Ultimately, Miami (Ohio) proved no match for No. 17 Notre Dame in South Bend on Saturday (9/21). After the Irish lost 16-14 to Northern Illinois from the Mid-American Conference two weeks ago, head coach Marcus Freeman hoped the Irish had learned their lesson in looking past opponents. Facing another MAC opponent in Miami (Ohio) in front of the home crowd on Saturday, the Irish struggled early—and even trailed 3-0 in the second quarter—but they rode a dominant defense and a dynamic running game to a 28-3 victory over the winless RedHawks (0-3).
Following the embarrassing loss to NIU, Notre Dame bounced back with a convincing 66-7 win over Purdue, handing the in-state rival its worst loss in program history. Notre Dame’s breakout performance against Purdue starkly contrasted with the previous loss. The unpredictable nature of this year’s team made it unclear which Irish squad would show up in Week 4. After the workman-like win, the head-scratching is likely to continue.
“I’m proud of the way our guys competed,” Freeman said in his opening statement at the post-game press conference. “It wasn’t pretty, it wasn’t clean, but to beat that football team 28-3 was a good victory. I told coach (Chuck) Martin after the game, “That’s a good football team.’ I was impressed with their offense, their quarterback. To hold that offense to three points was huge.
“We have too many penalties that we have to clean up,” Freeman continued. “We have to make sure we don’t continue to allow that to happen. That’s on the coaches to fix it. We have to fix it and put our guys in positions to have success.”
Riley Leonard’s Run-Heavy Approach
Notre Dame’s Riley Leonard started the season as a dual-threat quarterback. The Duke transfer has shifted his style of play, however, and is increasingly relying on his running abilities. Despite a slow start, Leonard amassed 297 yards of total offense and three touchdowns against Miami (Ohio). Leonard completed 16-of-25 passes for 154 yards and a touchdown. He also missed some throws and he continues to look unsettled in the pocket. Playing to his strength, though, Leonard scored a pair of rushing touchdowns. He carried the ball 12 times for 143 yards.
More importantly, Leonard threw his first touchdown pass of the season late in the second quarter. In one of his more impressive throws of the season, Leonard threw a perfect strike to wide receiver Beaux Collins. After a smooth over-the-shoulder grab, Collins sailed into the end zone for the 38-yard scoring pass play. This gave the Irish a 14-3 advantage at halftime.
Leonard completed the Irish’s scoring by racing 50 yards for a rushing touchdown late in the fourth quarter. He also scored the Irish’s first touchdown of the game, capping off a 10-play, 87-yard drive with a zig-zagging scoring run of eight yards with just over three minutes left in the first half.
“You have to call things around the strength of your players,” Freeman said at his press conference. “Obviously, one of Riley’s strengths is his ability to run the ball.”
Running back Jeremiyah Love found the end zone for the fourth time this season. He scored on a 15-yard run early in the third quarter, putting the Irish up 21-3. Love rushed for 60 yards on 11 carries (five-and-a-half average).
Notre Dame Defense Delivers
While it took the Irish offense nearly two quarters to warm up, the defense kept the game close. Junior Tuihalamaka intercepted a pass from RedHawk quarterback Brett Gabbert when Miami (Ohio) was threatening from the Notre Dame five-yard line in the first quarter. The Irish defense stifled Gabbert all day. He finished the game completing 14-of-35 passes for 119 yards and he threw two interceptions.
Freshman defensive end Boubacar Traore flashed in his first career start. Traore tied for the team lead with five tackles, a career-best two sacks, and a forced fumble. He also had a quarterback hurry.
Running back Keyon Mozee paced the RedHawks on the ground, rushing for 36 yards on six carries. Cade McDonald led all Miami (Ohio) receivers for the third straight game. He caught four passes for 52 yards. The Irish defense held the RedHawks to 229 total yards and two-of-12 on third downs.
“I think obviously, with the way the defense plays, that takes a lot of pressure off us as an offense,” Leonard said in his post-game press conference. “We would go out there and maybe take risks and play freely because we know we have such a great defense that will complement our game if we were to make a mistake. And then upfront with the offensive line, I thought they did an outstanding job.”
Looking Ahead
Notre Dame will likely remain in the Top 20 after the win over Miami (Ohio). But the challenge will be figuring out how to complement the run-heavy Irish offense with a passing game. Fortunately, Notre Dame’s defense is stingy, allowing the offense time to establish its identity. Next up, Notre Dame plays host to No. 19 Louisville on Sept. 28. Undefeated at 3-0 to start the season, Louisville defeated Georgia Tech 31-19 on Saturday. The Irish will look to avenge a 20-33 loss to the Cardinals in Louisville last season. And in the process, remain in the conversation for a College Football Playoff berth.
