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After eliminating Georgia in round two of the College Football Playoffs, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish will be heading from South Bend to South Florida to take on the Nittany Lions of Penn State at Miami's Hardrock Stadium. Let's take a deep dive into the film room. Photo by The Irish Tribune The Sugar Bowl vs UGA was Notre Dame's biggest victory in over three decades, and yet it once again feels that there is some goal post shifting in terms of Notre Dame's outlook going forward. Yes, Georgia was without their starting quarterback, yes ND only scored one offensive touchdown, and YES it was still as impressive of a win as any thus far during the playoff. The ten points UGA scored tied their season low total, and although Notre Dame did not light up the score board, they proved when push comes to shove, they are as tough and athletic as any team in the country. Can they continue to lean on their formula of running the ball and playing outstanding defense, or will lack of offensive firepower catch up to them? PSU Head Coach James Franklin has at times wore the label of not being able to win the "big game", but after back to back convincing victories in the playoff, he is one step away from a National Championship appearance and putting the college football world on notice. Penn State displays a lot of similarities to Notre Dame. They have an ultra talented running back duo, a stingy defense that finished top 10 in points allowed, and a QB that did not put up eye-popping numbers, but is efficient and can beat you in a variety of ways. They are playing with the confidence of a team that knows they belong in the final four, and with an extra two days to prepare, can they take their play up one more notch to hang with an opponent that is more talented than those they have faced in the playoff thus far? When these two teams take the field on January 9th, it will be the first time facing off since 2007. James Franklin was still a coordinator at Kansas, and Marcus Freeman was racking up All-Big Ten honors as a linebacker at Ohio State. This is the biggest game of both of their careers to this point, and I expect them to have their teams fired up and ready to go. After watching Penn State film throughout the course of the season, these are the things you should keep your eye on during the 2025 Capital One Orange Bowl. Use code "IrishTribune20" to get $20 off your Notre Dame Pickleball Paddle Here When Notre Dame is on Offense: Not unlike Notre Dame, Penn State likes to run a lot of Cover-1. Using a single high safety look allows them to keep an extra defender in the box and create a numbers mismatch for run-heavy teams. For whatever reason, even though it was clear Penn State was loading up to stop Ashton Jeanty in the Fiesta Bowl in Round 1 , Boise State had their WR's in very tight splits which played into PSU's hands and allowed them to get more bodies around the LOS. Notre Dame is not a typical spread offense, but in order to be successful, Riley Leonard will have to connect on some shots outside the numbers and take advantage when Penn State is going 1 on 1 across the board. Could be a Beaux Collins game. When I was breaking down the Penn State defense, their defensive backs reminded me a lot of Indiana's in terms of how aggressively they will come down and play the run. Just like I mentioned for that game, perimeter blocking from the ND receivers will once again be key. Jeremiyah Love's game-altering 98 yard touchdown run vs IU was sprung in part thanks to Beaux Collins staying on his assignment and pushing the corner inside allowing Love to work the sideline and use his speed. They will need that same effort for 60 minutes vs PSU. Abdul Carter is the best edge defender I have seen on tape all year. True freshman left tackle Anthonie Knapp held up reasonably well against Georgia, but on a few snaps got beat by Jalon Walker and the left side of the O-line collapsed, forcing Leonard to get rid of the ball quicker than he wanted to. This will be Knapp's biggest test to date, but Carter is not the only threat on the defensive line for Penn State. Both their defensive tackles are very quick off the snap and have excellent upfield burst. Punch timing from the interior of Notre Dame's offensive line will be critical to creating run lanes and maintaining a pocket for Leonard to work from. I was honestly surprised at how much Mike Denbrock tried to work Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price inside vs Georgia considering that was the strength of their run defense. In contrast, I think inside is exactly where you want to attack against PSU with gap concepts. They have an athletic front four who do a good job moving laterally, so trying to get outside on the edge might be a difficult task. Their defensive tackles are twitchy, but not the type of space eaters that Georgia had, so if ND can get a good push I think there are plays to be made inside. Finishing up on the run game, PSU's linebackers are a talented group and flow quickly to the ball. At times though, their speed works against them, and they run themselves out of their run fits. Would be a good game to use some misdirection and mix in some zone schemes because there will be cutback lanes through middle of the defense. No. 0, Dominic DeLuca, is someone ND should target when the O-line is working up to second level blocks, as he has had some issues disengaging and making tackles from his linebacking spot. In both the Ohio State and Oregon games, when PSU needed to get off the field to have one more chance to tie/win the game, those teams were able to lean on the run game and close it out. If ND finds themselves in a similar spot, I believe the offensive line can wear them down and be the difference in moving on to the next round. Penn State runs a lot of Man Coverage, but they will still mix in Zone and they are very successful doing it. Both their corners and safeties do a very good job of keying the quarterback's eyes and will jump underneath routes with no hesitation. They play with the confidence that their front four will get home, and quarterbacks will not be able to hang on to the ball too long which is why they can be aggressive. Riley Leonard can not stare down receivers in this match up, because the DB's for PSU are too fast and too good at creating game changing plays. One area of weakness that consistently showed up on film, especially in the Big Ten Championship vs Oregon, is that when Penn State is in man coverage across the board, they tend to lose discipline on running backs out of the backfield and tight ends leaking out late. Notre Dame does not utilize their RB group a whole lot in the passing game, but Denbrock may want to consider using Aneyas Williams, who is generally the running back in on third downs, as an option for Riley Leonard out of the backfield in certain situations. Players To Watch No. 11 Abdul Carter - Carter was banged up against Boise State, and there is some speculation as to whether or not he will be ready to go in the Orange Bowl. If I am Notre Dame, I am operating under the belief he will 100% be lining up when the first whistle blows. It can not be overstated how much of a difference maker he is. A sure-fire first round pick in this years upcoming NFL draft, Carter is the total package as a pass rusher. He has elite athleticism for the position, and plays with incredible bend, allowing him to get underneath the pad level of offensive linemen and work a straight angle to the quarterback. PSU will play him on both sides of the line, and will also occasionally play him as an off the ball linebacker. Riley Leonard and the O-line for Notre Dame need to account for him at all times. The only way to counteract his level of speed is by making him think for a half a second longer than usual so he can't just react. Elements of the read option have been a staple of Notre Dame's play-calling this year, and in this game it would make more sense to run it right at Carter, forcing him to read the handoff and slow down his attack. No. 1 Jaylen Reed - The Senior safety led the Nittany Lions in tackles in 2024, and is another player they like to move all over the field. A lot like Notre Dame uses Xavier Watts, Reed is a playmaker when being utilized as a robber, and handles run fits like a linebacker. Good tackler who plays fast, and will hang around the LOS looking to knife in and make tackles for loss. He will blitz off the edge, and I have seen him beat offensive tackles one on one. The Irish need to identify him pre-snap and not allow him to blow things up. When Notre Dame is on Defense: Motion, motion, and more motion. PSU Offensive Coordinator Andy Kotelnicki will rarely give you the same look more than a few times throughout the course of the game. Their tight end lines up as a fullback, running back and quarterback. They are constantly shifting their RBS, and at times will even line up their left guard in the slot before motioning him in before the snap. In other words, they give you a lot to think about before the center ever even snaps the ball. This is a major eye discipline/mental processing test for the Fighting Irish. They run wildcat with multiple players and the linebackers for ND can not get lost in all the shuffling because Penn State has one of the biggest weapons in all of college football they will look to work the ball to in a variety of ways in tight end, Tyler Warren. As the year has gone on, PSU Quarterback Drew Allar has gotten more comfortable using his legs in both scramble drills and on designed runs. Although not as much as Notre Dame, they will work in a fair amount of read plays for Allar and even run a hybrid version of the triple option where he can hand it off, keep it himself or throw it late to a trailing "pitch man". He is a big bodied QB, and surprisingly hard to get down. When Notre Dame does get to him, they will need to wrap up. Notre Dame did a good job containing Gunner Stockton last week, and will need the same type of performance this time around. If anyone can contend with Notre Dame for having the best running back tandem in the country, it is Penn State. Both Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen had 800+ rushing yards during the regular season, and have carried that success into the playoffs. When PSU's running game is at it's best, it is when they are running stretch zone concepts and allowing their backs to use their excellent vision in finding cutback lanes and picking up chunk yardage. Notre Dame will need to be able to set the edge and force things back inside to the linebackers, who need to play with disciplined gap control and not over pursue and get too wide. Penn State does a lot of pulling, both in the run game and even in pass protection. Both guards can be exploited though, especially No. 71 Ioane Olaivavega, who plays with too high of a pad level and has a tendency to cross his feet and get off balance. The defensive line for Notre Dame needs to consistently play with violent hands and good leverage, as there will be plays to be made on the interior. The guards and center also do not do a great job passing off stunts, often being a step too late and allowing pressure. In my honest opinion, Georgia has a much better offensive line than Penn State, and Notre Dame was able to give them issues all day. I think this area is a true mismatch in Notre Dame's favor. It is not profound to say that if you pressure a quarterback he will struggle. But when it comes to Drew Allar, he will at times perceive pressure that isn't there and leave the pocket too early, cutting off some of his reads. Al Golden has no issue bringing the house and trusting his defensive backs to cover on islands, but with Allar, running simulated pressures and dropping into zones may be even more effective. Allar sometimes struggles vs zone, not trusting his eyes and missing his window to hit receivers. His footwork also breaks down the minute he feels heat, drifting backwards and not stepping into his throws, leading to inaccurate balls which Notre Dame has feasted off of this year. If Notre Dame can present the type of issues for Penn State's offensive line that I think they can, Allar could have a rough night. PSU's receivers have struggled to consistently get separation all year. Christian Gray and Leonard Moore have become quite the combination at corner for the Blue and Gold, and if they can be disciplined and stay in phase, I think this is a match up that they win more times than not. Players To Watch No. 44 Tyler Warren - The 2024 Mackey Award winner is as important to the PSU offense as Abdul Carter is to the defense. It is not hyperbole to say that they line Warren up at four or more positions in any given game. He has more than double the receptions of the next leading receiver, and has also rushed for four touchdowns and thrown for one as well. He excels at winning the point of attack on contested catches, using his size and length to box defenders out and high point the ball. Xavier Watts and Adon Shuler will most likely be the ones to have their numbers called when it comes to matching up with the nations best tight end. PSU loves to let him work the middle of the field off play-action passes, and he makes a living off quick out routes that he turns into bigger plays due to the fact he is extremely hard to bring down once he gets going downhill. Drew Allar shows major trust in him, and will not hesitate to target him even when he is well covered. The defensive backs for Notre Dame must locate the ball in the air and not just assume tight coverage is enough. No. 10 - Nicholas Singleton - Both running backs for PSU are capable of hurting a defense, but Singleton specifically is the prototypical do-it-all back. Notre Dame will need to be locked in when on special teams, as they allow him to return kickoffs as well. He has vision, contact balance, and breakaway speed. In the passing game, he is not only a threat leaking into the flats or on screen passes, but they will also let him go vertical up the seam, so whoever is responsible for No. 10 can not get caught flat footed or just assume he is going to break off a shorter route, because he will make them pay. He is fairly good in pass protection when his assignment is obvious, but does at times get confused when there are extra rushers or a T/E stunt. Additional Thoughts and Notes SMU and Boise State did what they needed to do to make the playoffs, and this is not to take anything away from them. But it stands to reason, Penn State has had the most favorable path of any CFP team, having those two teams as their first and second round opponents. Notre Dame is coming off a dominating win over a team that was the national champion two of the last three seasons. It would be hard to argue that Notre Dame is not currently the more battle tested team, and I think in this type of bracket-style tournament, that goes a long way. The confidence that comes from knocking off a college football juggernaut like Georgia can not be overstated. They have proven they can beat the best in the country, now they just need to go out there and do it again. Special teams have become an exciting part of Notre Dame football with all the wrinkles STC Marty Biagi seems to add on almost a weekly basis. In the Sugar Bowl, outside of a few unfortunate running into the kicker penalties on the opening drive, they once again shined. The kickoff return for touchdown by Jayden Harrison to open the second half gave the Fighting Irish too big of a cushion for Georgia to overcome, and the trick play ran on fourth down late in the game to draw Georgia offsides and allow Notre Dame to continue to kill clock was the icing on the cake. Add that to the fact that each week kicker Mitch Jeter gains confidence and rounds closer and closer into his old form, and this unit is truly becoming a threat to change any game at any time. One of the lone areas Penn State was below average this season was their own special teams. In a game that stars two teams with very similar profiles offensively and defensively, it would not shock me if the Notre Dame special teams unit plays the biggest part in advancing to a National Championship. Notre Dame has turned the proverbial corner from being a good team, to being a great team. There are still questions that linger, all of which can be answered within the next couple of weeks. The 2025 Orange Bowl on paper has the makings of a classic game, with two teams that have been looking to break back through to the upper echelon of college football and recapture the glory days. I expect a highly competitive game for sixty minutes, and the winner will have had to have earned it. No one said it was going to be easy, which is why Notre Dame likes to choose hard . Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

The Fighting Irish continue their College Football Playoff run this week versus the Penn State Nittany Lions in the Orange Bowl. We preview the Nittany Lions’ offense, which features two 1,000-yard rushers, below: Photo by The Irish Tribune Penn St enters this game 13-2 on the year, with losses to Ohio State and then Oregon in the Big Ten Championship. Here is how the Nittany Lions have fared this season: at West Virginia (34-12, Win) vs Bowling Green (34-27, Win) vs Kent State (56-0, Win) vs Illinois (21-7, Win) vs UCLA (27-11, Win) at USC (33-30, OT Win) at Wisconsin (28-13, Win) vs Ohio State (13-20, Loss) vs Washington (35-6, Win) at Purdue (49-10, Win) at Minnesota (26-25, Win) vs Maryland (44-7, Win) vs Oregon (Big Ten Championship, 37-45, Loss) vs SMU (CFP First Round, 38-10, Win) vs Boise State (Fiesta Bowl, 31-14, Win) The Nittany Lions’ offense has been impressive this season, ranking 25th among all FBS teams in points (33.7) and total yards per game (436.3). Additionally, both of these numbers are top-four among Big Ten competition. Offensive-minded Head Coach James Franklin has Penn State rolling at the right time with a strong rush attack mixed with an effective pass game.  One specific area that this offense has had success in is third-down conversions. The Nittany Lions enter the Orange Bowl converting 47% of their third-down attempts, the third-best percentage in the Big Ten and top-15 in the country. On the other side, Notre Dame possesses a top-five third-down defense, allowing opponents to convert just 29.8% of their attempts. Much like the Sugar Bowl, if the Irish defense can play well in these late-down scenarios, they should come out on top. Use code "IrishTribune20" to get $20 off your Notre Dame Pickleball Paddle Here Penn St utilizes an effective passing game led by QB Drew Allar, which averages 234.1 yards per game, the eighth-most in the Big Ten and 58th among all FBS teams. However, the Nittany Lions’ 30 total passing touchdowns are tied for the third-most in the conference. Let’s preview Allar and some weapons that should impact Thursday’s outcome.  As mentioned above, Penn State’s starting quarterback is junior Drew Allar. Last season, his first as a full-time starter, he completed 59.9% of his throws for 2,631 yards and 25 touchdowns (led the Big Ten) with just two interceptions in 13 games played. This year, Allar has improved his accuracy, completing 67.4% of his attempts for 3,192 yards and 24 touchdowns with seven interceptions. The junior’s 67.4% completion rate is the fifth-most in the Big Ten and 12th among all FBS passers. In addition, his 157.2 passing efficiency is the fourth-best in the conference and tenth among all FBS passers. Allar’s 12.77 yards per completion also ranks fourth in the conference and 36th in the country. The junior has four games this season with three passing touchdowns and no interceptions, including last week versus Boise St. Overall, Allar is a good passer who has found consistent success on deep throws while rarely making mistakes. A key for the Notre Dame defense will be getting pressure on the quarterback all day as that is when he tends to underperform.  The most talented player on this offense, and Allar’s top target, is senior tight end Tyler Warren. This year’s John Mackey Award Winner, awarded to the top tight end in the country, will likely be one of the first two at his position to be selected in the ‘25 NFL Draft. Last season, Warren was named to the Third Team All-Big Ten after recording 34 receptions for 422 yards and seven touchdowns (tied for the most among Big Ten tight ends). This season, as Penn State’s leading receiver, he has totaled 98 catches for 1,158 yards and eight touchdowns. In addition to winning the Mackey Award, Warren was named to the First Team All-Big Ten and finished seventh in the Heisman Trophy voting. The senior’s 77.2 receiving yards and 6.5 receptions per game are both the fourth-most in the conference among all pass-catchers. He has at least three catches and 29 yards in each game including ten games with five or more receptions and nine games with 50-plus yards. Warren’s best game occurred at USC when he finished with a historic stat line of 17 receptions (most in PSU history) for 224 yards (most by a TE in PSU history) including a touchdown. In all, the senior is an elite receiving tight end with just three drops, two of which have occurred within the past two weeks, and one fumble. Warren, who sometimes lines up as the slot man, averages 6.7 yards after the catch. He struggles as a blocker but his receiving prowess offsets this issue. Behind Warren, Penn St features two solid wide receivers including redshirt junior Harrison Wallace III. Before this season, he had 38 receptions for 501 yards and two touchdowns in 21 games played across the past two years. This year, Wallace has 46 catches for 723 yards and four touchdowns in 14 games played. He missed the Nittany Lions’ contest versus Maryland. The junior has at least two receptions and 29 yards in 13 games, although he was shutout versus Bowling Green on three targets. Wallace posted season-highs at West Virginia when he recorded five catches for 117 yards including two touchdowns. Wallace is probably the most talented wideout on the team, he can also line up in the slot, with four drops on 74 targets and no fumbles. Interestingly, four of the nine total Penn St interceptions were targeted for the junior wideout. The other featured wideout is junior Omari Evans. He is experiencing a breakout season with 21 receptions for 415 yards and five touchdowns. Despite undergoing a three-game span (at Wisconsin, vs OSU, vs UW) where he saw no targets, Evans has at least one reception in 11 games. His best performance of the year came versus Kent St when he recorded four catches for 116 yards including a touchdown. Like Warren and Wallace, the junior wideout also lines up as the slot man at times. Evans has been solid most of the year, with two drops on 36 targets and no fumbles. The junior is Allar’s favorite deep threat, so Notre Dame’s secondary will need to always have an eye on Evans. The last threats to highlight in the passing game are their two all-purpose running backs including junior Nicholas Singleton. Last season, he had 26 receptions for 308 yards and two touchdowns in 13 games played. This year, Singleton has 39 catches for 342 yards and five touchdowns in 14 games played. He missed the UCLA game. The junior has at least one reception in 13 games, however, he did not have any targets last week versus Boise St. He had a season-high of six catches for 54 yards versus Ohio St. Singleton has proven to be a solid option when Allar is under pressure as he has three drops on 46 targets, including two versus SMU. He struggles as a pass blocker, but I would expect the Nittany Lions to involve the junior in the pass game plan this week. Behind Singleton, is fellow junior back Kaytron Allen. Before this season, he had totaled 34 receptions for 269 yards and two touchdowns in 26 games played across the past two years. This season, Allen has 17 catches for 147 yards and two touchdowns. His usage as a receiving option has varied heavily week-to-week, he has six games with no targets including last week versus Boise St. However, he has at least one reception in eight games including a season-high four receptions for 44 yards including a touchdown at Purdue. Overall, Allen is not as talented as a pass-catcher compared to Singleton, but it would not surprise me if he found one or two targets this week. He has two drops on 24 targets, no fumbles, and is averaging an impressive 9.8 yards after catch. Like Singleton, Allen also struggles as a pass blocker. Penn State’s rush offense ranks among the best in the Big Ten featuring multiple threats. The Nittany Lions enter the Orange Bowl averaging 202.2 rush yards per game, the most in the conference and 18th among all FBS teams. They also lead the Big Ten with 5.29 yards per carry and are second in rush touchdowns with 32. Let’s preview their key rushers: The first of Penn State’s two 1,000-yard rushers is all-purpose back Kaytron Allen. Before this season, he had 339 carries for 1,769 yards and 16 touchdowns across the past two years. This season, Allen has 201 carries for 1,026 yards and eight touchdowns. He has ten games with over 50 yards, including four games with over 100. The talented rusher recorded a season-high 134 yards on 17 carries versus Boise St. Allen has been great this season, totaling 660 yards after contact and just one fumble. Perhaps the more talented rusher is Nicholas Singleton. The junior had 327 carries for 1,813 yards and 20 touchdowns in 26 games played before this season. This year, Singleton has 157 carries for 1,015 yards and nine touchdowns. Additionally, his 6.46 yards per carry leads the Big Ten and is the tenth-most among FBS rushers. He has recorded nine games with over 50 yards including a season-high of 119 on 13 carries including a touchdown versus Bowling Green. Singleton is another great rusher with just one fumble on the year, providing the Nittany Lions with two exceptional run-game options. Quarterback Drew Allar also is capable of tucking and running when needed. Last season, he had 74 carries for 206 yards and four touchdowns. This year, Allar has 90 carries for 285 yards and six touchdowns, including at least three carries in each game. He rushed for a season-high 54 yards on five carries including a touchdown versus Oregon in the Big Ten Championship. Allar is a good rusher but four fumbles are somewhat of an issue. Last week, he finished with negative four yards on 11 carries including a fumble, despite having a 15-yard run. On his positive rushes, the junior quarterback displays a toughness similar to that of the Irish’s dual-threat signal-caller, Riley Leonard. Another rushing threat that has emerged this season for the Nittany Lions is Mackey Award-winning tight end Tyler Warren. He has 24 carries for 197 yards and four touchdowns this year. The senior has at least one carry in 12 games but did not receive any last week. He rushed for a season-high 63 yards on three carries including a touchdown at Purdue. On his carries, Warren is a good runner who displays his toughness with averages of 8.2 yards per carry and 4.35 yards after contact. As mentioned before, he does struggle as a blocker and has two fumbles on the year. Something to keep an eye on is that ten of his 24 carries have gone outside to the left. Expect Penn St to try and catch Notre Dame off guard with a Warren rush or two. Up front, Penn St features a good offensive line with two all-conference guards. This group has allowed 1.27 sacks per game (19 total), which is the fourth-fewest in the Big Ten and 23rd nationally. Additionally, their 3.93 tackles for loss per game allowed is the third-fewest in the conference and 14th among all FBS teams. Let’s preview the two key guards on this line: The Nittany Lions’ starting left guard is redshirt sophomore Olaivavega Ionae. He was named to the Second Team All-Big Ten this season. The young guard is a good all-around blocker. He has allowed 16 QB pressures on 464 pass-block snaps with no sacks. Also, he has just two penalties this year.  At right guard is redshirt senior Sal Wormley. He entered this season with 26 starts across the last two years. Another all-around good blocker, Wormley was named to the Third Team All-Big Ten. He has allowed 13 pressures, including two sacks, on 392 pass block snaps. The senior allowed a sack versus Oregon and then against SMU. Wormley has six penalties this season, however, three occurred last week versus Boise State. Penn St will not be able to afford those mistakes against this Irish defense. With a date to the National Championship on the line, these two teams will be going to war on Thursday in the Orange Bowl. It should be a great game, featuring two battle-tested squads who both think they can win this game. Who comes out on top? We find out this week in Miami. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

For the first time since the 1993 season, Notre Dame has won a New Year's Six bowl game. The painful history can now be laid to rest, as the Irish set their sights on Penn State in the Orange Bowl. Photo via Notre Dame Athletics Like many who follow Notre Dame, I wasn't even alive to watch Notre Dame play in the 1994 Cotton Bowl, which saw legendary coach Lou Holtz and the Fighting Irish take down the Texas A&M Aggies in a 24-21 classic in Dallas. And again, like many others, I haven't seen Notre Dame win a postseason game that's worth anything on the national stage - ever. I watched the Irish, year after year, parade through the regular season only to be drubbed nationally by the likes of an SEC powerhouse, or a Clemson team with generational talent. Even after an opening playoff victory against an overmatched Indiana team, I remained skeptical at the thought of having to watch the Irish take on a Bulldog team that clearly had the talent advantage. We've all seen this story before. The first New Year's Six bowl game I can actually remember was the Fiesta Bowl against Ohio State at the conclusion of the 2015 season. The DeShone Kizer led Notre Dame squad were coming off of a respectable 10-2 campaign, although it was soured after playoff hopes were dashed thanks to a walk-off field goal courtesy of Stanford in the final week. Their opponent, Ohio State, had just capped an 11 win season under polarizing college football legend Urban Meyer. The Buckeyes would jump out to a 28-7 lead, and manage the game throughout the second half to win by a final score of 44-28. Ohio State controlled the trenches throughout the game, and a narrative surrounding Notre Dame would come to fruition. The Irish just didn't have the horses to compete with college football's upper echelon teams. The Buckeyes were more disciplined, more talented, and above all else, more physical. Following the Fiesta Bowl loss, the Irish would spiral in 2016 with an abysmal 4-8 record - their worst since 2007 under Charlie Weis. Brian Kelly would overhaul the program, and have them back in the national spotlight in 2018 with their first undefeated season since 2012. Like that 2012 team, however, the Irish clearly just didn't have the talent to match up with the elite teams around the country. This would come to fruition in the Cotton Bowl, as Notre Dame would gear up to face the undefeated ACC champion Clemson Tigers. As many thought, the game wasn't even a contest. The Tigers would maul the Irish to the tune of 30-3, on the back of Trevor Lawrence, who would go on to win the national championship. In a vacuum, the outcome of the game once again boiled down to two factors. Firstly, the Irish were simply overmatched - much like the Fiesta Bowl. Second, Notre Dame was just stubborn. They wanted to win, and they wanted to do it how they had all season: by running the ball and leaning on the opposition. This approach simply doesn't work when you don't have the talent advantage. Not many risks were taken, and as a result, Notre Dame just couldn't compete with the elite skill talent. It was the same story, and the same result. Use code "IrishTribune20" to get $20 off your Notre Dame Pickleball Paddle Here The covid era of college football brought on a host of new challenges, but for Notre Dame, they found themselves in a place many purists never could have envisioned: a conference. The 2020 season saw the Irish join the ACC in an attempt to save their football season, and in hindsight, it was definitely the right move. The Irish, led once again by Ian Book, rolled through the first half of their covid schedule. This would lead them into another matchup with the perennial ACC powerhouse, and number 1 ranked Clemson Tigers, but this time, it would be in South Bend during the regular season. Fortunately for Notre Dame, the Tiger's quarterback and orchestrator of their demise in the Cotton Bowl, Trevor Lawrence, would be out for the game. Something was in the air that night in South Bend, as Notre Dame would battle Clemson tooth and nail, before coming out with the biggest win in Notre Dame Stadium in the modern era. The Irish looked sharp, strong, and most importantly, took their shots down the field to help them squeak out an overtime victory. Unfortunately for Notre Dame, playing in the ACC would mean the Irish would have to face Clemson a second time in the championship, which led to the result we had all been used to seeing. Notre Dame would be throttled in the rematch, mainly due to an unwillingness to change their gameplan. Clemson wasn't content on letting the Irish run the ball down their throat, and their superior skill talent and adjustments made all the difference. Fortunately, Notre Dame would still find themselves in a playoff spot following the loss, with another shot at winning a New Year's Six bowl game. This time, the matchup would be against SEC champion Alabama in the Rose Bowl. For good reason, nobody expected Notre Dame to win this one, and yet again, the Irish were simply overmatched at nearly every position. The Crimson Tide controlled much of the game, and after getting a lead, it was nearly impossible for Notre Dame's style of play to give them a competitive shot at making a comeback. The Irish would drop the game 31-14, with the game being less competitive than the final score would actually suggest. Brian Kelly didn't mix words after the Rose Bowl, overtly announcing that this was only the beginning. "We're going to keep getting here, okay? And we're going to keep banging at it." Despite yet another loss where the Irish just couldn't match up in both the talent department and the scheming department, it appeared Kelly would be undeterred. Less than a year later, however, things would change in a big way. Brian Kelly's final season at Notre Dame brought much of the success we had been used to seeing under his regime. 2021 saw the Fighting Irish finish with a record of 11-1 during the regular season, but it wouldn't be enough to propel them into the four team playoff. Despite his comments following the Rose Bowl, Brian Kelly would leave for the same job at LSU following the conclusion of Notre Dame's regular season, and prior to learning the team's playoff fate. Enter Marcus Freeman. As Kelly's successor, Freeman brought new life and energy to Notre Dame that hadn't been seen in a very long time. With the hire, Notre Dame's recruiting took a much needed leap, helping to close the talent gap between the Irish and college football's best. Freeman would coach his first game to close out the season in what would be yet another opportunity for the Fighting Irish to capture a New Year's Six win. This time, the Fiesta Bowl would feature a much more favorable opponent in the Oklahoma State Cowboys, another team who just missed out on the College Football Playoff. Despite jumping out to a 28-7 lead, Freeman's inexperience in his first game would show. The Irish would squander the lead entirely in the second half, losing a heartbreaker by a score of 35-37. This time, there wasn't really a talent disparity to point a finger at. Despite the collapse, the optimism surrounding the program was palpable. With recruiting on the upswing, and a fresh new face at the helm, the Irish were set to make some waves. Now in year three, and with little national success, the stars had aligned for Marcus Freeman and Notre Dame to take the next step. After a sea of highs and lows throughout the first few years, the ship had stabilized for Notre Dame following arguably their biggest loss in program history coming early on in the 2024 season. Marcus Freeman's roster had arguably the most talent we've seen at Notre Dame in the better part of a decade. That helped soothe one of the glaring issues when it came to the Irish and competing in big games. They finished the season at 11-1, and with a now expanded 12-team playoff, they had yet another opportunity ahead of them. After dispatching what was quite honestly an overmatched Indiana team, the Irish were face to face with a narrative changing matchup: The SEC champion Georgia Bulldogs. While Georgia would be without starting QB Carson Beck, the Irish were severely depleted in their defensive depth. Still, as per usual, the talent and coaching matchup heavily favored the Dawgs - at least on the surface. But after what felt like a program changing regular season, it was clear things would be different this time around. To put it bluntly, Marcus Freeman outcoached two-time national champion Kirby Smart. From the opening kickoff, Notre Dame's ferocious defensive approach overwhelmed Georgia. Notre Dame was more physical and disciplined throughout. Though they didn't shy away from their identity, it's evident that Marcus Freeman's recruiting both in high school and through the portal positioned Notre Dame to be more than competitive in this game. The first victory for Notre Dame in a New Year's Six bowl was punctuated with a masterclass mass-substitution on fourth down late in the game, drawing Georgia offside to bleed the clock in the waning minutes of the contest. Notre Dame flat-out smacked the Dawgs, and fans of the program starved for a national victory would rejoice. This is what the Freeman Era had promised, and it delivered. Notre Dame doesn't have the talent to compete? Not anymore. Notre Dame doesn't have the coaching pedigree to win championships? Not anymore. Notre Dame coaching a conservative game? Doubts erased. A new leaf has turned in South Bend. And with Marcus Freeman leading the charge, there's no limit to the heights this program is able to reach. The pain of what has passed has only sweetened an incredible Sugar Bowl victory for this program. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Notre Dame's historic victory over the Georgia Bulldogs punched the Irish's ticket to a matchup against Penn State in the Orange Bowl. Here are the key takeaways that powered Notre Dame's victory over the SEC Champions. Photo via Notre Dame Athletics As Notre Dame's Sugar Bowl victory over Georgia proved the Fighting Irish can outmuscle an SEC champion, Marcus Freeman now has the Irish primed for a playoff semifinal matchup against Penn State in the Orange Bowl. While the Irish didn't necessarily impress on the stat sheet, Notre Dame got contributions from many unlikely sources to power them past the Bulldogs. Let's break down the key takeaways from Notre Dame's first New Year's Six bowl win in 31 years. Winning the Line of Scrimmage Everyone predicted the Notre Dame defensive line would put constant pressure on Gunner Stockton and hold Georgia to 66 rushing yards, right? The chatter all week regarding the Notre Dame defense was if the Rylie Mills injury would be the straw that broke the camel's back in terms of the injuries endured by this defense. However, as it's been the case the entire season, the "next-man in" mentality didn't fail the Fighting Irish's defensive line. EDGE Junior Tuihalamaka played the most complete game of his career as the Granada Hills, Calif., native seemed to be in the Bulldogs' backfield the entire game. Whether it was recording sacks or tackles for loss, Tuihalamaka was constantly winning one-on-one battles against Georgia LT Monroe Freeling. Tuihalamaka was also there to recover RJ Oben's strip sack right before halftime, which was the ultimate game-changing play. Oben, who was the other transfer portal player the Irish acquired from the Duke Blue Devils, made the biggest play of the season at the perfect time for the Fighting Irish. While Tuihalamaka, Oben, and freshman Bryce Young were wreaking havoc on Georgia's tackles, Howard Cross III, Donovan Hinish, and Gabriel Rubio were filling in perfectly for the injured Mills. It was a fitting way to end the game for the Fighting Irish to see Hinish, with the No. 99, in honor of Mills, written on his taped-up hand, sack Stockton and punch the Irish's ticket to the semifinals. Use code "IrishTribune20" to get $20 off your Notre Dame Pickleball Paddle Here Transfers Getting it Done The biggest stretch in this game was obviously the last minute of the first half and the opening 15-seconds of the second half. To break down that timeline, South Carolina transfer Mitch Jeter made a 48-yard field goal to put the Irish out in-front 6-3. He then kicked a touchback, which led for Duke transfer RJ Oben to have a strip-sack that the Irish recovered on Georgia's 13-yard line. Next, Duke transfer Riley Leonard connected with Clemson transfer Beaux Collins for a 13-yard touchdown, putting the Irish up 13-6 right before halftime. As Notre Dame deferred the coin toss, they received the ball to start the second half, and Marshall transfer Jayden Harrison returned it 98 yards for a touchdown. Poetic. While Marcus Freeman has stated that Notre Dame would never major in the transfer portal, he is certainly making the most of his minor degree. Northwestern transfer Rod Heard also had the pass deflection in the fourth quarter on 4th & 5 that seemed like a major gut punch to the Bulldogs' comeback effort. In the end, all of Freeman and General Manager Chad Bowen's acquisitions in the transfer portal came up in a major fashion when it mattered the most. The Notre Dame Coaching Staff Entering the game, the direct battle of Marcus Freeman vs Kirby Smart probably favored the two-time national champion winning head coach; yet, in the end, the third-year head coach won the head-to-head matchup. This was fully on display during the fire drill change, where the Irish appeared ready to punt, but replaced all 11 players on the field with the offensive unit, leaving Smart saying, "you can't do that." Well, as it turns out, you can. Since the initial Notre Dame long snapper never touched the ball, it was never a live play, in which instance the ball was dead, and the Irish could substitute all 11 players. While Notre Dame may have lucked out by the line judge missing Jadarian Price flinch on Leonard's clap, the Irish forced Georgia to jump offsides and gave Notre Dame the opportunity to ice the game, which they did. Outside of the guts shown from Freeman, there is no better combination of coordinators in college football than Al Golden, Mike Denbrock, and Marty Biagi. From Golden's perspective, every week this Notre Dame defense rises to the occasion and finds a way to stonewall explosive offenses. The Irish offense may not always look the flashiest, which may be irritating for Denbrock, but he calls a game in the way that the Notre Dame offense will not lose it. Most of the time it is an extremely conservative, run-centric effort, but it gives Notre Dame the opportunity to win games. Then, Biagi's group finds a way to out-do themselves on a weekly basis. Whether it be a blocked punt, a fake punt, a fake field goal, or a touchdown return, the special teams unit is one that provides Notre Dame a true advantage in stealing a possession every game. Onto the Next While Notre Dame might not play the most appealing brand of football, they continually find a way to win games. Yes, they only threw for 90 yards. Yes, they were outgained by 56 yards. Who cares? The Irish found a way to beat Georgia in their own game. Notre Dame was the more physically dominant team than the SEC Champion. Think about that. The depth of the Fighting Irish roster was always the thing holding Notre Dame from being elite. If the Irish had one injury to a starter, the backup couldn't fill the role in the same manner and the SEC talent gap would be on full display. Not anymore. If you were told that Jeremiyah Love would only run for 19 yards, would you be confident the Irish could win? Probably not. But whether it be Leonard, Price or Williams, Notre Dame had the depth to plug-and-place and find success. That is what is making this Fighting Irish team special, and why they are slowly inching their way to the top of the sport. I've said it before and I'll say it again: it is an exciting time to be a Notre Dame fan because in the first time in over 30 years, they have shown they can compete at the highest level. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Following a heart-breaking men’s loss to North Carolina on Saturday, the Notre Dame women’s team looks to redeem the Irish as they travel to Chapel Hill for a date with the Tar Heels. Photo via Notre Dame Athletics   It’s a matchup of two top 25 teams with the Tar Heels coming in as the 17th ranked team in college basketball. Despite the lower ranking than the Irish, who sit at number three, the Tar Heels have put together a solid start to their year as they are 13-2 through the first 15 games of the season.   North Carolina is led by its 6’3” senior forward Maria Gakdeng. The Lanham, Maryland native is averaging 11.4 points per game on an impressive 71.4% shooting in her second season with the Heels, while also grabbing 6.4 rebounds per game, and blocking a career-low one shot per game.   Gakdeng missed four games earlier on in the season with a lower body injury but has been impressive since her return. Since coming back on Nov. 29, Gakdeng is averaging 13.9 PPG, and led the Tar Heels to a victory over Kentucky back on Dec. 5, who was ranked 14th at the time. Use code "IrishTribune20" to get $20 off your Notre Dame Pickleball Paddle Here   Alyssa Ustby, who has scored in double figures in three straight games, including double-doubles in her last two, is another name to watch out for if you’re the Irish. She’s coming off one of the best games of her season against Miami where Ustby totaled 19 points on 50% shooting, while also grabbing 13 rebounds, four assists and four steals.   The 6’1” guard is nearly averaging a double-double on the season, scoring 11.3 PPG on 46.6% shooting and grabbing 9.1 RPG. The fifth-year senior is also averaging 1.4 steals per game, which is the lowest that number has been since Ustby joined the Tar Heels back in 2020.   With just two players averaging double figures for North Carolina, they emphasize their defense more than any team in the ACC. They’re 52.7 points per game allowed is the lowest in the ACC by nearly three points, and they also have the second highest turnover margin in the conference as well at 7.4. A solid team that is going to suffocate you on defense is just what Notre Dame needs as they look to win the ACC for the eighth time since 2014.   In order to do that, the Irish are going to need to get their scorers going early, specifically Hannah Hidalgo.   Hidalgo, the second leading scorer in the nation averaging 26 PPG, has scored 24 points or more throughout the entire month of December. During those six games, the Irish knocked off both number four Texas and number two UConn, and won games by an average of 35.5 points per game. In one of the most dominant months a team could possibly have, the Notre Dame offense was its most notable category.   That doesn’t mean Hidalgo isn’t a threat on the defensive side of the ball, because her ability to poke the ball out is up there with her ability to give a team 25 on a regular night. During the month of December, Hidalgo collected 21 steals in six games averaging 3.5 per game, which was lower than her season average of 4.1.   It is clear who the best player in college basketball, men’s or women’s, is and the sophomore guard has plenty of backup on the court.   Olivia Miles has slid in nicely to this team that lost in the Sweet 16 a season ago, a year that she missed due to an ACL injury. She hasn’t missed a step, averaging 16.7 PPG on 55.9% shooting, 6.8 RPG and 7.2 assists. The senior from New Jersey has put up a triple-double in back-to-back games, the first time a player in the ACC has ever done so, giving her three on the season. This feat was good enough to earn Miles ACC Player of the Week for the final week of 2024.   While the three-ball was not all there for Miles in the Irish’s last game against Virginia, shooting 1-7 from deep, she had a great month of three-point shooting in December. She attempted 30 threes in six games and hit 13 of those. North Carolina does have a stout defense, but Miles can still find her way from beyond the arc.   As the Irish have started out their year in the ACC at 2-0, they have their toughest conference matchup of the season against the Tar Heels. It’s setting up to be a gritty matchup between two teams that force a lot of turnovers, however the Notre Dame offense is going to be too quick for the Tar Heels to handle. With a win, the Irish would have four ranked wins already in the month of January, with three of those coming against top four teams.   The dominant Notre Dame season will continue at Noon EST in Carmichael Arena in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Irish Hockey outlasted the Penn State Nittany Lions in below-freezing temperatures at Wrigley Field in an eight-round shootout in a game between two programs amidst disappointing campaigns. We recap the thrilling contest below: Photo by The Irish Tribune Both teams’ offenses and goalies were on display all night. Notre Dame got on the board first, about seven and a half minutes into the game. Forward Gr ant Silianoff connected on his second goal of the year off a rebound opportunity  assisted by forward Jack Larrigan and defenseman Zach Plucinski, the defender’s first point of the season, to give the Irish a 1-0 lead. Penn State responded less than a minute later when the Lions’ Tyler Paquette wristed a shot right past Irish goalie Nicholas Kempf to tie the game at 1-1.  With under a minute remaining in the period and with less than 30 seconds on a power play opportunity thanks to a Penn State interference call, Irish forward Justin Janicke put Notre Dame back on top  2-1. Forwards Blake Biondi and Cole Knuble were credited with assists on Janicke’s sixth goal of the year. A heads-up play by Knuble to catch th e puck mid-air ultimately led to this one-goal advantage heading into the second period. Use code "IrishTribune20" to get $20 off your Notre Dame Pickleball Paddle Here The second frame was a highly defensive, quick-moving period. It was not until about 30 seconds remaining that Penn State’s Matt DiMarsico found the back of the net to tie the game at two heading into the final period. Both teams combined for just 19 shots and the Irish were able to kill the lone penalty during the second. The Nittany Lions continued their offensive burst just ten seconds into the final period when Aidan Fink added his ninth goal of the season to give his squad a 3-2 lead.  About eleven minutes into the period, the Irish tied it back up 3-3 when forward Carter Slaggert scored his first goal of the season  thanks to assists from Silianoff and Larrigan.  Both goalies played extremely well after this, combining for 30 saves in the final period to force an overtime period. Notre Dame played well in the five-minute extra time, outshooting the Lions 4-2, but this was not enough as the game needed a shootout to determine a winner. In the shootout, after allowing one goal in the first round, Kempf recorded seven consecutive saves to keep the Irish alive. Notre Dame forward Hunter Strand tied the shootout at one in the second round and no goals were scored after this until the eighth round. Defenseman Ryan Helliwell netted the eventual game-winner with a couple of fakes to send the Irish home happy. These two teams will see each other tomorrow, Sunday, in South Bend to complete this weekend set. Key Player Stats: Arsenii Sergeev (PSU): 43 saves, 3 goals against Nicholas Kempf (ND): 39 saves, 3 goals against Grant Silianoff (ND): 1 goal on 3 shots, 1 assist, 1 blocked shot, +2 Aiden Fink (PSU): 1 goal on 2 shots, 1 assist, +2 Key Team Stats: Shots: ND (46) - PSU (42) Power Play Success: ND (1-2) - PSU (0-2) Faceoffs Won: PSU (45) - ND (33) Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

No. 7 Notre Dame's gritty 23-10 Sugar Bowl victory over No.3 Georgia not only ended a 31-year New Year's Six drought but also showcased Marcus Freeman's transformation into one of college football's elite coaches. Via Notre Dame Athletics NEW ORLEANS-- No. 7 Notre Dame defeated No. 2 Georgia in the Sugar Bowl 23-10 to capture its first New Year's Six Bowl victory in 31 years. It wasn't necessarily pretty by any stretch of the imagination, but the Irish did enough to edge past the Bulldogs. The first half was indicative of the type of game both teams wanted to play. Physical and run-heavy, but all the momentum lay with Georgia until Trevor Etienne fumbled the ball in the red zone, saving Notre Dame from a 3- or potentially 7-point deficit. Then at the end of the first half, Notre Dame's 10-point swing, fueled by RJ Oben's strip-sack and Beaux Collins' touchdown catch, put the Irish in the driver's seat heading into halftime. Then, Jayden Harrison's kickoff return touchdown to start the second half continued to ignite the Irish and padded their lead throughout the game. Multiple fourth-down stops by the Notre Dame defense—one after the Irish failed to convert on fourth down themselves and another in the red zone—further cemented the team's identity. Whenever the Fighting Irish offense came up short, Al Golden and the Notre Dame defense always had their back. In the end, it was the consistent play of Notre Dame's offensive line, allowing the Irish to lean on their big guys up front to power past the Bulldogs. Marcus Freeman's growth as a head coach throughout these three years is mind-boggling. From being embarrassed against Ohio State last year with not having enough players on the field to outsmarting the best coach of college football down the stretch, Freeman has grown into one of the sport's best. Use code " IrishTribune20 " to get $20  off your Notre Dame Pickleball Paddle Here The play of special teams was the difference maker in this game as well. With Mitch Jeter going 3-for-3 on field goals and Harrison's touchdown return, Marty Biagi's unit provided a crucial edge for the Irish in key situations. The most surprising factor to me in this one was the play of the Notre Dame defensive line against Georgia's dominant offensive line. Junior Tuihalamaka played the best game of his career, and Jaylen Sneed continued to get pressure from his linebacker position. In the end, the complete team game from Notre Dame was enough to surge the Irish past the Bulldogs. From a box score perspective, there was nothing glamorous about Notre Dame's performance. Riley Leonard was 15/24 for only 90 passing yards, yet his 80 yards on the ground were the Irish's key source of offensive production. As Notre Dame now looks toward Penn State in the Orange Bowl, the Irish must get as healthy as possible. Jeremiyah Love exited the game with an injury, while Howard Cross and Xavier Watts both had to come out of the game for a couple plays, as well. It is certainly an entertaining time for Notre Dame fans, and Marcus Freeman's Irish are starting to turn the national narrative surrounding the program on its head. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Notre Dame faces its undeniably toughest challenge yet of the 2024 season against the second-seed Georgia Bulldogs. Can Notre Dame start 2025 on a good note? Photo by The Irish Tribune Peter Mulroy - Associate Editor, First & Gold Podcast Score Prediction: 24-17 Notre Dame Punch them in the mouth early & see how they respond. The SEC champs will punch back, but this isn’t your daddy’s ND squad. Expect the Irish to pound the rock — again — then let their secondary dictate play on defense. In a game that screams physicality, give me Notre Dame’s Ali to UGA’s Frazier in a bout for the record books! Liam Farrell - Associate Editor, Senior Football Writer Score Prediction: 27-17 Notre Dame In Notre Dame’s second-round matchup, Al Golden puts on a masterclass as the Irish defense confuses Gunner Stockton for the majority of the game. On the offensive side of the ball, Notre Dame picks up an early lead due to some bad Georgia tackling and Riley Leonard does enough with his arm late in the game to punch an Orange Bowl appearance. My hot takes for the game are that Jayden Harrison will have a touchdown, whether it be receiving or a kickoff return, and that Leonard Moore will record an interception. Use code " IrishTribune20 " to get $20  off your Notre Dame Pickleball Paddle Here Brenden Duffy - Associate Editor, Senior Staff Writer Score Prediction: 24-20 Notre Dame ND dominates early, capitalizing on mistakes by the UGA offense led by first-time starter Gunner Stockton. After slowly settling into the game, Stockton starts to find a rhythm and leads UGA back into the game. If UGA is going to have success on offense, they must have a solid run game by either RB Trevor Etienne or Nate Frazier. If they rush effectively in the first half, this should open up the passing game in the second half for Stockton. For the Irish on offense, they should find success with their bread and butter in the run game. Georgia has the talent on defense to dominate anyone in the country, but there have been several instances throughout the year where miscues, bad communication, etc. have led to opposing offenses making big-time plays. Both of UGA’s losses came against mobile QBs in Jalen Milroe and Jaxson Dart, and they were nearly upset by Georgia Tech’s Haynes King. Expect Irish QB Riley Leonard to have a big impact via the run game against this defense. In the end, I think ND advances to the Orange Bowl thanks to a defense that forces an inexperienced QB to make mistakes and a strong rush performance, specifically from Leonard. Clayton Stohler - First & Gold Podcast Co-Host Score prediction: 27-20 Notre Dame UGA’s front 7, playmakers on the perimeter, the best TE Room in the country, and a stable featuring 2 very good running backs. Georgia will throw it all at the Irish, but this time, it won’t be enough. ND disrupts Stockton’s rhythm all night long, as the lack of in-game reps reveals itself. Christian Gray takes his lumps against Arian Smith, but ultimately keeps him contained. Howard Cross has a big day disrupting the middle, as Bryce Young, Josh Burnham, and Junior Tuilamaka set the edge with conviction. On offense, Jadarian Price has his best game in a Notre Dame Uniform. Riley Leonard finds his rhythm and keeps it as the tight end room has their best day of the season.. It’s going to come down to one possession all night long, and ND, for the first time in a long time, is one possession better than Georgia. Noah Wehby - Writer Score Prediction: 21-17 Notre Dame This is going to be a tough, physical game for all four quarters. Both teams want to establish the run and play aggressive defense. Due to Georgia’s size and athleticism, Notre Dame is going to have their biggest test yet when it comes to running the football. Luckily for the Irish, Jeremiyah Love is on a different level and will still find ways to get loose. On the defensive side of the ball, Notre Dame will have to make early adjustments to Gunner Stockton and the Georgia offense. As there is not a lot of tape of him, the first few drives will be a great tell for Al Golden. In the end, Notre Dame’s stout defense will be too much for Georgia. Bruce Straughan - Recruiting Insider & Writer Score Prediction: 17-14 Notre Dame This game has all the ingredients to be a defensive battle and a low-scoring game. Georgia comes in not the typical Georgia we’ve been used to this past decade. An inexperienced QB starting (in the biggest game of his life) against a dominant secondary could spell big-time trouble for Georgia. Georgia’s wide receivers have had a hard time creating separation and it won’t be any easier against a top secondary in the nation in Notre Dame. Notre Dame has been gashed from time to time up the middle and Georgia’s strength is their run game. Notre Dame’s game plan should be to stack the box to stop the run and trust their secondary to go one-on-one with Georgia’s wide receivers. Make Stockton beat them with his arm. I see a big day coming for Xavier Watts (who has a knack for being in the right place at the right time) against an inexperienced QB in Stockton. Notre Dame’s strong suit has been the run game all season and nobody they’ve faced so far this season has been able to stop it consistently even when stacking the box. If they can get Love and Price going ND could run away with this game. Connor Regan - Long-Form Writer Score Prediction: 27-23 Notre Dame The game will ultimately come down to two key factors: who excels at running the ball and who excels at stopping it. Al Golden and the defense will gradually suffocate Stockton, forcing the offense to play their style. The combination of Leonard, Price, and Love will ultimately prove too overwhelming for the Bulldogs over four quarters. This will be a close one, but look for Notre Dame to get the lead early and fend off Georgia’s attempts to scratch their way back. Max Uretsky - Recruiting & Football Analyst Score Prediction: 24-20 Notre Dame Georgia is still one of the big dogs on the block and continues to have top-notch athletes across the board. The difference is, this time around Notre Dame has the athletes to match. The UGA defense will not give up any gimme yards, especially in between the tackles, but I think Notre Dame will continue to work the perimeter with their outstanding running backs until they find some chunk plays. Riley Leonard will be very efficient, especially in the intermediate passing game, and will continue to build on a stellar back end of the season. Defensively, even with the massive blow of losing Rylie Mills, there is just something different about the way this unit is playing. Al Golden is completely dialed in with what is working for his players and I think this is a tough match-up for Gunner Stockton who may bring more as a runner than a passer. A defensive stop late in the game seals a victory for ND and sends them to the Orange Bowl. Brady Burden - Social Media Intern Score Prediction: 27-17 Notre Dame Notre Dame will run the ball just like every other game and will have success while doing it. The Georgia defense is good enough and will make adjustments and the Irish will need to spread the Dawgs out and throw the ball downfield. ND will score a late touchdown in the 4th and will escape as Sugar Bowl champs. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Round 1 of the 12-team College Football Playoff is in the books, and the pool has narrowed to 8 schools. Photo by The Irish Tribune After receiving 1st-round BYEs, the top-4 teams in the bracket are about to see their first playoff action. Penn State and Boise State kick things off in the Fiesta Bowl on New Year’s Eve (7:30 pm EST), followed by a jam-packed New Year’s Day with the remaining three matchups.  Texas and Arizona State will battle it out in the Peach Bowl (1:00 p.m. EST), followed by a Rose Bowl showdown between Ohio State and Oregon (5:00 p.m. EST). In the first primetime broadcast of 2025, the SEC Champion Georgia Bulldogs will face the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the Sugar Bowl (8:45 p.m. EST). This is only the 4th game between Notre Dame and Georgia, but it’s not their first postseason meeting. Fittingly, their very first encounter came in the 1981 Sugar Bowl. Heisman winner Herschel Walker led the Bulldogs to a narrow 17-10 win over Dan Devine’s Irish en route to their first National Title in program history.  In 2014, it was announced that Notre Dame and Georgia had formally agreed to their first scheduling agreement, a home-and-home series split between the 2017 and 2019 seasons. The first matchup sent second-year head coach Kirby Smart and the No. 15 Bulldogs to South Bend to face  Brian Kelly and the No. 24 Irish. Underdog Notre Dame surprised everyone with a 13-10 lead at halftime, even going up 16-10 before Georgia answered with a touchdown to take their first lead of the day, 17-16. The Bulldogs forced Notre Dame to settle for a field goal before kicking one of their own to steal the game 20-19. Two years later, No. 3 Georgia hosted No. 7 Notre Dame in Athens, with significantly higher stakes at play. In a near replica of the 2017 game, the Irish held a surprising lead going into halftime before going scoreless in the 3rd quarter, while Georgia kicked two field goals to take a 13-10 lead. The 4th quarter was more of the same, as Georgia extended their lead to 23-10 with another touchdown and field goal. The Irish responded with a touchdown to narrow the deficit to 23-17 before stopping the Bulldog's offense to get one last shot. Like the game two years before, the Irish had a chance to win with under two minutes left but couldn’t come up with the points. Georgia’s perfect 3-0-0 series record is impressive but doesn't tell the whole story. All three games were competitive, decided by a single score, and in two instances, the Irish had a chance to win at the end of the game. Will Notre Dame score their first-ever win over the Bulldogs and continue their march to a shot at the Title? Or will Georgia continue their Championship pedigree and move one step closer to their 3rd Title in 4 years? We won't get any answers until 2025 is officially here, but until then - here’s everything you need to know ahead of Wednesday's game. Use code "IrishTribune20" to get $20 off your Notre Dame Pickleball Paddle Here Georgia Kirby Smart needs no introduction. He’s arguably the best active coach in the sport and has completely transformed Georgia from a middling SEC program to the national powerhouse they are today. In his 9 seasons with the Bulldogs, Smart has posted a ridiculous 105-18 record, along with two National Titles.  They began 2024 as Title favorites and quickly dispatched No. 14 Clemson and Tennessee Tech before their first close call. The Dawgs nearly fell at unranked Kentucky, trading field goals most of the way until a late-quarter touchdown gave them the lead. Georgia held on to win 13-12. After narrowly escaping Kentucky, UGA had two weeks off before heading to Tuscaloosa to face No. 4 Alabama. The Tide were up 30-7 at halftime, but a heroic Georgia comeback saw them narrow the score to 4 in the 4th quarter. Ultimately, it was in vain as Bama kicked one last field goal to hand UGA their 1st loss of the year, 41-34. It dropped them back to No. 5 in the polls, but they responded with four straight wins over Auburn, Florida, a close call against Mississippi State, and a 30-15 thriller at No. 1 Texas. Then, things changed. No. 2 Georgia hit the road to face No. 16 Ole Miss, and the Rebels dominated them on both sides of the ball, primarily behind their pressure on Carson Beck and dual-threat Jaxson Dart’s 200 through the air and 50 on the ground. Ole Miss won handily, 28-10, to hand Georgia their second loss. It was their first season with more than one loss since 2020. The Bulldogs then beat No. 7 Tennessee 31-17 before a strangely high-scoring win over UMass, 59-21. In their final game of the regular season, Georgia battled Georgia Tech through 8OT periods before emerging victorious 44-42. Once again, the Bulldogs battled back from a 17-0 halftime deficit and scored 21 points in the 4th quarter to send the game to extra time. Georgia earned a rematch with Texas in the SEC Title game and went to overtime for the second week in a row. This time, UGA was able to close things out in the first OT period with a touchdown, winning 22-19. The win made the Bulldogs SEC Champions and secured a 1st-round BYE in the playoff.  Georgia Injury Report RB - Trevor Etienne - Ribs - Available RB - Branson Robinson - Leg - Questionable DL Christian Miller - Shoulder Questionable QB - Carson Beck - Elbow - Out RB - Roderick Robinson - Leg - Out DL - Joseph Jonah-Ajonye - Leg - Out P - Brett Thorson - Knee - Out Georgia’s season may not have been as pretty as they like it, but this team has been tested more than any other in the country. Although they’ve started slow a few times, they have consistently proven themselves to be one of the best second-half teams this year. They’re sure to be well-rested and well-studied for the Sugar Bowl after more than 3 weeks of time off. Will that extra time help the Bulldogs recover and prepare, or will there be signs of rust from such a long break? Notre Dame The Irish are coming off their most significant win of the season with a 27-17 victory over Indiana in the first round of the CFP.  While it wasn’t Notre Dame’s largest or most statistically impressive outing this year, the win brought with it a level of confidence this team hadn’t experienced yet. You could tell by the way they played that something was different.  Notre Dame outclassed and outworked the Hoosiers from the jump. The Irish defense smothered Indiana’s highly lauded offense, holding them to 215 yards passing and only 61 yards on the ground. Indiana’s defense was considered the stronger part of their team, but even they failed to contain any part of the Irish offense. Jeremiyah Love finished with 108 yards and a touchdown, while Leonard tossed 201 yards and a touchdown through the air, along with a score on the ground. Notre Dame Injury Report OL - Charles Jagusah - Available RG - Rocco Spindler - Ankle - Questionable WR - KK Smith - Collarbone - Questionable LB - Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa - Knee - Questionable LB - Bodie Kahoun - Leg -  Questionable DT - Rylie Mills - Knee - Out Much like the end of the USC game, the final score was closer than the actual game was. The Irish led 27-3 with only a few minutes left in the game before they took their starters out to cycle in some second and third-stringers. Indiana kept their first stringers in and scored two garbage-time touchdowns that narrowed the margin of victory from 24 to 10. Nearly all the Hoosier’s production came from those final two drives. Notre Dame managed to dominate the Hoosiers while not even playing their best ball. If they can learn from this performance and clean up those little things, they should be in an even better spot to succeed against Georgia. With that said, the Irish can't afford to bring anything less than their very best to the table against the Bulldogs. They don’t have to play a perfect game to win this one, but it will likely require the most complete performance we’ve seen from this team so far.  The Matchup While the first round of the playoff was criticized for a perceived lack of competitiveness, round two looks to have more parity, with two of the four games projected to be a toss-up. Ohio State holds a slim (-2.5) advantage over undefeated Oregon, while Georgia is favored by a razor-thin (-1.5) over Notre Dame. That’s despite the game’s line initially opening with the Irish favored (-1.0) before the money moved Georgia ahead.  With things that close, the 2024 Sugar Bowl may be the most evenly matched game of the postseason. It's entirely reasonable to take either team to cover the spread. Although favored, Georgia has only managed to cover the spread 4/13 times this season, one of the worst ratios in the country, while Notre Dame has covered 10/13 times, one of the best. As for the points total - oddsmakers have set a low 45.5 total due to both sides possessing an elite defense and a run-first offense. There’s a good chance neither offense manages to score much, but field goals and defensive scores could easily swell the total just over the implied 23-22 score prediction. Notre Dame’s Defense vs Georgia’s Offense This head-to-head holds the most unknowns. Due to Carson Beck’s injury in the SEC championship game, Gunner Stockton will make his very first collegiate start. Before becoming QB1, Stockton had only appeared in eight games, three of which came this season. There’s only about 80 snaps worth of tape on Stockton, but he is confirmed to be a better runner than Beck, although he lacks the same kind of arm. If the Dawgs are forced into throwing, they won’t get much help from their wide receivers, who lead the nation in dropped balls even when Beck was healthy. Thus, Georgia’s offense will likely skew their play calling to better utilize Stockton’s legs and reduce their pass reliance. Georgia’s Offense - Players to Watch Gunner is undoubtedly talented, but the idea that he’s just as good as Beck is absurd. There’s a reason he’s been a backup until now, and he almost assuredly won’t be able to replicate Beck’s production.  This is a massive advantage for the Irish, as they’ll be able to focus on the run while trusting their DBs can handle man coverage down the field. If Notre Dame can put enough pressure on Stockton, they can shut down his ground attack and force him to throw on one of the best pass defenses in the country. Either way, making Stockton uncomfortable is the key to forcing punts or winning the turnover battle. Notre Dame’s biggest challenge will be stopping Georgia’s ground game. It's the only major area where Notre Dame’s elite defense is outside the top 10, and the injury to Rylie Mills leaves them noticeably depleted. This will likely be where Georgia tests the Irish first, behind their backfield of Nate Frazier and Trevor Etienne. The tandem has combined for over 1,200 yards on the ground and 17 touchdowns. Georgia’s success on the ground is contingent on their offensive line, which may have their hands full with Notre Dame’s pressure. Georgia’s primary offensive goal will be to run the ball effectively, including through Stockton. At the same time, Notre Dame’s defense will attempt to overwhelm Gunner enough to force bad throws or turn the Bulldogs into a one-dimensional run-only offense. Notre Dame would match up well with Georgia even if Beck were playing, but with Stockton so new to running the show, it’s hard to put your money against Al Golden’s defense.  Advantage: Soft Notre Dame Notre Dame’s Offense vs Georgia’s Defense This head-to-head may be the most competitive showdown of the game. Like Georgia’s quarterback situation, much of Notre Dame’s success depends on Riley Leonard's performance. Both defenses will aim to pressure the quarterback into ill-advised throws by blitzing and stifling the running game.  Georgia’s Defense - Players to Watch Georgia’s only problem is that Notre Dame’s biggest offensive advantage is their elite ground game. Jeremiyah Love is the star of the show, but OC Mike Denbrock balances his load with Jadarian Price and adds a safety outlet with Leonard’s mobility. The three combined for 2,500 yards and 38 touchdowns on the ground alone, showing why they don’t pass very often - they don’t need to. Georgia ranks 35th in rush yards allowed, while Indiana ranked first, yet the Irish nearly tripled their 70.8 yards allowed average. If Notre Dame can replicate a similar production level, it would likely be enough to strike the right balance with the passing game, similar to the Indiana performance.  The passing game is where things get most interesting. There’s a decent chance Notre Dame doesn’t need to force many balls through the air, but if they do, Riley Leonard’s recent upswing may make things easier than previously believed. In his last 6 games, Leonard has thrown 11 touchdowns and only 3 interceptions, compared to 6 touchdowns and 3 interceptions in his first 7 games. If the Irish struggle on the ground, it’ll be because Smart will load the box to stop the run, leaving Irish receivers in man on the outside. Leonard would then have to throw a few more of those 44-yard bombs to Jordan Faison to pull extra guys off the line and out of the box. This one is a true toss-up. Both groups have a real shot at winning, but neither is dominant or complete enough to hold a firm edge.  Advantage: Even Notre Dame’s Special Teams vs Georgia’s Special Teams Notre Dame’s special teams unit has been relatively solid across the board this season, the only exception being field goal kicking. The Irish kicking staff is collectively dead last in the country in field goal percentage, making only 10/21 across 3 kickers. Mitch Jeter started the season strong before an injury sidelined him for several games and greatly affected his accuracy and ability, even after he was cleared to return. It wasn’t until the first round of the playoff that Jeter finally looked like himself again. He went 3/3 on extra points and 2/3 on field goal attempts, including a 49-yarder that was his longest of the season. It was his best performance since week 1 against TAMU.  The question going forward isn’t CAN Jeter make these kinds of kicks, but how consistently can he?  On the other hand, Georgia’s kicker, Peyton Woodring, has been truly elite this year. He ranks top-10 in field goal percentage, hitting on 20/22 while remaining perfect from under 50 yards. His longest kick of the season is 55 yards, making him a legitimate threat to score from anywhere past midfield. Woodring is experienced and won’t shrink in the moment, and that’s why the Dawgs get the leg up in the kicker battle. Special Teams - Players to Watch As for the receiving game, it’s essentially a wash. The Irish hold the edge in kick returns, ranking 87th with an average of 19.0 yards per return, while the Bulldogs sit near the bottom at 125th with only 15.2 yards per return. Conversely, Georgia has a slight advantage in punt returns with 8.1 yards per return, good for the 67th spot, while Notre Dame places 88th with 6.5 yards per return. Neither group has a clear advantage in the return game. Lastly, the punt game. Notre Dame’s average yards per punt are nothing special at 88th, but they’re saved by their coverage unit, which ranks significantly higher at 40th in net punt yards. For Georgia, it's nearly the reverse. Their average yards per punt are elite at 5th overall, but their punt coverage drops their net punt yards down to 88th.  Georgia would clearly get the nod off numbers alone, but there’s a problem: All those numbers came from junior punter Brett Thorson, who was injured in the SEC Championship game and is out for the season. Coach Smart told reporters that the job is open but confirmed that freshman punter Drew Miller has been taking the majority of practice reps. Without Thorson, Georgia’s punt game will rely on a freshman with no career punts to his name behind a weak punt coverage unit. With so many unknowns, Notre Dame gets the edge in the punt game. These units match up incredibly closely across the board, but each has its own unique weakness. For Notre Dame, it's their inconsistency at kicker, specifically Mitch Jeter’s struggles with accuracy and health. For Georgia, it’s Brett Thorson’s injury and their scramble to replace one of the nation’s best punters. The bottom line in comparison is - which team’s liability could hurt them the most?  In a game where points will be at a premium, and neither team can afford missed opportunities, Notre Dame’s weakness at kicker has a greater potential impact on the game’s outcome than Georgia’s compromised punt game. Up to this point, Notre Dame hasn’t needed to rely on Jeter’s leg to win them games, but this may be the first time all year that the Irish are left at the mercy of its field goal unit.  For that reason alone, Georgia gets the overall edge on special teams. Advantage: Soft Georgia Prediction: Once again, we find Notre Dame staring down the barrel of its greatest test of the season, with everything on the line. Georgia has been a powerhouse under Kirby Smart for almost a decade now, but this may be his most vulnerable team. With two losses and several close calls on their resume, there are proven methods to beat this team, and they can be replicated. Notre Dame’s game plan comes down to this: Dominate UGA’s defense on the ground Use Leonard’s mobility to establish a balanced passing attack. Pressure Gunner Stockton into risky passes/sacks This game plan combines goals that Notre Dame has already executed this season with approaches that Bama and Ole Miss used to beat UGA. If the Irish can achieve these three objectives, there’s no reason they can’t win. For the first time in recent memory, Notre Dame has the opportunity to take that next step, but this time feels different. A Sugar Bowl win over Georgia would instantly become one of the greatest wins in modern program history and dispel the narrative that Notre Dame is no longer a powerhouse. Call it stupidity or call it blind faith, but look for Notre Dame to win this in a close one. Look for: Notre Dame’s defense -  2+ sacks Xavier Watts - 1 interception Riley Leonard - 50+ rushing yards  Riley Leonard - 1 touchdown   Jeremiyah Love - 100+ rushing yards Jeremiyah Love - 1 rushing touchdown Jordan Faison - 1 receiving touchdown Win: (13-1) ND: 27 - 23 :UGA Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Notre Dame's marquee matchup with Georgia in the Allstate Sugar Bowl is right around the corner. This will mark the biggest game for Marcus Freeman during his time at Notre Dame, and the program's biggest game in a long time. Notre Dame will have it's hands full with a very talented Georgia team led by Kirby Smart. Here are three things Notre Dame needs to accomplish on New Year's Day to takedown Georgia and advance to the semifinals. Photo by Irish Tribune Win On The Outside One of Notre Dame's deficiencies on offense is their lack of explosive playmakers on the outside. Obviously, Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price are capable of breaking a huge play almost every time they touch the ball in the backfield, but that capability has not always translated to the wide receivers. The Irish passing attack this season has been methodical, often relying on short passes to move the ball. Some of this can be attributed to Leonard's weaknesses, as he hasn't shown any consistent ability to push the ball down the field. Leonard doesn't have a particularly strong arm, and the wideouts don't have a ton of big play speed and size. Beaux Collins was thought to be this type of player, but he has struggled to break out up to this point. Against Georgia, Notre Dame may need someone in this wide receiver room to make a few plays to put their stamp on the game. Georgia will surely commit their defense to stopping Notre Dame's dangerous running game. Kirby Smart is a fantastic coach with two weeks to prepare and plenty of talent to find ways to do this. This means that Notre Dame may need to look elsewhere for explosive plays. In his game against Indiana, Jordan Faison showed flashes of his ability to make big plays for the offense. Faison was a reliable set of hands to find on third down for Leonard, and even made a few players miss on a big kickoff return to start the second half. Whether it is Collins, Faison, Greathouse, or even Mitchell, Notre Dame is going to need someone to step up on the outside to relieve some pressure put on the rushing attack. In a game of this magnitude, Notre Dame needs to have options to be able to consistently and effectively hurt this daunting Georgia defense. Use code "IrishTribune20" to get $20 off your Notre Dame Pickleball Paddle Here Limit The Run Like Notre Dame, Georgia makes their living on the ground. They have two talented running backs, Nate Frazier and Trevor Etienne, who have combined for 17 touchdowns and over one thousand yards. Etienne, who has been banged up all year, will have had three weeks to get healthy. He is a player, much love Notre Dame's Jeremiyah Love, who can use his incredible athleticism to score on any play. There is also a new wrinkle in Georgia's rushing attack; their new starting quarterback, Gunner Stockton. Stockton will start in place of Carson Beck, who suffered a season-ending injury against Texas in the SEC championship. Stockton was a five-star recruit coming out of high school who can hurt a defense with his legs. Stockton did not get much playing time this year, but when he came in for an injured Beck, he showed that ability against a very good Texas defense. Stockton's legs will give Al Golden and this Notre Dame defense one more thing to worry about. Altogether, Georgia averages 129 rushing yards a game, which doesn't jump off the page, but Georgia is a team that wants to establish the run to set up their passing attack. Notre Dame will have to figure out how to stop this without one of their best defensive players, Rylie Mills. Mills makes up half of a defensive interior that has been wrecking opposing offenses all year. Mills had been good all year, but hit his stride in the second half of the season. During the season, Mills recorded 37 tackles, nine tackles for loss, and 7.5 sacks. Mills' absence will surely be felt against Georgia, who wants to play a physical game in the trenches. Notre Dame will now look to Donovan Hinish and Gabriel Rubio to fill in for Mills, as they get set to match up against the best offensive line they have played all year. Riley Leonard Needs To Make Plays Riley Leonard has come a long way since the loss to NIU. Following that performance, Leonard has been a more decisive and confident player, which has led to their current 11-game winning streak. During this winning streak, Notre Dame has not been in a lot of close games, resulting in Leonard not being asked to do a lot at the end of games. For the most part, Leonard has led the way as a game manager who takes care of the football and conduct the offense. Against Georgia, this may not be the case. Georgia is possibly more talented than Notre Dame, making is a necessity that Leonard plays his best game yet. Notre Dame is going to need him to make a few plays, whether that's a big throw downfield, or keeping a play alive with his legs. Georgia's defense is going to focus on the run, which gives Leonard openings to find players downfield. These are the kinds of opportunities that he needs to take advantage of for the Irish to win. Notre Dame is going to need Leonard to make a play or two that they are not accustomed to seeing him do. He has shown flashes of it all year, like his touchdown pass to Mitchell Evans against USC, where he perfectly floated a pass over the defender. Georgia's defense is going to play receivers tight, requiring more accurate and on-time passes from Leonard. Overall, Leonard has proven himself to be a quality college quarterback, but he can set himself apart if he plays to his full potential when it is required of him against Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. 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Notre Dame's 1,000-yard running back is The Irish Tribune's 2024 Golden Domer of the Year. Art by The Irish Tribune / Image courtesy of Syracuse.com Jeremiyah Love has been a special talent ever since he stepped foot on campus in South Bend. Before acknowledging Love's illustrious accomplishments in his second year at Notre Dame, it is important to understand the journey he took to suit up in the Blue and Gold. As a recruit, Jeremiyah Love was a special athlete. In his senior season, Love rushed for 1,291 yards and 22 touchdowns to lead Christian Brothers (St. Louis) to consecutive Class 6 state championships. With his immense production in his junior and senior seasons, Love was a highly sought-after recruit, with Alabama, Michigan, and Texas A&M being the Irish's main competition for the 2022 MaxPreps Missouri Player of the Year. In addition to tearing up the gridiron, Love was also making waves in track and field, by winning a state championship his sophomore year with a blazing 10.76-second 100-meter dash. In the end, Love pledged his commitment to the Irish and much of that could be attributed to his connection with running backs coach, Deland McCullough. His faith in McCullough has been evident through his time spent with the Fighting Irish. As a summer freshman enrollee, Love found himself near the bottom of the depth chart to begin the season, but his raw athleticism was too much to keep him off the field. While being behind the 2023 winner of the Golden Domer of the Year, Audric Estime, Love was held to merely 71 carries, yet the St. Louis product made the most of his opportunities. Against Ohio State, Love showcased his unique blend of speed and strength by being the change of pace back for Notre Dame and rallying 57 yards. He also made an appearance against the Duke Blue Devils by scampering for 34 yards on a fake punt attempt that extended the Irish's drive and led to a touchdown. Video by ACC Digital Network With Estime opting for the 2024 NFL Draft, Love was set to be Notre Dame's premier running back and he simply did not disappoint. As Notre Dame preps for Georgia in the Sugar Bowl, Love sits with 1,057 yards and 16 touchdowns. He's also added 224 yards through the air and two touchdowns, as well. Let's break down the numbers that have led to Love's true dominance this season. Five 100-Yard Games Throughout Notre Dame's 13 games, Love has accounted for five 100-yard or more games. His most recent 100-yard game was the Irish's first-round playoff game against the Indiana Hoosiers, in which his rushing total was highlighted by his 98-yard touchdown run that opened the scoring effort. Video by ESPN Love's 98-yard home run was even more impressive knowing he was battling flu-like symptoms and still recovering from his leg injury sustained during the regular season finale against the rival USC Trojans. Use code "IrishTribune20" to get $20 off your Notre Dame Pickleball Paddle Here While still not being 100%, Love gave the Irish offense the jumpstart they needed and continued to be the backbone of the Notre Dame rushing attack. His other four 100-yard games came against Army (130), Virginia (137), Navy (102), and Purdue (109). In those four games, Love also broke touchdown runs of 68, 76, 64, and 48 yards. It is without a doubt that Love's explosive speed has led to game-changing touchdowns. Every Game Touchdown Scorer Consistency is key, and it is exactly what Jeremiyah Love delivers. Love has recorded a touchdown in all of Notre Dame's games this season and has been Mr. Consistent for Mike Denbrock's offense. During spring ball and fall camp, Denbrock was experimenting with Jeremiyah Love all over the field, most uniquely as a slot receiver, which at the time raised some questions, but it was simply just trying to invent new ways to put Love in space. When Love is out in space, he is a matchup nightmare for anyone trying to tackle him. Love's 7.4 average yards per attempt simply displays how every time he has the ball in his hands, he can take it the distance. While totaling 18 total touchdowns this season, it should be noted that Riley Leonard also has 15 rushing touchdowns himself. If the Irish didn't have a mobile red zone threat, Love's touchdown total could be immensely greater. Gravity-Defying Hurdles While Love's production stayed under the radar for the national media, his two performances against Army and USC garnered him respect nationwide. The two highlight-reel plays he had both featured a new patented move in his repertoire, the hurdle. He debuted the hurdle on his touchdown run against Northern Illinois that has now been lost in the memory of the brutal defeat, but the first hurdle that fans remember is against Army. Video by NBC Sports While his hurdle against the Black Knights seemed to be unable to top, his hurdle in space against the Trojans was a jaw-dropping feat. Not only did Love clear the Trojan defender by jumping and gliding for four yards in the air, but he landed perfectly and then trucked another defender who was too high trying to tackle Love. Video by CBS Sports His blend of speed and added strength this offseason has allowed Love to continue to burn defenses on runs to the outside, but also have the physicality to run between the tackles. Key to Success As Notre Dame prepares to take on the Georgia Bulldogs in the Sugar Bowl, much of their success will revolve around the ability to run the ball against the daunting Georgia front seven. Jeremiyah Love will once again be the key to Notre Dame's offensive gameplan as the Irish navigate the first year of the extended playoff format. With that being said, we at The Irish Tribune congratulate Jeremiyah Love with the 2024 Golden Domer Award and are excited to watch him grow throughout the rest of his career with the Fighting Irish. Art by The Irish Tribune Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Notre Dame men’s basketball closed out non-conference play with a victory on Dec 22 against Le Moyne. Now, on the final day on 2024, the Fighting Irish will ring in the new year from Atlanta as they take on the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Photo via Notre Dame Athletics   Riding a three-game win streak that dates back to Dec. 7 against Syracuse in the first ACC game of the season, the Irish are playing the best basketball of the season. They’ve won by an average of 15.3 points over the win streak averaging 79 points per game.   These offensive showings have been put on the backs of sophomore guard Braeden Shrewsberry and junior forward Tae Davis, who are experiencing the best seasons of their college careers.   Shrewsberry, who played his season low in minutes against Le Moyne with 28, is averaging 20.3 PPG over the last three games, including a season-high 25 points against Syracuse. In his 37 minutes against the Orange, he shot 8-for-15 from the field including an impressive 6-for-11 from three-point range, the most he’s hit in a game this season. Although the sample size is small, Shrewsberry has proven he can step up in conference play in the absence of sophomore guard Markus Burton. Use code "IrishTribune20" to get $20 off your Notre Dame Pickleball Paddle Here   Davis, an Indianapolis native, is another player that has stepped up in a massive way this season. The 6’9” forward has seen improvements in nearly every category, most notably a 6.6 increase in PPG. In his second season in South Bend, Davis is averaging 15.8 PPG, 5.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists.   Looking at the other side, the Yellow Jackets are similar to the Irish on offense. Both teams are in the bottom half of the conference in points per game and both stand in the top ten in three-point percentage. They are led by senior guard Lance Terry who is averaging 15.4 PPG in 13 games played, while shooting 45.1% from the field. He’s one of four players on the Georgia Tech roster with a three-point percentage above 40%, shooting an impressive 41.2% from deep.   Terry, a College Park, Georgia native is coming off a 22-point performance against Alabama A&M this past Saturday after scoring just seven points against fifth-ranked Duke. It was his fourth 20-point outing of the young season as the Yellow Jackets prepare for their third ACC game of the season.   In two conference games so far, the Jackets are 0-2 with losses coming to North Carolina on Dec. 7 and Duke on Dec. 21. In those two games, they are averaging just 60.5 PPG and are losing by an average of 14.5 points. Terry has shot a combined 8-for-28 in those two contests, scoring just 29 points. Thus far, the Yellow Jackets have struggled in their early ACC matchups getting the offense rolling, which is an area the Irish should attack.   One player that has performed well in early conference play is 6’9” forward Baye Ndongo. The sophomore from Dakar, Senegal is averaging 16.5 PPG in the Jackets first two ACC meetings, shooting 13-for-24 from the field. As a rebounder, Ndongo has shown flashes, however remains inconsistent in that area. On the season, Ndongo is averaging 7.1 rebounds per game but was held at bay against the Blue Devils with just one rebound in 31 minutes of play. Duke ended the game out-rebounding Georgia Tech 36-to-25 and won the game by 26 points. While there will be other stat categories to win, the rebounding game is one Notre Dame must win.   Senior guard Javian McCollum, who is one his third team in four years of college, is the biggest threat to the Irish from three. In his first season with the Jackets, McCollum is shooting an average of four threes per game and knocks down 41.7% of those.   After missing four games with a concussion that he suffered on Nov. 23, McCollum has needed time to get settled back in. He started the season scoring in double-figures in the first four games of the season, averaging 31.3 minutes per game. In his first four games back, he’s averaging just 17.8 minutes per game and a measly eight points. He’s coming off one of his better performances of the season against Alabama A&M where he scored 18 points on 5-for-11 shooting in 16 minutes of play. He also knocked down three threes in six attempts.   For Notre Dame, it’s going to come down to the rebounding numbers and getting the Davis-Shrewsberry tandem rolling early. Against an offense that is averaging 76.1 PPG, the Irish will have to limit them to one shot per possession and see Shrewsberry and Davis finish with 20 points. Allowing the supporting cast to chip in is going to be a point of emphasis as well, however it starts at the top.   It's a great chance for the Irish to close out the year on a high note and stay undefeated in conference play. With North Carolina coming to town on Jan. 4, it will be huge to enter that game on a four-game win streak with things rolling in Notre Dame’s direction. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun