A week after turning in his best passing performance of the season, Riley Leonard turned in an efficient passing performance while moving up the record books in to lead Notre Dame (6-1) to a 31-13 win over Georgia Tech (5-3). Leonard was 20 of 29 for 209 yards for his second straight game of 200+ yards.
The dual threat quarterback also ran for 51 yards and two touchdowns to join Brandon Wimbush and DeShone Kizer as just the third Notre Dame quarterback with double digit touchdown runs in a season. Leonard, who has run for a touchdown in seven straight games, is four away from tying Wimbush’s single-season record.
Meanwhile, the Notre Dame defense kept up its stingy ways. The Fighting Irish held the Yellow Jackets, who came into the game averaging nearly 204 rushing yards a game, to just 64 yards on 29 carries. They sacked backup quarterback Zach Pyron twice, doubling the total the Yellow Jackets had allowed all season, and intercepted him twice.
Notre Dame had the ball twice in the first quarter. After going three-and-out on the first drive, Leonard made the first mistake of the game with an interception in the end zone by Warren Burrell to end the second drive. Leonard had just run for seven yards to convert a 4th and 1 near midfield and sailed the deep ball, which was intended for Beaux Collins . Burrell returned Leonard’s third interception of the season to the Yellow Jacket 29.
Georgia Tech responded with a 13-play touchdown drive that used the final 7:06 of the first quarter. The Yellow Jackets scored when Jamal Haynes , who the Irish held to a career low 15 yards, recovered his own fumble on the goal line after taking a handoff from one yard out. Haynes lost the ball in a pile-up and then grabbed the ball before the Irish could snatch it.
The Fighting Irish upped the ante by marching to a 14-play, 75-yard touchdown drive that spanned 8:00 minutes. Leonard was 6 for 6 for 48 passing yards before finishing the drive with a 1-yard score to tie the game 7-7.
The Irish defense forced a three-and-out on Tech’s next possession and then Notre Dame zipped down field for Leonard’s second TD of the game. Leonard completed four straight passes for a total of 61 yards to start the drive and then scored from 12 yards out on the first play after the two minute timeout to put Notre Dame up 14-7.
Georgia Tech drove to the Irish 22 in the final seconds of the first half and lined up to try a 39-yard field goal. The snap was mishandled and Leonard Moore , who started at cornerback, made the tackle in the backfield to effectively end the half.
Leonard’s interception was one of just two incompletions in the first half. He completed 12 passes for 127 yards while leading the Irish with 29 yards and two touchdowns. He completed passes to eight different receivers.
Pyron, who was starting for the injured Haynes King , was 11 for 14 for 118 yards in the half. He finished the game 20 of 36 for 269 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions.
Notre Dame’s defense pitched another three-and-out to open the second half and after getting the ball at their own 40, the offense blew downfield for a six-play touchdown drive. Jeremiyah Love capped it with a 1-yard score. It marked his eighth straight game with a touchdown. Leonard opened the drive with a 28-yard pass to Jaden Greathouse and after three straight runs he hit Beaux Collins for a 15-yard gain to set-up Love’s TD run.
The Irish punted after their next drive stalled near midfield and Georgia Tech hit a 60-yard pass play to Abdul Jenneh on its first play from its own 22. The Irish defense flexed its muscled after that though. Rylie Mills dropped Pyron on 3rd down for just the second sack the Yellow Jackets have allowed all season. They lined up to try another field goal, but freshman Bryce Young blocked Aidan Burr ’s kick, his second block of his young career, and the Irish took the ball back at their own 20.
Notre Dame went for it on 4th and 2 from the GT 39 on the drive that followed but Leonard was flushed from the pocket and stopped short. The Yellow Jacket drive lasted just two plays when Xavier Watts intercepted Pyron, giving the Irish the ball at their own 44. It was Watts’ third pick of the season and 10th in the last two years.
The Irish faced 4th and 8 at their own 46 and pulled out all the stops when Love raced on a reverse handoff in the backfield for a 14-yard gain into Georgia Tech territory. Notre Dame would settle for a 42-yard field goal from Zac Yoakam , the first of his career, after an 18-yard touchdown run by Love was called back due to a holding call on left tackle Anthonie Knapp . The field goal made it 24-7 Irish with 10:01 to play.
Yoakam lined up to try a 43-yard field goal on 4th and 4, but Irish holder Tyler Buchner took the snap and ran toward the right sideline to pick up the first down. Buchner is not Notre Dame’s regular holder. He and regular holder Chris Salerno both wear No. 26. Yoakam would ultimately miss a 46-yard field goal. But Adon Shuler intercepted Pyron on Georgia Tech’s first play and returned it 36 yards for his first career touchdown to make it 31-7.
The Yellow Jackets scored their final touchdown on Pyron’s pass to Chase Lane with :23 seconds to play. The two-point conversion failed.
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