Mitch Jeter – Syndication Server

Notre Dame vs. Ohio State: Fourth-Quarter Analysis

So close, and yet, so far.

For a fleeting moment, Notre Dame still had a chance in the College Football Playoff title game. In a season where the amazing has happened repeatedly, why not one more such occurrence?

We’ll never know the events that occurred in another universe, but in this one, Ohio State is the national champion after beating the Irish, 34-23.

On the first play of the fourth quarter, Emeka Egbuka was on his way to a long reception, but [autotag]Drayk Bowen[/autotag] knocked the ball out of his clutches, and [autotag]Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa[/autotag] recovered it. Suddenly, the Irish had the ball in a 31-15 game.

[autotag]Riley Leonard[/autotag] completed a 30-yard pass to [autotag]Jaden Greathouse[/autotag], and a couple of defensive holding calls against the Buckeyes set the Irish up with a first-and-goal. Three plays went nowhere, and instead of going for it on fourth down like most teams in such a situation should, the Irish opted to send [autotag]Mitch Jeter[/autotag] out for a 27-yard field-goal attempt. The kick doinked off the left upright, and the chance for points off turnovers was gone.

The Irish’s defense then forced the first Buckeyes punt of the game, and the offense badly needed points to still have a chance. It got them when Leonard fired another 30-yard pass to Greathouse, this time with Greathouse making a great catch in the end zone. Leonard then flipped the ball to [autotag]Jordan Faison[/autotag], who fired to [autotag]Beaux Collins[/autotag] to complete the two-point conversion and make it a one-score game.

Again, the Irish placed the Buckeyes’ offense in a tough spot, third-and-11 to be exact at their own 34-yard line. But that’s when Will Howard decided to air it out and fire a 56-yard pass to an open Jeremiah Smith, who caught the ball before being stopped at the Irish’s 10. Any real hope the Irish had was snuffed out on a play that Buckeyes fans will reminisce about forever.

The Buckeyes ran the ball a few times, milked the clock, and the matter officially was put to rest with a Jayden Fielding 33-yard field goal with 26 seconds left. The Irish were left to wonder what could have been, and the party in Columbus was underway.

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Notre Dame schedule: Is Notre Dame playing today?

Is Notre Dame playing today? Here’s a look at the schedule and the games to come.

Will the Notre Dame Fighting Irish be on the field today in the semifinal round of the College Football Playoff?

Notre Dame has advanced to the 2024-2025 national championship game, where the Fighting Irish will take on the Ohio State Buckeyes at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

The game is scheduled for Monday, Jan. 20 at 7:30 p.m. EST and will be broadcast on ESPN.

Notre Dame advanced to the title game after beating the Penn State Nittany Lions 27-24 in the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Capital One Orange Bowl in Miami.

Notre Dame kicker [autotag]Mitch Jeter[/autotag] hit a late-game field goal to give the Irish the win.

Now the Irish face their toughest test yet — and if they win, it will be for all the marbles. Notre Dame lost to Ohio State in South Bend, 17-14, in their last meeting. That game was infamous for the Irish allowing the game-winning touchdown with just 10 men on the field.

Hopefully the Irish will be much sharper on Monday.

Notre Dame 2024 schedule

Aug. 31: at Texas A&M (W, 23-13)
Sept. 7: vs. Northern Illinois (L, 16-14)
Sept. 14: at Purdue (W, 66-7)
Sept. 21: vs. Miami (Ohio) (W, 28-3)
Sept. 28: vs. Louisville (W, 31-24)
Oct. 5: Bye
Oct. 12: vs. Stanford (W, 49-7)
Oct. 19: at Georgia Tech (game played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta) (W, 31-13)
Oct. 26: at Navy (game played at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey) (W, 51-14)
Nov. 2: Bye
Nov. 9: vs. Florida St. (W, 52-3)
Nov. 16: vs. Virginia (W, 35-14)
Nov. 23: vs. No. 18 Army (game played at Yankee Stadium in New York City) (W, 49-14)
Nov. 30: at USC (W, 49-35)
Dec. 20: vs. Indiana (W, 27-17) (First round of CFP)
Jan. 2 (postponed): vs. Georgia (W, 23-10) (This was the Allstate Sugar Bowl, a CFP quarterfinal game, played at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans)
Jan. 9: at Penn State (W, 27-14) (Capital One Orange Bowl played at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, CFP semifinal)
Jan. 20: vs. Ohio State, 7:30 EST (National championship game, to be played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta)
Record: 14-1

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Notre Dame vs. Georgia: Fourth-Quarter Analysis

Guys, the Irish won a major bowl game.

The fourth quarter of the Sugar Bowl was less about Notre Dame building its lead over Georgia than maintaining it. That meant defensive stops and some trickery by [autotag]Marcus Freeman[/autotag]. To the Irish’s credit, it all worked out, and they’ll be going to the Orange Bowl to face Penn State in the College Football Playoff semifinals after a 23-10 victory.

[autotag]Mitch Jeter[/autotag] added onto the Irish’s score early in the quarter with a 47-yard field goal. The Bulldogs then embarked on a lengthy drive that should have ended sooner but for a questionable fourth-down pass interference call against [autotag]Jack Kiser[/autotag] that advanced the ball to the red zone. Fortunately, the Irish’s fourth-down stop on the subsequent series was not nullified by a penalty.

The Irish quickly were faced with a fourth down deep in their own territory, and that’s when Freeman reached into his magic bag. After the punt team came out, it ran off the field in place of the offense, forcing the Bulldogs to quickly replace their punt return team with their defense. [autotag]Riley Leonard[/autotag] waited a long time to snap the ball, and right before he did, the Bulldogs jumped offsides, giving the Irish a crucial first down.

The Irish drove for the next five minutes until punting it away inside the two-minute timeout. The Bulldogs barely put up a fight on their final possession, and when [autotag]Donovan Hinish[/autotag] sacked Gunner Stockton on the last play, it was time to celebrate in New Orleans.

Remarkably, this historic Irish season will continue. Hope you still have another week’s worth of cheering in you.

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Notre Dame vs. Georgia: Second-Quarter Analysis

The Irish came alive late.

If you love defensive struggles, the second quarter of the Sugar Bowl between Notre Dame and Georgia was much like the first. The only difference points actually were scored. Fortunately for the Irish, they scored far more and hold a 13-3 halftime lead.

Big offensive plays by both teams resulted in nothing more than field goals on their first full possessions of the quarter. For a while after that, nothing else of consequence happened.

The Irish then had a nice drive near the end of the first half that allowed [autotag]Mitch Jeter[/autotag] to kick the go-ahead 48-yard field goal.

Just when it seemed the Irish would take a 6-3 lead into the locker room, [autotag]RJ Oben[/autotag] sacked Gunner Stockton, who coughed the ball up to [autotag]Junior Tuihalamaka[/autotag]. On the very next play, [autotag]Riley Leonard[/autotag] hit [autotag]Beaux Collins[/autotag] for the game’s first touchdown from 13 yards out.

Either team can win, at least at this stage in the contest. All that matters for these teams is surviving this game and moving onto the Orange Bowl against Penn State. Both sides have 30 minutes to prove they deserve that privilege, but the question is whether the winner deserves to play beyond that.

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Notre Dame vs. Indiana: Fourth-Quarter Analysis

Enjoy this win over the holidays, folks.

The fourth quarter of the first-round College Football Playoff game between Notre Dame and Indiana mostly was uneventful. That’s in part because the Irish had this game in the bag well before it got underway. All that was left to do really was wait for the clock to hit zero and let the Irish enjoy their 27-17 win.

The quarter wasn’t completely devoid of action though. [autotag]Mitch Jeter[/autotag] had a 37-yard field goal blocked, but the Hoosiers did nothing with that. [autotag]Riley Leonard[/autotag] responded by directing a 78-yard drive that featured a 44-yard completion to [autotag]Jordan Faison[/autotag] that came up just short of the end zone. Leonard ran it in himself two plays later for his 15th rushing touchdown this season, an Irish quarterback record.

The Hoosiers came alive after the two-minute timeout when Kurtis Rourke fired a 7-yard touchdown pass to Myles Price and then completing a two-point conversion pass. They then recovered an onside kick, and Rourke led another scoring drive, this one via a 23-yard touchdown pass to Omar Cooper Jr. The late surge came too late to make a difference though.

Having ended the Hoosiers’ dream season, the Irish now turn their attention to the Sugar Bowl, where Georgia awaits them. With just under two weeks to recover and prepare, we’ll find out plenty about this team come New Year’s Day.

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Notre Dame vs. Indiana: Third-Quarter Analysis

One quarter away from victory.

Notre Dame is in good shape to defeat Indiana in the first round of the College Football Playoff. There wasn’t a whole lot of action in the third quarter, but there was enough that people will talk about at game’s end.

[autotag]Jayden Harrison[/autotag] pitched the ball to [autotag]Jordan Faison[/autotag] on the opening kickoff of the second half, and that got the Irish into Hoosiers territory. The ensuing possession went nowhere, but [autotag]James Rendell[/autotag] punted the ball 31 yards to back the Hoosiers up to their own 12-yard line.

The Hoosiers went three-and-out after Kurtis Rourke was sacked by [autotag]Rylie Mills[/autotag] and then [autotag]Bryce Young[/autotag]. Mills’ sack proved costly though as he went down and ended up limping off the field. Fortunately, he was up and moving on the sidelines and could return to this game.

The Irish began their next possession at the Hoosiers’ 41. A late hit out of bounds on third down put them in the red zone, but even that nearly went for naught. They came up short on a fake field-goal attempt but were bailed out by a Hoosiers timeout right before the ball was snapped. That prompted them to do the sensible thing and have [autotag]Mitch Jeter[/autotag] actually kick a field goal, which he did from 33 yards out after a false start penalty.

After another Hoosiers three-and-out, the Irish drove for a few minutes before ending the quarter on the outskirts of field-goal range. That 20-3 lead sure looks safe, but stranger things have happened in college football. We’ll see.

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Notre Dame vs. Indiana: Second-Quarter Analysis

The Irish are halfway to New Orleans.

Notre Dame began the second quarter against Indiana by concluding a successful drive that originated in the first. Specifically, [autotag]Riley Leonard[/autotag] threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to [autotag]Jayden Thomas[/autotag], giving the Irish a 14-0 lead in the first round of the College Football Playoff.

The teams then showcased their respective defensive strengths, forcing punts on back-to-back possessions. That was followed by Kurtis Rourke completing a couple of first-down passes to get the Hoosiers into the red zone for their best scoring chance yet.

The Irish’s defense didn’t let the Hoosiers get too far into the red zone though and forced a fourth-and-4 at the 16. The Hoosiers’ offense lined up as if they were going for it, but after a timeout, Nicolas Radicic came out to kick a 34-yard field goal instead and get the team on the board.

The Irish’s offense then came out to try and make the Hoosiers pay for taking what for all intents and purposes an inconsequential route. The half’s final drive brought the offense to the Hoosiers’ 31-yard line, and [autotag]Mitch Jeter[/autotag] erased Radicic’s field goal with one of his own from 49 yards out with seven seconds left.

The Irish have a 17-3 lead and are only 30 minutes away from a trip to New Orleans to face Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. While not a done deal yet, all signs are pointing to it happening. It should be a fun second half.

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Notre Dame Week 14 highlight — risky fake punt call pays off against USC

Notre Dame fakes a punt successfully at USC.

Calling a fake punt deep in your own territory, in a tie game, on the road, is a risky proposition. Heck, fake punts are almost always risky propositions.

Yet the No. 5 Notre Dame Fighting Irish pulled one off on the road against the USC Trojans in the second quarter.

Facing fourth-down-and-nine from their own 26-yard line, the Irish had [autotag]Tyler Buchner[/autotag] take the snap and pass. He found tight end [autotag]Mitchell Evans [/autotag]wide open for 18 yards and the drive stayed alive.

Unfortunately for the Irish, the drive ended with a missed chip-shot field goal from kicker [autotag]Mitch Jeter[/autotag], who has been playing hurt.

Notre Dame quarterback Tyler Buchner enters the transfer portal with a caveat — SOUTH BEND, INDIANA – APRIL 22: Tyler Buchner #12 of Notre Dame Fighting Irish passes during the Notre Dame Blue-Gold Spring Football Game at Notre Dame Stadium on April 22, 2023 in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images)

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Notre Dame vs. Army: Third-Quarter Analysis

All academic from here.

Notre Dame has gone up big against another opponent with little if any chance for a comeback. This time, the victim is Army, which finds itself trailing the Irish, 42-7, after three quarters.

The Irish immediately set the tone for the quarter when [autotag]Jeremiyah Love[/autotag] ran for a 68-yard touchdown on the first play from scrimmage. That likely broke any real hope the Knights had of keeping their perfect season alive.

On their first two possessions of the quarter, the Knights picked up a first down only to turn the ball over on downs right after. Only once did they run a pass play, which is typical for a service academy program.

After that second turnover on downs, [autotag]Steve Angeli[/autotag] replaced [autotag]Riley Leonard[/autotag] at quarterback and conducted a pass-heavy drive. But it was a 10-yard touchdown run by [autotag]Jadarian Price[/autotag], his second score of the game, that ended Angeli’s first drive.

It wasn’t all good news for the Irish though. [autotag]Mitch Jeter[/autotag] now has been unsuccessful on two field-goal attempts after a 30-yard kick was blocked. That issue might be magnified later on, but for now, the Irish can enjoy playing these final 15 minutes.

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Notre Dame Week 13 highlight — Forced fumble before half kills Army drive

A fumble before halftime sums up Army’s night against Notre Dame so far.

After No. 6 Notre Dame punched the ball into the end zone late in the first half against No. 18 Army, courtesy of running back [autotag]Jadarian Price[/autotag], the Black Knights did have a chance to mount a scoring drive before halftime.

The Fighting Irish prevented that from happening, however, when cornerback [autotag]Leonard Moore[/autotag] forced Army quarterback [autotag]Bryson Daily[/autotag] to fumble. Notre Dame linebacker [autotag]Jack Kiser[/autotag] recovered.

The Irish failed to capitalize, however, when kicker [autotag]Mitch Jeter[/autotag] pushed a 48-yard field-goal attempt wide right. Jeter has been dealing with a groin injury.