The start of the Notre Dame vs. Indiana first-round College Football Playoff has been a defensive affair.
After Notre Dame forced an Indiana three-and-out on the initial possession of the game, Irish quarterback [autotag]Riley Leonard[/autotag] was intercepted on the second Notre Dame snap when his pass was batted into the air.
The Irish defense appeared to respond by forcing the Hoosiers into third-and-long, but Indiana quarterback Kurtis Rourke connected with Elijah Sarratt — Sarratt made a spectacular catch to put Indiana within striking distance of the end zone.
On the very next play, Notre Dame All-American safety [autotag]Xavier Watts[/autotag] picked off an errant Rourke pass at the Irish 2-yard line.
That killed the Hoosier’s drive and shifted momentum back to Notre Dame.
Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on X (Formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.
Follow Tim on X: @tehealey