Nov 92 min read

Fighting Irish Cruise to a Complete Victory Over Seminoles

On Nov. 9, the Florida State Seminoles (1-9, 1-8 Atlantic Coast Conference) traveled to South Bend, Ind., to take on the 10th-ranked Fighting Irish of Notre Dame (8-1). Only meeting for the 12th time ever, the Seminoles hold a slight 6-5 lead. However, the Irish have won the last three meetings, including 41-38 in 2021. This year, the Fighting Irish cruised to a 52-3 victory over the Seminoles.

What Happened in the Game

Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard led his team down the field for a 75-yard drive, ending with Leonard scoring on a 34-yard run in the first quarter. The Seminoles scored a field goal on their opening possession, making the score 7-3. The teams exchanged punts on the next four possessions before the Irish found the end zone on a 3-play, 84-yard drive. It was highlighted by running back Jadarian Price scoring on a 65-yard TD run to make the score 14-3. The Irish added another TD before the half on a 12-play, 77-yard drive. That drive was highlighted by Leonard connecting with receiver Mitchell Evans for a 12-yard TD pass for a 21-3 halftime lead.

The second half brought more of the same. The Irish extended their lead by scoring on all four offensive drives (3 TDs, 1 field goal) to race to a 45-3 lead. The Irish added a 77-yard TD return on an interception by safety Luke Talich late in the fourth quarter for a 52-3 lead.

Players of the Game

Defensive Linemen Donovan Hinish and Rylie Mills

As a group, the Irish defense held the Seminoles to 208 total yards of offense. The two that stood out in that effort were Hinish and Mills. They lived in the Seminoles' backfield and disrupted play consistently. The duo finished with 10 tackles and 5 of the team's 8 sacks. Mills finished with a game-high and career-high 3 sacks.

What Does the Dominant Win Mean?

For the Irish, the team improves to 8-1. They control their destiny for the College Football Playoff and a possible first-round home game. Leonard was effective as a passer, completing 14-of-27 passes for 215 yards and a TD. Leonard finished with 70 yards rushing and 2 TDs on 11 carries. The Irish next play the Virginia Cavaliers (4-4, 2-3 ACC) on Nov. 16 before a clash with the 25th-ranked Black Knights of Army (9-0, 7-0 AAC) on Nov. 23.

For the Seminoles, an offseason of rebuilding is approaching quickly. In the era of the Transfer Portal, getting the right players matters even more. While the wheels have fallen off long ago for head coach Mike Norvell and his staff, there have been flashes on offense with quarterbacks Brock Glenn and Luke Kromenhoek. The Seminoles play Charleston Southern (1-9, 0-7 Big South) on Nov. 23 after a bye-week on Nov. 16.