Irish Bolster Playoff Hopes With Dominant Win Over Cavaliers

© Matt Cashore-Imagn Images

The No. 8 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (9-1) continued their streak of dominance with a 35-14 win over the Virginia Cavaliers (5-5, 3-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) on Nov. 16 in South Bend, Ind.

The Notre Dame defense was the story of the game. They forced 5 turnovers in a first half shutout, including 3 interceptions on three consecutive Virginia drives that consistently set up the Fighting Irish offense in prime field position. They allowed just 300 total yards to the Virginia offense and held the Cavaliers to just 6-of-18 conversions on third down.

Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love led the way on offense, taking 15 carries for 132 yards and 2 touchdowns. Love has now scored a rushing touchdown in 10 consecutive games this season. Quarterback Riley Leonard added 3 touchdowns through the air in the blowout win.

Game Summary

In the raucous environment of Notre Dame Stadium, the Cavaliers knew they would need to play near-flawless football to stand a chance against a hot Fighting Irish team. Those aspirations were all but over on the first play of the game, when the Cavaliers fumbled the opening kickoff and gave Notre Dame the ball on the Virginia 25-yard line. Love quickly capitalized on the mistake, weaving into the end zone for a rushing touchdown to give the Fighting Irish an early 7-0 lead.

It did not take long for the tenacious Fighting Irish defense to come up with another pivotal turnover. Safety Rod Heard II forced a fumble on Virginia running back Kobe Pace early in the second quarter to halt any momentum the Cavaliers had gained. The Notre Dame offense kicked into gear in response, scoring on a 9-play, 88-yard drive that took less than 4 minutes off the clock. Leonard capped off the touchdown drive with an 8-yard pass to wide receiver Jayden Harrison to open up a 14-0 Notre Dame lead.

The Cavaliers offense continued to make costly mistakes. Quarterback Anthony Colandrea threw an interception that was returned to the Virginia 2-yard line by safety Adon Shuler. Leonard found tight end Cooper Flanagan for his second passing touchdown of the day to give the Fighting Irish a 21-0 lead.

A second interception by Colandrea on the ensuing Cavaliers' drive gave the Fighting Irish offense a short field once again. Leonard threw for his third passing touchdown of the half, and Notre Dame took a 28-0 lead into halftime.

The Fighting Irish refused to slow down at the start of the second half. Love opened the scoring with an electric 76-yard rushing score to drain all life out of Cavaliers' comeback hopes.

The Virginia offense finally found a spark, scoring their first touchdown of the game on an 18-yard rush from backup quarterback Tony Muskett late in the third quarter. Notre Dame finally began to let up on offense, and the Fighting Irish eventually cruised to a comfortable 35-14 win.

Turning Point for Fighting Irish

Notre Dame took a comfortable lead into the second half, but an early interception from Leonard gave the Cavaliers some hope of a comeback. When the Fighting Irish got the ball back after a quick three-and-out from the Virginia offense, however, Love put any comeback hopes to rest. Love broke out of a tackle and raced 76 yards for a touchdown to put the game completely out of reach.

What It Means

An early season loss to the Northern Illinois Huskies (6-4, 3-3 Mid-American Conference) gave Notre Dame no room for error if they wanted any chance at a spot in the College Football Playoff. The Fighting Irish have continued to thrive under the pressure, winning in dominant fashion and passing the CFP committee's "eye test" with flying colors. Notre Dame now travels to face a dangerous No. 24 Army Black Knights (9-0, 7-0 American Athletic Conference) team next week at Yankee Stadium. A win would all but cement the Fighting Irish as hosts of a first-round playoff matchup.

For the Cavaliers, their inconsistent year in head coach Tony Elliott's third year at the helm continues. A week after an impressive road win at the Pitt Panthers (7-3, 3-3 ACC), the offense completely disappeared, making costly mistakes in the first half that cost the team the game. At 5-5, Virginia needs just one win to reach bowl eligibility for the first time since 2019. With matchups against the No. 14 SMU Mustangs (8-1, 5-0 ACC) and Virginia Tech Hokies (5-5, 3-3) ahead, though, the Cavaliers will need to clean up the mistakes quickly to have any chance.