Notre Dame’s suffocating defense recorded eight sacks and limited Florida State to just 208 yards of offense to lead the Fighting Irish to a 52-3 thrashing of the Seminoles. Tackle Rylie Mills led the way with three sacks while safety Luke Talich ended the night with a 79-yard interception return. The Irish offense cruised to a touchdown on its opening drive but sputtered at times before catching fire. Jadarian Price led the ground attack with 97 yards, including a 65-yard scoring burst. Notre Dame moves to 8-1 on the season while the Noles drop to 1-9.

Florida State answered the Irish opening march with a successful rushing attack. They reached the red zone with tailback Lawrance Toafili leading the way. Notre Dame held, however, and forced a field goal by Ryan Fitzpatrick. At that point, it appeared the game would be competitive. Little did anyone know those would be the last points of the evening for the Seminoles.

The rest of the opening half was a punting contest as both teams struggled to make headway. Price’s long scoring run to make it 14-3 was the lone highlight until the last two minutes. Notre Dame gained possession and tried add to its lead before intermission. Quarterback Riley Leonard converted on fourth down with a keeper but his passes were off the mark. He even managed to overthrow a trombone player in the Irish band behind the north end zone.

Pride must have kicked in because Leonard found Jordan Faison for 22 yards on the next play to keep the drive alive. With time running out, Leonard hit tight end Mitchell Evans with a perfectly thrown fade pass for ten yards out for a 21-3 halftime advantage. It was Evans’ first touchdown of the season and a great moment for him and the entire Irish fan base.

Mills started the second half with a sack before Jordan Clark picked off a forced pass by FSU quarterback Brock Glenn. Leonard then hit Jaden Greathouse on a pair of throws before running it in from six yards out. Notre Dame was off to the races as the defense continued to snuff any Seminole hopes to mount a threat.

Mitch Jeter added a short field goal and Jeremiah Love ran for another score before the reserves took over. Backup quarterback Steve Angeli added a touchdown pass to Deion Colzie with four minutes remaining. It was also Colzie’s first score of the season, and the Irish sideline erupted in celebration with the popular senior.

Despite trailing by 45-3, coach Mike Norvell wanted his team to reach the end zone. He left his starting offense in the game and took to the air. The plan worked for a while until suddenly, it didn’t. Glenn telegraphed a pass to the flat and Talich stepped in for the pick and outraced Glenn to the end zone.

The primary takeaway from this victory is the Irish defense continues to dominate opponents despite numerous injuries to key performers. Tackle Howard Cross left tonight’s game in the first half with an ankle injury that required a heavy wrap. Backup Donovan Hinish had two sacks of his own, however, and Notre Dame completely shut down the Seminole passing game. Glenn and Luke Kromenhoek were a combined 10 for 26 for a paltry 88 yards and the two interceptions.

Let’s review the answers to our pregame questions:

• Will the Irish exhibit a high energy level after a two-week break? Yes, the opening drive was crisp and efficient. The defense actually started a bit slow but settled in before any real damage was done.
• Can Notre Dame extend the turnover misery that has plagued FSU this season? The two interceptions led directly to 14 Irish points. The hosts did not turn the ball over.
• Will Leonard continue his improvement as a passer? Honestly, he seemed to take a step backwards. Several throws were badly off target and his decision making was questionable on multiple occasions. It did not matter much this week but he needs to be better if the team hopes to reach its full potential.
• Can the Irish offensive line handle the talented Seminole front four? It was not a good night for the line. They did not block well in the running game with one exception (the TD by Price). Pass blocking could have been better as well.
• Will FSU be able to block an Irish field goal attempt? No, the Irish special teams were the Alpha Dogs in this matchup. They tipped two Seminole punts and nearly blocked two others. Adon Shuler was the leader of the pack for Notre Dame.
• Can the Irish reach the 200-yard mark on the ground? Another great question. They ran for 201 yards.
• Will Notre Dame’s defense dominate the Noles on third down? Yes. You can add first and second downs to that as well.
• Can the Irish score touchdowns once they enter the red zone? Notre Dame scored four touchdowns and a field goal in five red zone trips.

The Irish play their final home game of the regular season next week against Virginia on Senior Day. A Shamrock Series game in New York against undefeated Army follows in two weeks before the final showdown in Los Angeles at arch rival USC.

One has to wonder if the mounting injuries on defense will catch up to the Irish, or if Leonard’s erratic passing will prove to be fatal. We have learned this season that every playoff contender has its share of issues and concerns. The team that is able to address and overcome them with everything on the line will be the last one standing in January.