A win over free-falling and injury-ravaged Syracuse was never going to persuade Notre Dame football doubters, but all the Fighting Irish can do is come out strong and take care of business in front of the home crowd. They certainly did that on Saturday, putting the game out of reach before even running a play on offense.
Notre Dame raced to a 21-0 lead in just over five minutes of play, courtesy of two pick-sixes and a blocked punt. The onslaught continued when quarterback CJ Carr and company finally took the field. Potential Heisman Trophy finalist Jeremiyah Love promptly rushed for a 45-yard touchdown, and the squad eventually went into halftime with a 49-0 lead.
Fans expected a blowout, but they witnessed a massacre of the likes that is rarely seen in a Power Four matchup.
“Holy s**t this is a hate crime,” @FiversOmg commented on X. “What Notre Dame is doing to Syracuse should be banned in 52 states,” @SubwayTJ posted. “Is Notre Dame Football playing a high school team?” @BolognaBudz2 quipped. “Good lord Notre Dame,” @NexusSportsHQ remarked. “What did Syracuse ever do to you?”
Notre Dame puts the hurt on Syracuse
The Fighting Irish did not relent in the second half. Love added two more touchdowns and amassed more than 170 yards. Carr did not need to do much in the pocket and threw only nine passes the entire game. The defense continues to unload on opponents, tallying five sacks and three interceptions against an overwhelmed Syracuse squad.
There are plenty of people who will question the Irish's decision to run up the score, but this team clearly wanted to send a message to the College Football Playoff selection committee, and the rest of the country. Again, beating Syracuse will only do so much, but this is another case of Notre Dame competing to the fullest. Amid this era of increased parity, an old-fashioned beatdown will probably carry some cachet.
This is an absolutely brutal nightmare for Syracuse, however. The Orange have already faced significant adversity this year, so hopefully this game does not break their spirits. Notre Dame leads 70-0 at time of print.
