(Photo: Chad Ryan)
First and Fitzharris: a Weekly Look at Notre Dame Football
In five furious minutes, Notre Dame set the day ablaze, and as the smoke settled, Jeremiyah Love stepped through it with the calm certainty of a man polishing a Heisman résumé in real time.
If you blinked, you probably missed the Irish dropping 21 points before the offense ever broke a sweat, or even took a snap. Five minutes into the game, Notre Dame was up 21–0, and Syracuse still hadn’t recovered from the opening whistle. It was an ambush from the jump — a wave of defensive and special teams haymakers that turned the afternoon into a blowout before most fans found their seats.
On the second play of the game, Jalen Stroman jumped a route and took an interception to the house — déjà vu after Tae Johnson’s pick-six last week against Pittsburgh. Ironically, it was Stroman starting in Johnson’s place, as Johnson watched from the sideline with his arm in a sling. The NBC broadcast suggested Johnson could return as early as next week, but the Irish won’t need him when they head to The Farm to face Stanford.
Stroman was just getting started. On the next possession, he partially blocked a Syracuse punt that Luke Talich snagged with one hand and returned for another score. “I love this team. Everyone loves each other,” Stroman said after the win.
And yet again, on the ensuing possession, the best cornerback in America, Leonard Moore, jumped another pass and took it back for six. Even Chris Ash cracked a smile — something I’m not sure we’ve seen all season. And for those who know how I operate during games, I almost always stand until the outcome is beyond doubt. (Just ask my law school buddies.) For the first time in a long time, I was able to sit down on my couch before the first quarter was even half over.
The result was never in question, but what mattered was how Notre Dame looked in its 70–7 demolition of the Orange. The 70 points were the most by the Irish since 1932, and Syracuse walked away with the fourth-worst loss in program history.
And we haven’t even reached J. Love yet. He gashed Syracuse for 171 yards and three touchdowns — on just eight carries. He averaged 21.4 yards every time he touched the ball. Pure absurdity. After that performance, he’s all but locked in for New York and has surged into the Heisman’s top tier. When Love struck the Heisman pose on what may have been his final touchdown in Notre Dame Stadium, Marcus Freeman said afterward, “He earned it.”
Now the Irish head to Palo Alto to take on a 4‑7 Stanford team that notched a win over its archrival Cal last night. After this week’s utter domination, one thing is clear: Notre Dame is one win away from a second straight College Football Playoff appearance — and Jeremiyah Love has one more chance for another of his “routine”, magical performances to polish his sparkling Heisman résumé.
