By Matthew CoudenShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberThe Notre Dame Fighting Irish achieved a massive blowout win on Saturday, defeating Syracuse 70-7 in a statement-making game. Not only did the Fighting Irish make a strong case for being deserving of a playoff spot, but their star Jeremiyah Love also showed why he's among this year's Heisman Trophy contenders.
Love had an epic performance in the game, with eight carries resulting in 171 yards and three touchdowns to help his team. Coupled with a strong performance from Jalen Stroman on defense, Notre Dame didn’t let up against the Orange.
Saturday's win moved Notre Dame to 9-2 overall and 6-1 at home, as they look towards the College Football Playoff.
After the game's conclusion, head coach Marcus Freeman spoke about the "dominant victory," which was something he said he didn't know if he'd ever seen before. However, he also said he'd look at the parts of the performance that needed some attention. A reporter asked him to speak on his star running back following his huge game, and Freeman had heaps of praise.
Read more: James Franklin Reveals What Sold Him on Virginia Tech Job
"He's a special football player. We know that. It's a confidence that you have when he's on the field, when he has the ball in his hands, when he's on your team. Because he's consistent, he's not just, once in a while, he makes a play. He consistently does his job," Freeman said of Love, adding, "I think it brings a lot of confidence to our team."
...Love's third touchdown of the matchup was a huge 68-yard run to help boost the score to 55-0. For the game, he had an impressive average of 21.4 yards per carry.
With his performance, Notre Dame Football announced that the running back became the third FBS player since 1996 to achieve three touchdowns and 170 yards with eight or fewer carries.
Earlier today, Fox Sports reported that Love is fifth overall in the Heisman Trophy Odds at +3000. Ahead of him are four quarterbacks: Georgia’s Gunner Stockton, Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia, Ohio State’s Julian Sayin, and Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza.
Loading twitter content...
Notre Dame's success in the CFP will hinge upon many factors, but Love will likely be a significant part of their game against most opponents.
Before Freeman left the podium for his postgame press conference, a reporter asked about the "hubbub" surrounding Love's touchdown celebration dances, which included a Heisman pose in today's win.
“You put me on the spot. I always say celebrate with your teammates,” Freeman said, also adding, “He’s earned the right to do that. I don’t like the other one you’re referring to, but he’s earned the right to do that, so I’ll let him go.”
Read more: Virginia Tech’s James Franklin Sends Strong Message on NIL, Recruiting
For more about Notre Dame and college football, visit Newsweek Sports.
Request Reprint & LicensingSubmit CorrectionView Editorial & AI Guidelines
Add Newsweek as a preferred source on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search.Recommended For You
NCAAOhio State Gets Brutal Injury News on Jeremiah Smith, Carnell Tate2 min read
NCAALSU Finalizing $90 Million Contract for Lane Kiffin3 min read
NCAAKalen DeBoer-Penn State Rumors Get Major Update From CFB Insider3 min read
NCAAJames Franklin Reveals What Sold Him on Virginia Tech Job3 min read
Affiliate LinksHow to Watch Hawaii vs UNLV: Live Stream NCAA College Football, TV Channel3 min read
NCAAAlabama, Kalen DeBoer Receive Brutal College Football Playoff Outlook3 min readRelated Podcasts
Top Stories
NewsIsraeli Strikes Kill at Least Two Dozen in Gaza Amid Fragile Ceasefire5 min read
NewsUncommon Knowledge: Mamdani and MTG, Two Sides of the Same Coin5 min read
PoliticsBomb Threats Target Democratic Lawmakers After Trump ‘Traitors’ Posts6 min read
NewsDonald Trump Reacts To Marjorie Taylor Greene’s Resignation4 min read
NewsBolsonaro Arrested in Alleged Plot to Escape Prison Sentence4 min read
PoliticsRepublicans Are Facing a Generational Rift5 min readTrending
Winter StormWinter Storm Warning As 18 Inches of Snow To Hit5 min read
Higher EducationFull List of Degrees Not Classed As ‘Professional’ by Trump Admin8 min read
Product recallAmazon Recall: Threat-To-Life Warning Issued For Items Pulled Nationwide4 min read
Donald TrumpDonald Trump Faces Articles of Impeachment Before Christmas3 min read
Housing MarketHousing Market Reaches Point Not Seen Since Years After 2008 Crash5 min readOpinion
OpinionConventional Wisdom: Price of Culture Edition3 min read
OpinionLatinos Catch the Fish. Why Aren’t They at the Decision-Making Table? | Opinion5 min read
OpinionWhy Is the US Punishing Legal Immigrants? | Opinion5 min read
OpinionWhat Is an American?6 min read
OpinionConventional Wisdom: MAGA Infighting Edition2 min read
