Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Riley Leonard (13) celebrates after scoring a touchdown Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, during the NCAA football game against the Purdue Boilermakersat Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Ind.

No. 17 Notre Dame on guard with MAC’s Miami up next

No. 17 Notre Dame is approaching Saturday’s game against visiting Miami (Ohio) with heightened awareness as another MAC opponent comes calling.

It will be the Fighting Irish’s first game on its home field in South Bend, Ind., since Northern Illinois stunned them two weeks ago as a four-touchdown underdog. Notre Dame (2-1) bounced back with a 66-7 road win against Purdue last week.

Fighting Irish coach Marcus Freeman was asked about the similarities that existed between Northern Illinois and Miami (Ohio) as his players returned home.

“(It’s) a good football team that could come in here and beat us if we don’t prepare the right way,” Freeman said. “So, that’s the similarities I see between those two teams — both of them are good football teams, and we have to respect them in terms of the way we prepare.”

The RedHawks (0-2) still are looking for their first victory of the season. They were competitive in each of their first two games, falling 13-6 to Northwestern on Aug. 31 and 27-16 to Cincinnati last Saturday.

Miami linebacker Matt Salopek said it was important to stay positive.

“We just have to come in here, and I’ve got to remind guys that it’s a brand new week,” Salopek said. “We still have goals that we’re trying to accomplish this season. That’s to go win a MAC championship, and that’s still in play.

“We’ve got to go play Notre Dame (on Saturday). They’re a very good opponent. But you’ve seen it, anybody can lose on any given day in football. That’s just how it is. We’ve just got to come in and fix our mistakes on both sides of the ball.”

Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard pursues a second straight quality performance after he led his team to a 42-0 halftime advantage at Purdue. Leonard completed 11 of 16 passes for 112 yards and rushed 11 times for 100 yards and three touchdowns before giving way to backup Steve Angeli in the second half.

Jeremiyah Love also could figure prominently into Notre Dame’s game plan. The sophomore running back, who had 10 carries for 109 yards and a touchdown last week, is averaging 8.0 yards per carry with three touchdowns in three games.

Freeman said Love and fellow running back Jadarian Price were key weapons.

“You still have to be committed to running the ball, and that’s what our identity is,” Freeman said. “… We’ve got a couple guys that can run the ball and take it all the way. We know that, and so we’ve got to continue to play to our strengths.”

Miami quarterback Brett Gabbert completed 23 of 35 passes for 339 yards with two touchdowns and one interception last week against Cincinnati. He is the youngest brother of Blaine Gabbert, who has made 49 starts in the NFL.

The youngest Gabbert’s top target on the RedHawks is Cade McDonald, who caught eight passes for 135 yards and a touchdown last week. McDonald also had eight catches in the season opener against Northwestern, and he is averaging 120 receiving yards per game.

This will be the fourth meeting between the programs. Notre Dame is 2-1 in the series, including a 52-17 victory in the most recent matchup on Sept. 30, 2017.

–Field Level Media

Northern Illinois Huskies kicker Kanon Woodill kicks the game winning field goal in the fourth quarter against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

After ‘lowest of lows,’ No. 18 Notre Dame bids to turn back Purdue

A week after suffering a humiliating home-field loss to Northern Illinois, No. 18 Notre Dame will look to regain its footing when it visits Purdue on Saturday afternoon in West Lafayette, Ind.

Notre Dame (1-1) tumbled 13 spots in the AP Top 25 poll after losing to the Huskies, who entered last weekend’s matchup as a four-touchdown underdog. The Fighting Irish dropped a 16-14 decision after kicker Mitch Jeter’s last-gasp, 62-yard field goal attempt was blocked as time expired.

Now the Fighting Irish turn their attention to Purdue (1-0), which cruised to a 49-0 win over Indiana State in its season opener.

Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman will try to keep his players focused on the task ahead as they take on the Boilermakers. Just recently, Freeman was celebrating his team after a road win against Texas A&M.

“It’s disappointing,” Freeman said. “You go from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows in a tale of two weeks. But we’ve got to own this thing. As coaches and players, we’ve got to own it, and we’ve got to fix it.

“We’ve been here before, right? We’ve been here before. Now it’s time to get it fixed. We’ve got to get it fixed and get back to playing football the way we know how to play, (the way) we’ve played before. And we can, and we will.”

On the other side of the field, Purdue coach Ryan Walters also senses an opportunity with Saturday’s showdown. The Boilermakers had a bye last week, which gave them extra time to prepare for an in-state rival that long has landed top recruits and dominated headlines in the region.

Walters knows Purdue stands much to gain from an upset win.

“Yeah, I definitely think there is an element of proving it or earning respect,” Walters said. “You know, I would be lying to you if I didn’t say this game was circled on my calendar. So we’re excited.”

Purdue quarterback Hudson Card completed 24 of 25 passes for 273 yards and four touchdowns in his season debut. Max Klare was the top target with five catches for 71 yards and a touchdown, while Devin Mockobee led the ground game with 11 carries for 89 yards.

On defense, Purdue edge rusher Will Heldt tallied a pair of sacks.

The Notre Dame player in the brightest spotlight will be quarterback Riley Leonard, who has completed 38 of 62 passes for 321 yards and two interceptions this season. He also has rushed for 79 yards and a score.

Fighting Irish running back Jeremiyah Love could help to take some of the burden off Leonard and the rest of the offense. Love has scored in back-to-back games, and he has 25 carries for 170 yards to lead the team.

Howard Cross III leads Notre Dame with one sack, and Xavier Watts and Adon Shuler have one interception apiece.

Walters said he expected Notre Dame to be motivated at kickoff.

“We’re going to err on the side of thinking they’re going to be an angry football team,” he said. “Any time you’re top five in the country and lose the home opener, that’s going to leave a bad taste in your mouth. I know Coach Freeman will have those guys fired up and ready to play.”

–Field Level Media

Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard (13) who is hurt, dresses and throws some pre-game passes with fellow quarterbacks Saturday, April 20, 2024, at the annual Notre Dame Blue-Gold spring football game at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend.

No. 20 Texas A&M-No. 7 Notre Dame matchup features ‘weird’ reunion

A head coach and quarterback tend to have a close bond.

That’s why it feels so strange for Mike Elko to prepare for the Saturday season opener between No. 20 Texas A&M and No. 7 Notre Dame in College Station, Texas.

For the previous two seasons, Elko served as head coach at Duke, where he recorded back-to-back winning seasons with Riley Leonard as his quarterback. Both of them moved onward and upward this offseason, with Elko landing the top job at Texas A&M and Leonard transferring to Notre Dame.

Now, the coach will spend Saturday trying to ruin his old quarterback’s evening.

“I think it’s interesting and weird and not really something I want to do,” Elko said. “But at the end of the day, it’s a part of the game. Obviously, (I) have a tremendous amount of respect for who he is not just as a player but also as a young man, his family and all of that.

“It’ll be three hours competing against each other and then the rest of the year rooting for him.”

Leonard will make his debut under center for Notre Dame, which brought him in to replace departed signal-caller Sam Hartman. Leonard passed for 4,450 yards and 24 touchdowns in parts of three seasons at Duke, and he proved capable with his feet as he rushed for 1,224 yards and 19 touchdowns.

Fighting Irish coach Marcus Freeman knows that Leonard and his teammates are in for a hostile environment at Texas A&M’s Kyle Field. Freeman and his coaching staff piped in noise during recent practices as a way to prepare for the chaos.

“We’ve trained, really, being able to execute your assignment in crazy conditions, with crowd noise and trying to do surprise situations in practice,” Freeman said. “But at the end of the day, they’ve got to do it when it matters, right?”

Notre Dame is coming off a 10-win season and has lofty goals in the first season of the expanded College Football Playoff format. The Fighting Irish have gone 19-7 since Freeman succeeded Brian Kelly as head coach.

Meanwhile, Texas A&M hopes that Elko can re-establish a proud program that has waned in recent seasons. The Aggies finished 7-6 last season and 5-7 the year before that, which is a big reason the school bought out former coach Jimbo Fisher.

Elko’s first test will be a big one. He said opening the season against a top-10 team comes with pros and cons.

“The pluses are the attention you’ve had (from) your players for the last eight months,” Elko said. “When you have this type of game, the sense of urgency you have from a preparation standpoint, the sense of urgency we had in training camp, you’d like to say that’s because of the coaches, but I’m certain the opener plays a huge role in that. …

“The negatives of it is it’s an opener. … You’re not going to have a lot of time to ease into this new program, these new systems that we’re running. You’re going to have to go out there opening night and be firing on all cylinders.”

This is the sixth meeting between the programs. Notre Dame has a 3-2 edge in the all-time series, though the Aggies won the most recent matchup in 2001 at home.

–Field Level Media

Jan 1, 2022; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Detailed view of a gold Notre Dame Fighting Irish helmet during the 2022 Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Elijah Burress, son of Plaxico, commits to Notre Dame

Elijah Burress, the son of former NFL wide receiver and Super Bowl champion Plaxico Burress, committed to play college football at Notre Dame on Saturday.

The younger Burress, who also is a wideout, is a product at DePaul Catholic High School in Wayne, N.J. The 6-foot-1, 170-pound player had 25 catches for 434 yards and five touchdowns in 10 games last season and ranks as the 36th wide receiver in the 2025 recruiting cycle by 247Sports.

He reportedly chose the Fighting Irish over Duke, James Madison, Marshall, Cincinnati and Liberty, among others.

The 2025 recruiting class for Notre Dame also features cornerback Ivan Taylor, who is the son of Ike Taylor. The elder Taylor was a former teammate of Plaxico Burress with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The elder Burress’ top highlight of his NFL career was catching the game-winning touchdown pass in Super Bowl XLII. He finished his career with 553 receptions for 8,499 yards and 64 touchdowns over 148 career games (138 starts) with the Steelers, New York Giants and New York Jets.

–Field Level Media

Oregon State quarterback Ben Gulbranson (17) warms up before the spring showcase at Reser Stadium, Saturday, April 22, 2023, in Corvallis, Ore.

Oregon State Spring Game36

Sun Bowl: Quarterbacks in focus when Oregon State faces Notre Dame

The Sun Bowl could have featured a quarterback battle between Sam Hartman and DJ Uiagalelei.

Instead, two signal-callers making their first starts of the season will be on display when No. 16 Notre Dame battles No. 19 Oregon State on Friday in El Paso, Texas.

Hartman opted out of the contest for Notre Dame to prepare for the NFL draft, while Uiagalelei of Oregon State entered the transfer portal.

Also, Beavers second-string quarterback Aidan Chiles entered the portal and chose Michigan State, the school that just hired Jonathan Smith away from Oregon State to be its coach.

So, when the Beavers (8-4) and Fighting Irish (9-3) line up in the Sun Bowl, it will be Ben Gulbranson (one pass attempt this season) for Oregon State and Steve Angeli (25 attempts) for Notre Dame.

The good news for the Beavers is that Gulbranson went 7-1 as a starter in 2022 before being buried on the sidelines this season. In his last extensive action, he was the MVP of the Las Vegas Bowl when Oregon State routed Florida 30-3 to end last season.

“It’s kind of helped me become a more well-rounded person,” Gulbranson said of the situation. “You realize football is a gift. It’s an opportunity. It’s a privilege to play this game. I think being able to kind of step back and see it like this is pretty sweet. I’m cherishing every snap I get, whether it be in practice, whether it be in a bowl game.”

Angeli threw four touchdown passes in his limited work this season and gets to make his case for being the Notre Dame starter in 2024.

“Obviously, I’m now the starter, but my preparation — the way I’m preparing for the game — doesn’t change,” Angeli said. “Now it’s time for the real bullets to fly. We’ve got a job to do to get to 10 wins (by winning) the Sun Bowl. And that’s my only job, my focus.”

Among the other Notre Dame standouts to opt out of the bowl include running back Audric Estime (1,341 yards, 18 touchdowns rushing) and All-American left tackle Joe Alt.

Oregon State’s list of opt-outs includes star linebacker Easton Mascarenas-Arnold (team-best 107 tackles) and receiver Anthony Gould (718 yards to tie for team lead).

Beavers star running back Damien Martinez is not expected to play despite having a suspension for a DUI arrest lifted by the school. Martinez rushed for 1,185 yards and nine touchdowns during the regular season.

It isn’t just the player front where Oregon State is making adjustments.

After Smith took the Michigan State job, defensive coordinator Trent Bray was promoted to head coach. However, Bray elected to focus on filling out his staff and recruiting and isn’t part of the coaching process for the Sun Bowl.

Instead, wide receivers coach Kefense Hynson is serving as interim coach, and he’s excited about Oregon State’s third all-time meeting with Notre Dame. The Beavers won the first two — a 41-9 shellacking in the Fiesta Bowl to end the 2000 season and a 38-21 victory in the 2004 Insight Bowl.

Hynson wants to finish on a winning note after Oregon State lost to then-No. 5 Washington and then-No. 6 Oregon in its past two outings.

“It’s another test,” Hynson said. “You’ve got a really, really good team, they’re well coached, they’ve got good players. Then obviously, finishing the year the way we finished it, we’re excited to just get back on the grass and try to finish the year with a ‘W.’ “

Notre Dame enters the contest with a two-game winning streak. It also features Bronko Nagurski winner Xavier Watts as the national defensive player of the year. The junior safety led the nation with seven interceptions during the regular season.

The Fighting Irish are 20-21 all-time in bowl games, including 1-0 at the Sun Bowl. Oregon State is 12-7, including a 2-0 mark in El Paso.

–Field Level Media

Sep 23, 2023; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Sam Hartman (10) throws the ball against Ohio State Buckeyes during the first quarter of their game at Notre Dame Stadium.

No. 19 Notre Dame limps into meeting with Wake Forest

While the hopes of playing for a national championship evaporated weeks ago, No. 19 Notre Dame still believes it has plenty to play for on Saturday afternoon against visiting Wake Forest at South Bend, Ind.

“We have a shot to send the seniors out the right way,” Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman said in advance of the final home game of the season. “That’s our motivation. We know Wake Forest will be motivated. This team will be ready to go. They will come in knowing they have to win to become bowl eligible. We know we have a challenge in front of us.”

The challenge not only will come from Wake Forest, but also replacing several key players who are sidelined with injuries.

Notre Dame (7-3) most recently lost players on the offensive line during a 31-23 loss at Clemson on Saturday.

Rocco Spindler went down with a knee injury and the right guard is out for the season. Starting center Zeke Correll is in concussion protocol and his backup, Andrew Kristofic, went down with a high ankle sprain.

Billy Schrauth is expected to start at guard against Wake Forest and Ashton Craig will remain at center after finishing Saturday’s game.

“Ashton Craig did a really good job filling in at the center position,” Freeman said. “I was really impressed with what he did.”

The Fighting Irish lost safety Luke Talich to a broken collarbone during practice last week, while wide receivers Deion Colzie, Jayden Thomas and Matt Salerno remain sidelined.

Complicating things even more for Notre Dame is the slow mesh offensive system that the Demon Deacons run, a complicated system of run-pass options that can leave a defense spinning.

“How do you defend it?” Freeman said. “Linebackers attack and then create open areas behind you. They are really good to answer when you react to their system. It’s not the triple option, but it’s a system and they have answers. We have to be aggressive though and that is important.”

Wake Forest (4-6) got off to a promising 3-0 start but has dropped six of its last seven games. The Demon Deacons most recently fell to visiting North Carolina State, 26-6 on Saturday.

“It was not even a competitive football game,” Wake Forest coach Dave Clawson said. “It’s on me. It’s Game 10 and to show up like that is very disappointing.”

Wake Forest switched quarterbacks in the second quarter last week and Michael Kern led the Demon Deacons to their only touchdown, but he was then picked off on the two-point try and that was returned for two points the other way.

The rushing attack was even more shackled, as Wake Forest combined for seven net yards on 18 carries.

“On offense, right now, we’re broken,” Clawson said. “This isn’t anything like the offense that was put out there the last six years. I should have had us in a better spot with some of the personnel losses we had. We’re not getting the most out of these guys. I think we have good players, but they’re not playing well and it all boils down to coaching.”

–Field Level Media

Nov 4, 2023; Clemson, South Carolina, USA; Clemson Tigers running back Phil Mafah (7) runs against Notre Dame Fighting Irish safety Adon Shuler (21) during the first quarter at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Ruinard-USA TODAY Sports

Phil Mafah leads Clemson past No. 15 Notre Dame

Phil Mafah rushed for a career-best 186 yards and scored two touchdowns as host Clemson upset visiting No. 15 Notre Dame 31-23 on Saturday in South Carolina.

Mafah got the start because Clemson (5-4) was playing without lead rusher Will Shipley, who was ruled out prior to the start of the game. Shipley, who averages 4.6 yards per carry and has scored five total touchdowns this season, had been in concussion protocol since the Tigers’ loss to North Carolina State last weekend.

The victory for Clemson gave coach Dabo Swinney his 166th win, moving him one win past Frank Howard and making him the winningest coach in program history.

Notre Dame (7-3) was led by Audric Estime’s 87 rushing yards and a touchdown on 17 carries. The defeat for the Irish means that quarterback Sam Hartman — who transferred in from Wake Forest — will finish his career 0-5 against the Tigers. Hartman threw a pair of interceptions and no touchdowns on a day where he completed just 13 of 30 passes for 146 yards. Hartman did rush for 68 yards and a touchdown.

It’s the first time since 2016 that Notre Dame has lost to multiple ACC teams in the same season.

Clemson jumped out to a 24-6 lead in the second quarter following a 9-yard touchdown pass from Cade Klubnik to Tyler Brown, and then a 28-yard pick-six for a score by linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr.

Notre Dame chipped away at the deficit in the third quarter as Estime and Hartman both rushed for touchdowns.

The Irish had a chance to drive for the game-tying score with 1:47 remaining after Mafah fumbled — which was Clemson’s 11th lost fumble of the season. But Notre Dame’s drive flamed out in six plays, with Hartman throwing four straight incompletions.

Clemson’s defense held the Irish to 3-of-14 on third and fourth down conversions. The Tigers forced Notre Dame into six punts.

The Tigers also played a penalty-free game, while the Irish were penalized five times for 40 yards.

–Field Level Media

Oct 28, 2023; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Clemson Tigers quarterback Cade Klubnik (2) and head coach Dabo Swinney react after a game against the North Carolina State Wolfpack at Carter-Finley Stadium. North Carolina State won 24-17. Mandatory Credit: Ken Ruinard-USA TODAY Sports

Unranked Clemson under fire with No. 15 Notre Dame up next

Each of the last four times Notre Dame has met Clemson on the football field, at least one of the teams has been ranked in the top five of The Associated Press poll — and two of those meetings have come in the postseason.

This time around, much less is at stake as an unranked Clemson team hosts Notre Dame — No. 15 in the initial College Football Playoff rankings of the season — on Saturday in upstate South Carolina.

Clemson (4-4, 2-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) is coming off a 24-17 loss at N.C. State and is enduring its first season with at least four losses in league play since 2010, which was the second full season on the job for coach Dabo Swinney.

In their defeat to the Wolfpack, the Tigers fell behind 24-7 in the third quarter after quarterback Cade Klubnik threw a pick-6 and then the Clemson defense allowed Wolfpack receiver Kevin Concepcion to score on a 72-yard touchdown pass.

Earlier this week, Swinney felt the heat from fans during his weekly radio show. They criticized the 53-year-old’s inability to adapt in the changing landscape of college football, where the top programs are embracing the transfer portal and name, image and likeness opportunities for players. Swinney seemed to take offense when a fan named “Tyler from Spartanburg” mentioned his 10-year, $115 million contract.

“Is this a bad year? Yeah, and it’s my responsibility,” Swinney said. “Take 100 percent responsibility for it. But all this bull crap you’re thinking, all these narratives you read. Listen, man, you can have your opinion all you want, and you can apply for the job.”

According to the website On3, Clemson brought in just one transfer this offseason, quarterback Paul Tyson from Arizona State, who has thrown just three passes this season.

By comparison, Notre Dame (7-2) brought in seven transfers. Among them are starting defensive end Javontae Jean-Baptiste (Ohio State), defensive back Thomas Harper (Oklahoma State) and starting quarterback Sam Hartman (Wake Forest).

Hartman didn’t play all that well in Notre Dame’s 58-7 win last weekend over Pitt, but he didn’t have to. The Irish led 44-0 at the end of the third quarter after notching a pair of defensive touchdowns and an 82-yard punt return for a score.

Still, Hartman ranks among the best quarterbacks in the country in various categories this season and is a big reason the offense is 12th in the nation in scoring with 38.3 points per game. Hartman is 14th in passer rating, with a 165.34 mark, and 17th with 18 passing touchdowns. He has led the Irish to a pair of wins over ranked opponents in Duke and Southern California.

Despite Hartman throwing a pair of interceptions against Pitt, Irish coach Marcus Freeman doesn’t plan to change his approach on offense.

“We’re going to continuously be aggressive, even if the result isn’t what we want,” Freeman said. “(Hartman) is a consistent individual and always responds with the proper response.”

Clemson is 4-3 all-time against Notre Dame. The Irish beat the Tigers 35-14 last season in South Bend, Ind.

–Field Level Media

Sep 23, 2023; East Hartford, Connecticut, USA; Duke Blue Devils quarterback Riley Leonard (13) heads onto the field to warm up before the start of the game against the UConn Huskies at Rentschler Field at Pratt & Whitney Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

No. 11 Notre Dame, No. 17 Duke take over Tobacco Road

Rarely does Durham, N.C., ever feel like the center of the college football universe, but it might on Saturday as ESPN’s College GameDay comes to town with No. 17 Duke hosting No. 11 Notre Dame.

Duke (4-0) has never been part of the longtime pregame college football show as a host or opponent. Second-year coach Mike Elko is doing his best to keep the Blue Devils focused on what’s happening on the field, not off it.

“With all the noise and the buzz that’s around that … we’re getting a lot of congratulations for GameDay coming here. I’d rather wait and get some congratulations for how we play a football game Saturday night and just trying to stay focused on the task at hand,” Elko said. “That’s going out and having really good practices and getting the game plan down and knowing what we’re trying to execute.”

The task at hand for the Blue Devils is beating Notre Dame (4-1), a team motivated to get back in the win column after suffering its first loss of the season, 17-14 to then-No. 6 Ohio State at home last weekend.

Notre Dame had only 10 men on the field for the final two plays from scrimmage, the second of which saw the Buckeyes score the go-ahead touchdown on a run up the gut. Second-year Irish coach Marcus Freeman took blame for the mistake and the defeat.

“We tell our players, every play you can’t be distracted by the things that don’t matter,” Freeman told ESPN. “You have to do your job. The same thing applies to coaches. We can’t get caught watching the game and not do our job.”

Notre Dame boasts the nation’s 18th-best scoring offense — putting up 39.6 points per game — and a stingy defense, allowing just 12.8 points per game, which ranks 15th in FBS. Duke is 28th in offense and fourth in defense, allowing just 8.8 points per game.

Duke’s defense was at its best this past Saturday in the first road game of the season. In their 41-7 win at UConn, the Blue Devils had two sacks, three pass breakups, two forced fumbles and two recoveries — one of which was returned for a 26-yard touchdown by defensive tackle DeWayne Carter.

The win over UConn also featured another standout performance by Duke quarterback Riley Leonard, who threw for a touchdown and rushed for one in another efficient performance. Leonard is completing 67.7 percent of his passes this season and has yet to throw an interception through four games.

Notre Dame quarterback Sam Hartman has faced Duke twice in his career when he was playing for Wake Forest, going 1-1 in those starts. Despite Hartman throwing for 347 yards and three touchdowns against the Blue Devils last year, Duke picked him off once and wound up beating Wake 34-31 last season in Durham.

“Listen, you can be living in a cardboard box somewhere and know that Sam Hartman’s a really talented quarterback at the college level,” Elko said. “He’s really good. We’re going to have to figure out how to control them as best as we can.”

Duke is 2-5 all-time against Notre Dame. The last time the Blue Devils beat the Irish in Durham was in 1961.

–Field Level Media