buzz surrounding this game revolved around the atmosphere in Kyle Field and how Notre Dame could have any chance of winning in the hostile environment. The Irish quieted the critics including an entire ESPN College Gameday crew (except Lee Corso, of course) who picked the Aggies to win when Notre Dame walked out of Texas A&M with a 23-13 victory. While not knowing an embarrassing defeat was on deck, Irish fans started believing that this team could make a legitimate CFP run. Some highlights from this game include long touchdown runs from Love and Jadarian Price, three made field goals from Jeter, and Shuler’s first career interception.
2. Jumpin’ Jeremiyah Love
Not much to explain here. Watch some of the viral clips capturing the elite athleticism of Love below:
1. Notre Dame Wins Inaugural Home College Football Playoff Game
The hype was real in South Bend on December 20th when the entire college football world had its attention on an in-state battle between the Irish and the Indiana Hoosiers. ESPN’s College Gameday was in attendance for what was the most electric atmosphere during a home-field Notre Dame football game in recent history. Love got the party started early when he tied a school record for the longest touchdown rush on his 98-yard scamper under five minutes into the contest. Riley Leonard's one-yard touchdown rush with 4:50 left in the game marked his 15th of the season, breaking a school record for rushing touchdowns in a season by an Irish QB. WR Jordan Faison also stepped up with a career-high seven receptions in the 27-17 CFP First Round victory.
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