SOUTH BEND — So many moments, so many big plays, key plays, season and College Football Playoff defining plays for Notre Dame football over the last month.
How do you keep it all straight? What about that one? Or this one? Or those? They tend to run together in this magical run that the Irish have found themselves on since the CFP playoffs started at home at night in December.
Three playoff games down, one big one — the biggest — to go.
Following are the top nine plays (or in one case, drives) — three from each of the first three CFP games — during this tournament that have helped Notre Dame (14-1) advance to Monday’s national championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta against Ohio State (13-2).
Moments are ranked from three to one (the best) for each of three games.
3. One really big drive
Notre Dame had already made history by hosting the first College Football Playoff home game against Indiana. Why not make a little more?
The Irish climbed into the CFP record book with the longest drive in playoff history — a 16-play, 83-yard march that chewed 9:08 of clock. Notre Dame’s offense got a little something from everyone. Riley Leonard conducted everything. Freshman Aneyas Williams was a factor. So was Jadarian Price. And Jordan Faison.
Leonard capped the drive with a 5-yard flip to Jayden Thomas at the start of the second quarter to make it 14-0. That drive bested the previous longest drive in CFP history, also set by Notre Dame against Alabama in 2021.
2. Bye, bye Love
For many of the previous 20 days, sophomore tailback Jeremiyah Love’s right knee was the most talked about right knee in Northern Indiana. Maybe college football. Was it OK? Was he OK?
Love tweaked the knee in the regular-season finale at USC, then had nearly three weeks to rest and recover. We didn’t have to wait long to see if he did. Love took a handoff, angled left toward the far sideline, then kicked into a gear few other backs have as he raced 98 yards in 14 seconds for Notre Dame’s first playoff touchdown. An electric moment.
1. Xavier Watts does what Xavier Watts does
Of course it had to be the defense, and it had to be the guy they call X to flip this game, even in its early stages. If Notre Dame was on its heels, which hasn’t happened much in post-season, this drive certainly would qualify. Leonard threw an early interception and Indiana looked to capitalize. A Kurtis Rourke pass to Elijah Sarratt took the Hoosiers to the Irish 17-yard-line. Indiana looked rushed at the line of scrimmage on the next play, maybe wanting to get the ball snapped before officials could review if Sarratt’s catch was legit. Big mistake.
Playing his safety spot to perfection in the deep middle of the field, Watts snared Rourke’s pass, which ended Indiana’s only threat. One play later, Love was Love.
3. Defensive end R.J. Oben delivers
Who was that defensive end demon ripping his way past a seemingly slow-footed SEC lineman, turning the corner and delivering a hammer shot to the right arm of quarterback Gunner Stockton? Ball on the ground. Irish recover. Big play made. Everything up for grabs.
That would be Oben, the graduate transfer who picked the perfect time to etch his name into Irish football lore. It might not rank up there with the Gipper’s speech, but Oben’s strip sack of Stockton (and recovery by Junior Tuihalamaka) deep in UGA territory was turning. One play later, Leonard found Beaux Collins on a slant into the end zone and a 6-3 Irish lead jumped to 13-3 at half.
Turns out the Irish were just getting started.
2. Riley Leonard refuses to be stopped
Notre Dame was in control, but you got the sense in the Superdome that if Georgia could get one big stop and put together a scoring drive, it would swing momentum. It looked headed that way with the Irish facing a third-and-seven from their own 27.
Calling his own number, Leonard started toward the center of the line, then cut left. He wriggled free from a Raylen Wilson arm tackle and outran Daniel Harris to the edge. Then he tried to jump over safety Malaki Starks, whose hit helicoptered Leonard to the turf. Didn’t matter. Nine yards gained; first down secured.
That drive didn’t produce points, but the Irish did run eight more plays and bled another 3:51 off the game clock. Leonard’s willingness to put his body on the line like that likely went over big in the locker room.
First thought after seeing that play? Remember that key fourth down against Ohio State last year when quarterback Sam Hartman didn’t get a first down? Leonard got it.
1. One big, happy return for WR Jayden Harrison
That’s why Harrison was a gotta-get guy out of the transfer portal from Marshall. We waited all year to see his game-breaking/game-changing ability, and he delivered in the big moment.
As Harrison started up the middle, broke right and had no Bulldog near him the final 57 yards − kicker Peyton Woodring certainly wasn’t stopping him with a lunging tackle – you got a sense that this was going to be Notre Dame’s day. The score put the Irish up 20-3 and allowed many to start thinking hard about South Florida.
3. Jeremiyah Love wouldn’t be denied
Walter Payton would’ve been proud.
You know those classic NFL Films clips of the Chicago Bears legend, those runs where he broke three, four, five, sometimes six tackles. Love did his best Sweetness impersonation in South Florida. Sean McDonough wondered on the ESPN telecast if it was time for Leonard in a short-yardage situation again with the Irish at first and goal from the 2. Love time.
He broke no fewer than five tackles in those two yards. His score capped 17 unanswered points for Notre Dame, which also took its first lead 17-10. With 14:07 left, it set up a wild fourth quarter that would see both teams combine for 31 points. Love’s run lit the fuse.
2. Christian Gray comes up big again
Look up the word “resilient” in a dictionary (ask your parents) and it might just say, see Gray, Christian.
Kidding, but not really. Gray did it again, just like at USC when he shook off his cornerback struggles to flip the game with a big interception. He took that one back in Los Angeles 99 yards to seal a CFP spot. The late pick against Penn State gained zero yards but sealed a spot in the national championship game. Big players find ways to make big plays at big times. Gray certainly qualifies.
Does he have one more in him?
1. Mitch Jeter one more time
We end this piece as it started — with a Jeter field goal. A made field goal. Remember all the hand wringing and pearl clutching late in the season when it seemed like Jeter couldn’t get right from a right groin injury? Irish fans wondered — worried — that Jeter’s right leg wouldn’t be right and it cost them a shot at a natty.
Turns out his right leg clinched a spot in the natty. This one, from 47 yards out with seven seconds to play left no doubt. It was the biggest kick in Notre Dame football history since…
Maybe Monday?
Let’s see what that memories/moments await in that one.
Follow South Bend Tribune and NDInsider columnist Tom Noie on X (formerly Twitter): @tnoieNDI. Contact Noie at tnoie@sbtinfo.com
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Notre Dame football in national championship game: 9 key plays to CFP final
