(Photo: Chad Ryan)
After starting the season 0–2, the idea that Notre Dame could deliver a 70–7 domination of a Power Four opponent at any point this season would not exactly have been at the forefront of anyone’s rational thought. Nonetheless, that is exactly what the Irish did to Syracuse this past week and after 11 games, the Irish are arguably the hottest team in the nation right now.
Here’s how they got here — one game, one surge, one statement at a time.
Week 1 — @ Miami (FL): L 24–27
The Irish entered the game ranked 6th, Miami #10. Notre Dame started slow but then rallied for a late tie. Miami then went on a late drive and drilled a 47-yard field goal with 1:04 left to steal the opener. The Irish had wasted some gutsy defensive stands and walked out of South Florida with a gut punch.
Week 2 — Texas A&M: L 40–41
Notre Dame piled up more than 500 yards and 27 second-half points, but a tackled from behind Donavon Hinish missed a sack attempt and quarterback Marcel Reed tossed an 11-yard touchdown pass with :13 remaining. A fourth-quarter Irish lead had vanished in the final seconds, dropping ND to 0–2.
Then everything changed.
Week 3 — Purdue: W 56–30
The winless, #24-ranked Irish entered the game with defensive issues aplenty. Despite being 24.5-point favorites, the defensive struggles continued through halftime but improved in the second half. Jadarian Price scored four touchdowns, including a 100-yard kick-return score, as ND piled up 35 first-half points.
Week 4 — @ Arkansas: W 56–13
CJ Carr threw four touchdown passes, and the Irish torched the Razorbacks for 641 yards of total offense, scoring on nearly every early possession. Jeremiyah Love added four TDs, two rushing and two receiving. The defense forced two turnovers and bottled Arkansas’ run game from the opening whistle. ND’s domination was so complete that Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman was fired the next day.
Week 5 — Boise State: W 28–7
ND’s defense snagged four interceptions, with Leonard Moore returning from injury to grab two of them, while the Broncos never found their rhythm. Carr added two second-half touchdown passes to seal another comfortable win. The Irish were now above .500 at 3–2 and moved up to #16 in the AP poll.
Week 6 — NC State: W 36–7
CJ Carr threw for 342 yards and two TDs, and Jeremiyah Love added two scores. The Irish defense came up with three interceptions, four sacks, five tackles for loss, a safety, and smothered NC State’s rushing attack. Red-zone stops kept the Wolfpack from ever threatening, the Irish secured their fourth straight win, and defensive coordinator Chris Ash was back on everyone’s Christmas card list.
Week 7 — USC: W 34–24
ND, now ranked 13th, faced 20th-ranked USC on a soggy evening in Notre Dame Stadium. Love erupted for a career-high 228 rushing yards, and Jadarian Price returned a third-quarter kickoff 100 yards to power Notre Dame past the Trojans. ND’s surging defense kept USC’s passing game in check with two interceptions and held their ground attack to just 68 yards.
Week 8 — @ Boston College: W 25–10
A Halloween weekend matchup turned into a Notre Dame kicking-game nightmare, as the Irish missed three extra points and a short field goal. Still, a 94-yard touchdown burst by Love swung the game permanently after an interception flipped momentum. Carr added 299 passing yards as ND controlled the ball and the clock. On the following Tuesday, the Irish were ranked #10 in the first College Football Playoff ranking.
Week 9 — Navy: W 49–10
Under the lights, Navy arrived with a 7–1 record and left humbled as snow blanketed Notre Dame Stadium. The Irish scored touchdowns on their first six drives, with Carr tossing three TDs to spark another early avalanche. The defense neutralized Navy’s option attack, allowing just one extended march all day. ND piled up 502 yards to Navy’s 228, and moved to #9 in the CFP ranking.
Week 10 — @ Pittsburgh: W 37–15
On a day that began with College GameDay in Pittsburgh, Love churned out 147 yards, including a 56-yard spin-move touchdown, while Malachi Fields made acrobatic catches and scored two TDs. The defense added two interceptions, four sacks, and held Pitt to an unheard-of 0–13 on third down. ND physically dominated the 22nd-ranked Panthers for four quarters and apparently Pat Narduzzi didn’t really care. (lol). ND’s #9 ranking held firm.
Week 11 — Syracuse: W 70–7
Notre Dame detonated for 35 points in the first quarter, including defensive and special-teams scores that buried Syracuse before the offense even touched the field. Love added 171 yards and three TDs on just 8 carries in a full-systems demolition. The Irish struck with touchdowns covering 44, 22, 46, 45, 58, 6, 14, 68, 30, and 25 yards, running only 39 plays all day on their way to the highest point total since 1932.
After the 0–2 start, the math was merciless and the mission unforgiving: win ten in a row or bury every last CFP fantasy. Then, week after week, Notre Dame didn’t just win — it reinvented itself, sharpened its edge, and blasted back into the national spotlight. What looked like a season drifting toward irrelevance transformed into a months-long surge defined by toughness, efficiency, and an offense and defense that now terrify anyone in its path.
Today, the Irish stand on the doorstep of the improbable, one win away from turning a once-dead season into a championship chase no one saw coming. Since being put on life support after losing the first two games, they have become a team no one wants to meet in the postseason.
Nine down. One to go. And everything left to play for.