Notre Dame continued their hot streak against their historic rival Army, beating them 49-14 in Yankee Stadium. The historic home for this rivalry. Although some might see this as a nothing-burger because it’s only Army, this is a huge win for the Irish. This is the best Army team we’ve seen in years. They were ranked 19th and were 9-0, the first time Army had been undrafted this deep into the season since 1996. Many pundits and analysts thought that if Army played their style of football, with long methodical drives that chew up the clock, they had a shot at knocking off Notre Dame.
However, from the jump Notre Dame showed that those takes were overblown. In the first quarter, it was clear that the Irish were the much better team. They were faster and stronger than Army was, quickly jumping out to a 14-0 lead. They didn’t look back from there and had the game wrapped up by the third quarter.
This win makes an already impressive record look even better. Notre Dame are now 4-0 when playing a ranked opponent, and are 6-1 against bowl-eligible teams. That’s a pretty impressive resume. If they’re able to beat USC next week, they’re a lock to host a playoff game in South Bend. Here are the other takeaways.
Jeremiyah Love: 2025 Heisman Contender
One of the main storylines for the Irish this season has been the success of the running game. This success is thanks in large part to the play of Jeremiyah Love. Love showed again on Saturday, why he’s the future of the Irish offense rushing for 130 yards on seven carries, with two touchdowns. That’s an average of 18.6 yards per carry. Love has also scored a touchdown in eleven straight games this season, and has rushed for multiple in three of the last four games.
Now, Love is a major factor in this current Notre Dame squad. If he can continue to put up performances like this, it’s hard to see a way for the Irish not to make a deep playoff run. However, the best part about Love is he’s only a sophomore. With how well he’s played this season, he should be an early favorite to win the 2025 Heisman Trophy.
Although Notre Dame has seven Heisman winners, tied for second all-time, there has been a noticeable drought. The last time an Irish player took home the award was back in 1987 when Tim Brown won. That’s a 37-year drought. Sure it’s hard to have a player win a Heisman, however with how historically important Notre Dame has been, the fact the drought is that long is unexpectable. For Notre Dame to ascend back into one of the top programs in the country, Love has to end the streak next season.
Underclassmen Stood Out For Notre Dame Defense
A recurring theme of this Notre Dame defense has been the next man up. They lose a big name or prominent piece to injury, and whoever they have replaced them with has had a big game. Most of the time it’s from Freshmen and Sophomores. Guys you think need time to develop and won’t be able to make much of an impact. However, these back-ups have played the same, arguably better than the starters have.
However, after the Army game, the success of the defense is due to them. According to “One Foot Down”, Freshmen and Sophomores accounted for 64% of total tackles and 67% of solo tackles. Meaning that most of the plays made on Saturday were made by underclassmen. With this, this defense officially belongs to them. They’re the reason for how well they’ve performed.
This isn’t just good for this season but for the future of the Irish. With so many of these key pieces being Sophomores and Freshmen means they still have a couple years of eligibility left. And if they’re playing this well this season, imagine where they can be once they develop a little bit. There already in the top three for most statistical categories. The Irish could be looking at a generational defense if everything goes right.
Brian Germinaro is a sportswriter for Belly Up Sports. Follow him on Twitter/X for more sports coverage and Belly Up Sports for even more college football content. Feature image credit: Dustin Satloff.
