Notre Dame football improved their record to 6-1 in a decisive 31-13 win against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Fighting Irish quarterback Riley Leonard completed 20-of-29 passes for 203 yards and an interception. He also added 51 rushing yards and two scores. His 10 rushing touchdowns this season make him the third Notre Dame signal-caller to rush for double-digit touchdowns, per Notre Dame Football PR Team.

“Riley Leonard’s second rushing touchdown today is his 10th of the season. He becomes the third Notre Dame quarterback to rush for double-digit touchdowns in a season (Wimbush, 14 in 2017, Kizer, 10 in 2015).”

The contest was closer at times than the score indicated. The Yellow Jackets gained 333 yards compared to 385 by the Fighting Irish. A fourth-quarter pick-six extended Notre Dame's lead to 31-7. Georgia Tech failed to come away with points just before halftime despite driving the ball to Notre Dame's 22-yard line. A third-quarter field-goal attempt by Georgia Tech was blocked.

No. 12 Notre Dame must win out to qualify for College Football Playoff

Notre Dame football has two ranked opponents left on their schedule: No. 25 Navy and No. 23 Army. Although they gave away that upset loss to Northern Illinois, the Fighting Irish have been on track this season. They took down No. 23 Texas A&M to start the season and beat No. 15 Louisville at home.

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What will happen when this team faces a superior defense remains to be seen. They remain a very one-dimensional offense as Leonard's passing production has been inconsistent at best. Despite his passing struggles, Notre Dame football is on a five-game winning streak. Head coach Marcus Freeman wants to keep Leonard's good vibes going, per Pete Sampson of The Athletic.

“[Leonard's] an improviser. He’s a tough, tough dude,” Freeman said. We can’t save that for a team that we don’t know what they do. We have this moment. And we saw this in the game plan. Our job is to find another way to attack your opponent in film study.”

Notre Dame will also be without two of its best players, cornerback Benjamin Morrison and defensive lineman Doubacar Traore, for the rest of the 2024 season. Their defense has been one of their biggest strengths. The Fighting Irish's 11.7 points allowed per game rank eighth-best in FBS. Notre Dame also recently lost defensive end Jordan Botelho and center Ashton Craig.

In Week 9, Notre Dame hosts the No. 25 Navy Midshipmen on Saturday, October 26, at noon EST.