On Friday night, theNotre Dame Football team defeated the No. 10 seed Indiana Hoosiers 27- 17. The Irish will look to carry this momentum into the quarterfinals as they now face the Georgia Bulldogs on Jan. 1 in New Orleans in the Sugar Bowl.
The Fighting Irish had a shaky start as Riley Leonard threw an interception on their first possession. However, the Irish got the ball back and were able to control the lead from start to finish. Riley Leonard went 23-of-32 with 201 passing yards, one passing TD and a rushing touchdown. The Irish rushing attack continued to dominate as they ran for 194 yards and only allowed 53 rushing yards. The Irish were able to dominate the rushing game on both sides of the ball where statistically Indiana was one of best in the nation.
3 studs, one dud in Notre Dame football's dominant win over Indiana
Notre Dame had three players step and lead the Irish to their victory but also have a concern moving forward. Here are three studs and one dud from the Notre Dame quarterfinal-clinching victory over the Indiana Hoosiers.
Stud: Jordan Faison
The Irish wide receiver out of Florida had his best game of the season not just on offense but on special teams as well. Jordan Faison had six receptions for 89 yards with his longest going for 44 yards. Faison had a goal in Lacrosse in the National Championship seven months ago and tonight he led the Irish in receiving yards and catches. He also had a 43-yard kick return in the second half, which led to an Irish field goal and to go up 20-3.
Faison could be the x-factor for this offense as they move forward in the playoffs. The speedy wide receiver is a spark on the outside for Notre Dame as he is one of their main deep threats, but is also used in screens and check downs because of his ability to make a defender miss.
Stud: Mitch Jeter
The Fighting Irish placekicker, Mitch Jeter, made his longest field goal of the season at 49 yards and went 2-for-3 in the first-round win over Indiana. Jeter was also perfect on all his extra points and gave fans a sign of promise as they advance to the quarterfinals.
Jeter got his kick blocked in the fourth quarter and just kept it low, but the positives this game outweigh the negatives for Mitch Jeter. Jeter will have another 11 days to get even healthier and after this game Notre Dame should feel better about their placekicker.
This is huge for the Fighting Irish and their playoff run as Jeter has struggled since his injury back in September. Jeter missed four of his five field goals entering the playoffs and was 6/12 on field goals and was 4-8 from 40+ in the season.
Jeter 49 yard field goal and going 2/3 not only helped the Irish dominate the Hoosiers in all aspects of the game, but also gives Irish fans more confidence in their special teams as Notre Dame will face their toughest opponent of the season in Georgia.
Stud: Xavier Watts
The consensus All-American continues to showcase his All-American talent as he would secure his 13th interception in his career and get Irish the ball back early in the first quarter. Watts has the most interceptions in FBS in the last two seasons with 13 and is the definition of a ball hawk. Watts interception led to a 98-yard rushing touchdown from Jeremiyah Love where the Irish would go up 7-0 and never look back.
Dud: Offensive Line
The Irish offensive line was letting the Hoosiers defensive front get through a concerning amount and forced Leonard to scramble or get sacked. This is the main concern as the Irish will now face the Bulldogs in the Sugar Bowl. Notre Dame offensive line was named a semifinalist for the Joe Moore Award, which recognizes the most outstanding offensive line in college football allowed two sacks and did not look dominant in the first round.
Irish were able to rush for 194 yards and dominate the run game as they averaged 5.7 yards per carry, but the pass protection is a concern moving forward.
The Irish should be happy with the win and advancing to the next round, but now the Notre Dame football team will have to face Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. The Irish look to win their first New year Six Bowl game since 1994.