CNN
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Notre Dame secured a decisive victory over Indiana, defeating the Hoosiers 27-17 in the opening game of the newly expanded 12-team College Football Playoff on Friday night in South Bend, Indiana.

Friday night’s game, the first time the two had competed since 1991, began after about two inches of snow fell in the South Bend area earlier in the day, making for a chilly affair.

The game started chaotically, with both teams throwing interceptions on their first drives. However, the No. 7 seed Fighting Irish quickly found their footing and took control with a record-setting game early in the first quarter.

Bound at his own two-yard line, sophomore running back Jeremiyah Love thrilled the Notre Dame Stadium crowd with an electrifying 98-yard touchdown run. Love took the handoff in the end zone, broke through the left side and sprinted past the secondary, giving Notre Dame a 7-0 lead and setting the tone early.

The spectacular run was the longest in College Football Playoff history and set the record for the longest overall run in school history.

Love finished the game with eight carries, 108 rushing yards and a touchdown.

Notre Dame’s dominance continued into the second quarter. Irish quarterback Riley Leonard orchestrated a 16-play drive that ended with more than nine minutes left and culminated in a five-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Jayden Thomas. The touchdown extended the Fighting Irish’s lead to 14-0.

No. 10 seed Indiana’s offense struggled to find a rhythm in the first half, although the Hoosiers managed to save a 34-yard field goal late in the second quarter.

Notre Dame kicker Mitch Jeter hit a 49-yard field goal in the final seconds of the half, giving the Irish a 17-3 lead at the break.

“We need to get the passing game going and get the offense going,” Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti said at halftime. “We are missing too many tackles in defense. I commend Notre Dame for taking it to us and getting the ball first in the second half. So we have to turn things around.”

Indiana found itself in uncharted territory against the stout ND defense.

According to the ESPN broadcast, Indiana trailed Notre Dame by a total of 22 minutes, 27 seconds in the first half. The Hoosiers’ deficit in the first two quarters of the team’s last 12 games combined (22-41) was nearly the same.

Notre Dame extended its lead on a 33-yard field goal from Jeter, increasing the lead to 20-3 as the Fighting Irish continued to pull away.

Leonard made history and put an exclamation point on the win, as the 1-yard rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter was his 15th of the season, breaking Notre Dame’s single-season record.

Leonard, who transferred from Duke before the season, called it “crazy” to win a playoff game in front of the home fans.

“It’s such a special place,” Leonard said. “There’s no place like Notre Dame. That’s why you come here. That’s why I came here, to compete. The College Football Playoff is a true blessing. I owe these guys everything. Our defense showed their skills once again. Everyone around me praises my game every day.”

The Irish signal-caller threw for 201 yards and a passing touchdown to go, gaining 30 yards on the ground and the short TD score.

“Listen, it’s obviously a great honor to be part of what’s coming and I don’t want to downplay that, but tonight is about tonight and what this team did to get the result, that “That’s what we all wanted,” Freeman said after a game in which Notre Dame was in control throughout.

“I want them to celebrate this. I want them to stop by tonight, celebrate tonight, celebrate this victory that they worked tremendously hard to achieve and win.

“And then I told them they had tomorrow off. You can take a day off and we’ll get you back on Sunday. Then we start thinking about the Sugar Bowl and the opportunities it presents to us. You don’t have enough time in life and in situations like this not to enjoy it.”

Indiana scored its first touchdown of the night when Hoosiers quarterback Kurtis Rourke connected with Myles Price for a seven-yard score with 1:27 left in the fourth quarter. The Hoosiers successfully completed the two-point conversion, cutting the deficit to 27-11.

A second touchdown with 25 seconds left in the game temporarily added some tension to the game, but Indiana failed to convert the two-point game and was officially out of the game.

With the win, Notre Dame secures its first win in the College Football Playoff in its third appearance after losing in the semifinals in 2018 and 2020.

Notre Dame will play the No. 2 seed Georgia Bulldogs in the Sugar Bowl on January 1, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana.