A three touchdown explosion just before halftime propelled Notre Dame to a 45-21 victory over an inspired but outmanned Syracuse team on Saturday. The Fighting Irish trailed by 7-3 with five minutes remaining in the second quarter, and seemed to be sleep walking through the sunny afternoon. Then lightning struck. The victory lifted the second-ranked hosts to 10-0 as the regular season comes to a close.

Notre Dame appeared to be headed for another three and out offensive series when a roughing the passer penalty gave them new life. Ian Book completed two passes downfield before scrambling for the final 28 yards to retake the lead by 10-7. The Irish then turned up the defensive intensity as well. It paid off a few plays later when they sacked quarterback Rex Culpepper and forced a fumble at the Orange 21 yard line.

Book immediately connected with Javon McKinley for a touchdown, and Notre Dame had a 17-7 advantage with 1:38 remaining. Syracuse then failed to convert on third down and punted the ball back to the Irish.

Using the final 46 seconds and his complement of timeouts, Book moved his troops into scoring territory. McKinley again was targeted down the sideline, and the senior outfought the defender for the ball in the end zone for a 28-yard score. After playing Notre Dame to a virtual standstill for most of the half, this 21-point blitz took some of the juice out of the Orange.

Instead of running away with the contest in the second half, the Irish briefly reverted to sluggishness. The defense forced a turnover on the first series, but the offense immediately returned the favor one play later with a botched snap. Sean Tucker converted the opportunity with a 40-yard scoring burst to bring the visitors within 24-14.

Then things got even more weird. Book promptly threw an interception on the ensuing series to safety Ja’Had Carter. On the next play, Culpepper fumbled it right back to Notre Dame. The Irish returned to the running game, and Book finished the drive with a 17-yard touchdown run for a 31-14 margin.

Culpepper completed the Syracuse third quarter turnover trifecta on the next series. He threw the ball directly into the hands of Irish end Daelin Hayes, who rambled back to the Orange 33. Notre Dame was unable to convert as Jonathan Doerer missed a 50-yard field goal attempt.

As time ran down in the period, a Kyren Willams run set up a third touchdown pass from Book to McKinley. This one covered 26 yards and stretched the Irish lead to 38-14.

It looked as though Williams would provide the biggest highlight of the fourth quarter when he passed the 1,000 yard mark with a slick 14-yard burst. Minutes later, however, freshman speedster Chris Tyree exploded up the middle and outran the Orange defense for a 94-yard score.

The strange happenings of the day were not quite complete, though. Syracuse tailback Cooper Lutz took the ball on the next play from scrimmage and ran untouched for an 80-yard touchdown against the Irish reserves.

The final minutes of the game were devoted to bench clearing as the senior starters left the field in a planned series of curtain calls. Each received warm greetings on the sidelines and cheers from family in the nearly empty stands. Book finished his home career as the Notre Dame career leader in wins as a starting quarterback (30).

Let’s review the answers to our pregame questions:

• Can the Irish dominate in the running game? Notre Dame outrushed the Orange, but by a much smaller margin (283-229) than anyone would have predicted.
• Will Kyren Williams (901 yards to date) reach the 1,000 yard mark for the regular season? Yes, and it was richly deserved. Give Syracuse credit for making him play more than three quarters to get it.
• How will the Irish receivers fare against the tough Orange cornerbacks? McKinley and Ben Skowronek made some tough catches, but the Orange defenders were very aggressive and capable.
• Will Notre Dame’s pass rush keep Syracuse’s aerial threats in check? Yes. The longest pass to a wide receiver covered only 18 yards. That was a touchdown to Anthony Queeley that featured horrific missed tackles by the Irish.
• Can Doerer get back on track in the kicking department? Not really. Doerer had a shot at a 50-yard field goal but missed badly.
• Will the Irish successfully clear the way for the second teamers to play extensively? No. Brian Kelly didn’t feel that comfortable until five minutes remained in the game.
• Can the Irish exit the field in good health? Thankfully, yes. Linebacker Bo Bauer and punt returner Matt Salerno were injured but were fine after the game.
• Will Michigan duck Ohio State next week? Wolverines are really just weasels, aren’t they?

The game was hardly an artistic success, but Senior Day rarely brings out a great performance by Notre Dame, particularly when they are heavy favorites. There were no significant injuries and the Irish left the field in good position to pursue their championship goal. Unlike recent years where they have found themselves in a similar position, this particular team will not go quietly.