PHOTO GALLERY: Notre Dame falls to Ohio State 34-21 in national title game

Published 10:38 am Wednesday, January 22, 2025

By Max Harden

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ATLANTA, Ga. — The University of Notre Dame football team ended its memorable and historic postseason run in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game held at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, on Monday night, falling to Ohio State 34-23.

The Irish end the season with a 14-2 record, earning more wins in a season than any team in program history and defeating a ranked team in six different months (a first in Football Bowl Subdivision history).

“We obviously didn’t play the way we needed to to get the outcome we want, but as I said to the guys in the locker room, there’s not many words to say when everybody is hurting,” said Dick Corbett Head Football Coach Marcus Freeman after the game.  “I’m just proud of them and proud of what they’ve done. I’m proud of who they are, the way they represent themselves, and it’s just an honor to be on this journey with them.”

Ohio State jumped out to a 31-7 lead before a furious comeback over the third and fourth quarters cut the lead to 31-23 with six minutes remaining. Riley Leonard threw for 255 yards and two touchdowns while rushing 17 times for 40 yards and another touchdown. Jaden Greathouse caught six of those passes, both touchdowns and compiled 128 receiving yards to become the first Irish receiver since 2020 to post 100 yards in back-to-back games.

Xavier Watts and Drayk Bowen led the defense with eight tackles each, with Bowen forcing a key fumble in the third quarter.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The plan for the Irish offense was apparent on the first drive of the game. Riley Leonard carried the ball nine times and accounted for all five first downs the Irish earned, rushing for four – which included two fourth and short conversions – and throwing for a first down on a 19-yard connection to Eli Raridon.

Notre Dame converted a fourth and short at the Ohio State 45, then at the five yard line as the offensive line set the tone early in the contest. After Leonard powered for four yards on fourth and one at the five, he went in untouched on the next play to put the Irish up 7-0.

The scoring drive, taking 9:45 off the clock, was the longest for the Irish, in terms of playing time and plays, during the 2024 season.

“I think the best thing we did on that drive was just play by the — or stay by the chains,” Leonard said after the game. “That first drive we just came out and played Notre Dame football, took advantage of our match-ups when we had to. We just drove the ball down the field. We had to run the ball a little bit. Everything was just clicking.”

Ohio State answered in 11 plays and six minutes, picking up a key first down on a quarterback keeper and executing a feigned reverse to Jeremiyah Smith at the eight-yard line. Smith looked like he was heading into the backfield on the reverse, then put his foot in the ground and went out for a wide-open reception. The game was tied less than a minute into the second quarter.

Penalties doomed Notre Dame’s second drive of the game, as a false start and a holding penalty buried the Irish at their own 10-yard line. James Rendell posted a 46-yard punt which also included a holding penalty on Ohio State, effectively flipping the field position and putting the Buckeyes at their own 24-yard line.

The Buckeyes kickstarted their drive with 15 and 13 yard plays to get to midfield. The Irish earned two third downs, but could not get Ohio State off the field. After Will Howard scrambled for a first down at the nine-yard line, Quinshon Judkins broke two tackles and scored from nine yards out to put his team up 14-7.

Notre Dame had to punt the ball away on their next possession after just three plays. Leonard picked up five on the first play, but a missed pass then mishandling of a snap forced another Rendell punt of 51 yards.

The Irish defense continued to earn third down plays, but could not stop the Buckeyes on those key downs. Ohio State would convert two more on their next scoring drive which concluded with a six-yard toss to Judkins with :27 seconds left in the first half. The Buckeyes would enter the halftime break a perfect six-for-six on third down and their quarterback Will Howard finished the first 30 minutes 14-15 passing for 144 yards and two touchdowns.

Judkins split through a huge hole on the right side of the Notre Dame line on the second play of the second half for 70 yards and chased down by Leonard Moore at the five-yard line. Judkins scored two plays later, on another third-down conversion, and Ohio State took a 28-7 lead.

Notre Dame’s offense still could not find its way on the next drive. Forced into a fourth down punt situation the Irish special teams tried to provide a spark when Steve Angeli came in to throw a pass to Jordan Faison, but the ball fell incomplete.

The Irish defense held Ohio State to a field goal but the lead was now 31-7.

The first scoring drive of the second half for the Irish was keyed by an obvious pass interference on Mitchell Evans to place the ball at the Buckeye 48-yard line. Leonard followed by converting yet another third down with his feet before finding Jaden Greathouse at the 29-yard line. The Irish wideout then made two defenders miss and scampered into the end zone for a 34-yard touchdown reception.

A Leonard to Jeremiyah Love shovel pass provided a two-point conversion and the OSU lead was cut to 16.

Ohio State continued to move the ball on their next possession, but a big play from the Irish defense downfield gave the offense another chance to score. Emeka Egbuka caught a pass at midfield and broke into the clear. Drayk Bowen chased him down from behind and forced a fumble which was recovered by Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa at the Notre Dame 21-yard line.

Now with momentum, the Irish offense came alive for a drive down to the OSU nine-yard line. That momentum was sidetracked when Mitch Jeter bounced a 27-yard field goal off the right upright and the Buckeye lead remained 16 points.

The Irish defense earned a stop to get the offense the ball back with 6:25 remaining. Leonard found Beaux Collins for 12 yards then Evans for 33 more to get into scoring position. Leonard then looked to the now red-hot Greathouse who fought off pass interference to make his second touchdown grab of the game – one-handed – from 30 yards out to get the Irish within 10.

Notre Dame needed another two-point conversion to cut the lead to eight points and got it when Jordan Faison took an end around toss from Leonard and found a wide-open Collins in the end zone.

Needing to get another stop, Notre Dame forced Ohio State into a third-and-11 from their own 34-yard line. The Buckeyes went deep for Smith who was able to get a step on his defender and come down with a 56-yard reception at the Notre Dame 10-yard line.

“Yeah, it was do or die. It was that type of down,” Freeman said.  “If they run it and they get a 1st down — we’ve got to get them stopped, and we thought at that moment the best way to get them stopped is to run zero pressure. We have to have faith at some point that we can make a play. There was times in the second half that we did in man coverage, but he’s a heck of a player. He’s difficult to cover. You want to play zone, and they’ll find ways to pick you apart. You want to play man, they’ll find ways to get him the ball. It’s a talented offense, with that situation right there.”

Ohio State tacked on an insurance field goal a few plays later to represent the final score of 34-23.

“The outlook of Notre Dame football is extremely high,” Freeman said to close his post game press conference. “As long as the people in that locker room that come back understand what it takes, the work these guys have put in, there’s a lot of success in our future.”

 

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