Notre Dame began the second quarter against Indiana by concluding a successful drive that originated in the first. Specifically, Riley Leonard threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Jayden Thomas, 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 Mitch Jeter 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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This article originally appeared on Fighting Irish Wire: Notre Dame vs. Indiana: Second-Quarter Analysis
