(Photo Credit: AJ Houk/Fighting Irish Preview)
Outlined against a blue-grey October sky, the Four Horsemen rode again. In dramatic lore they were known as Famine, Pestilence, Destruction, and Death. These are only aliases. Their real names are Stuhldreher, Miller, Crowley, and Layden. They formed the crest of the South Bend cyclone before which another fighting Army football team was swept over the precipice. -Grantland Rice
Saturday night in Yankee Stadium the Irish defense dismantled and punished Army, and a souped up version of the Four Horsemen rode again.
Army came into the game 9-0, and ranked 19th in the latest College Football playoff ranking, they leave as another one of the teams that have been unceremoniously disposed of by the Irish since they underwent an attitude adjustment at the hands of Northern Illinois on September 7th.
Army walked into the game with other gaudy credentials. Their rankings were impressive: #1 rushing defense, 35.2 points per game (#22), #1 scoring defense and the #1 defense defending the redzone. Add in a Heisman trophy candidate in quarterback Bryson Dailey, the fact that the Cadets had only turned the ball over three times all year, and this one had the look of a classic battle. But when the Yankee Stadium hallowed dust cleared, all the assumptions about the mighty Black Knights were wrecked.
Notre Dame’s defense forced four, three and outs, four punts and a fumble, Army went, a far from characteristic, 6-20 on third and fourth down. Adon Shuler led all Notre Dame tacklers and roamed from sideline to sideline blowing up the Army “precision” option. Freshman phenom Bryce Young blocked another punt thus reaffirming the notion that he simply can’t be blocked. All night long the Notre Dame defense swarmed and punished.
For his part Army quarterback Bryson Daily had just about nothing, but gave everything. In fact he gave a lot more than just about any head coach not named Todd Monken would have asked for. Daily carried the ball an insane 39 times, and paid a dear price on every carry. He averaged a meager 3.6 yards on each one and managed two short TD runs. On his longest run, he fumbled and lost the ball. He also tried to force a few passes, but his eight attempts gained just 26 yards. 233 yards from scrimmage was all the “precision” Army option had on this night.
The wisdom of leaving his star quarterback in the game for one last drive when down 42 points is between Todd Monken , Bryson Dailey and Monken’s conscious. Dailey was pummelled all night long. Considering the punishment Daily absorbed, and for the sake of Dailey’s loved ones, I am happy to report that I ran into him post game as I exited the interview room and that somehow, he was still able to speak and ambulatory, if not a bit pale.
How total was the Irish devastation? Actually it was just another day at the office for the Irish wrecking crew. Al Golden’s troops continue to ascend the national defensive rankings. They are now #2 in points allowed, and top 10 in eight other categories. Allowing just 11.6 points per game, they are on pace to post the best Notre Dame mark in that category since 1980.
The defense certainly did their part, but to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Four Horseman “game”, it was the offense that pulled off a 2024 style imitation of the legendary backfield.
This time it was, Love, Price, Williams and Leonard, that rode again.
Jeremiyah Love scored three touchdowns and totaled 136 yards on just eight touches of the football. His 68 yard TD run on the first play from scrimmage in the second half, effectively ended the competitive portion of the football game. Jadarian Price is the perfect complement to Love and he rode to 53 yards and two TDs on 10 carries. Freshman Aneyas Williams, who has emerged as a reliable pass blocker and receiver out of the backfield contributed an explosive 58 yard TD run in the 4th quarter that raised the level of the already started victory gala among the highly partisan Irish crowd to a new level of joyous celebration.
For his part Riley Leonard added 30 yards on eight carries and provided the “souped” up aspect to the 2024 Four Horseman ride by efficiently hitting eight different recievers on 10-13 passing for 148 yards and two TDs. For the season Leonard is now a 65.3% passer and has thrown for 1937 yards, 14 TDs with just four interceptions. Leonard’s overall play has evolved to the point where defenses can no longer key on just his running ability. In fact, that is what Army tried to do and they did keep Leonard’s running game in check, but the Irish offense was able to respond otherwise with devastating effectiveness.
On September 10 at about 7PM, Northern Illinois walked off the field at Notre Dame Stadium celebrating and it looked all but impossible that this Irish team could salvage the season by winning 10 straight. That was the needle that had to be threaded to set a place at the College Football Playoff table. Now nine wins later the irish are favorites to accomplish just that.
Take nothing for granted as 6-5 Southern Cal hosts the Irish next Saturday. USC is not Florida State, a team that went quietly into the South Bend night a few weeks ago. Not even close. The Trojans have been in every game they have played, they are talented, bowl eligible, well coached and they are at home.
The fact of the matter is though, that Notre Dame is a team on a mission. Now with a 2024 version of the Four Horseman running the football, a complementary passing game and a defense created somewhere just this side of Hades in the devious mind of Al Golden and company, Notre Dame stands as a team that nobody in the college football world wants a piece of.
The drive to glory by the 2024 Irish is alive and thriving, and somewhere over the Blue & Gold rainbow , Stuhldreher, Miller, Crowley, Layden, just might be smiling.
