Week 7 was loaded with marquee matchups on paper, and the action on the field lived up to the hype – and then some. In the early window, #7 Alabama needed a fourth quarter comeback and late defensive stop to hold off a South Carolina surge, while Notre Dame’s next opponent, Georgia Tech, stunned North Carolina with a 68-yard rushing touchdown in the final minute while the Yellow Jackets were playing for overtime.
In the afternoon window, while Notre Dame was dispatching Stanford, #4 Penn State converted 2 fourth downs on a gutsy touchdown drive to tie the game with 2:53 remaining, and after some questionable clock management from Lincoln Riley on the ensuing possession, the Nittany Lions prevailed in overtime 33-30. Top-ranked Texas had an easier time with rival Oklahoma, as QB Quinn Ewers shook off some early rust to key the dominating performance. The loss leaves the Sooners with major question marks in the third season under Brent Venables – in 2 of 3 matchups with Texas his teams have failed to score a touchdown (though they did win last year).
And the afternoon craziness was just a preview for what was in store at night. In a possible Big Ten championship preview, #3 Oregon outlasted #2 Ohio State 32-31 in a back-and-forth game that lived up to every bit of the hype. After Oregon took the lead on a field goal with 1:47 remaining, the Buckeyes had a shot to win it, but time ran out on QB Will Howard ’s ill-advised scramble.
Not ever wanting to cede the spotlight to the Big Ten, the SEC delivered not one, but two overtime games in the evening window. #8 Tennessee needed an extra period to outlast Florida 23-17 while Brian Kelly and #13 LSU never led until the final play of the game, taking down Ole Miss 29-26 in front of a raucous Tiger Stadium. Garrett Nussmeier delivered a 23-yard score to tie the game with 27 seconds left and then after a 57-yard Rebel field goal to take the lead in overtime, Nussmeier hit Kyren Lacy on the ensuing play for the victory.
Now, let’s take a look at the action for the Notre Dame opponents.
Notre Dame Opponent Overall Record: 40-26
TEXAS A&M AGGIES
Record: 5-1 (3-0)
Week 7 Result: Bye
Recap: The Aggies headed into their bye alone atop the SEC with a 3-0 conference record and travel to Starkville for a Week 8 matchup with Mississippi State.
NORTHERN ILLINOIS HUSKIES
Record: 4-2 (1-1)
Week 7 Result: Won 17-7 at Bowling Green
Recap: Northern Illinois delivered an impressive performance in beating Bowling Green by 10 on the road. The Falcons had given Texas A&M and Penn State all they could handle early in the season, but the Northern Illinois defense held Bowling Green to just 205 total yards, 1-13 third down conversions, and forced 2 turnovers. The Huskies’ offense wasn’t impressive and they trailed 7-6 entering the fourth quarter, but they did not turn the ball over and did just enough to win. With RB Antario Brown unavailable, Gavin Williams delivered 102 yards on 29 carries and QB Josh Holst ran for the deciding score with 14:53 left. Kicker Kanon Woodill put the game out of reach with a field goal with 6 minutes left. After this performance, Northern Illinois ranks fifth in the nation in total defense and is firmly back in the MAC race. They host Toledo next weekend in a matchup with massive conference implications.
PURDUE BOILERMAKERS
Record: 1-5 (0-3)
Week 7 Result: Lost 50-49 (OT) at #23 Illinois
Recap: Purdue displayed a great deal of heart but fell just short at #23 Illinois, losing 50-49 in overtime as they were unable to convert the game-winning 2-point conversion. The Boilermakers trailed 27-3 early in the third quarter but stormed back, recovered an onside kick after cutting the lead to 40-35, and then punched in a score with just 46 seconds remaining to take a 43-40 lead. However, the defense could not hold the Illini, and David Olano sent the game into overtime with a 38-yard field goal. Purdue answered Illinois’ touchdown in overtime but were stopped on the 2-point try that would have won the game. Despite a fifth consecutive loss, there were some bright spots for Purdue. Ryan Browne was brilliant at quarterback filling in for the injured Hudson Card , throwing for 297 yards and 3 touchdowns while adding 118 yards on the ground. RB Devin Mockobee also continued his strong season, racking up 133 yards and 2 scores on his 14 touches. Things don’t get any easier for Purdue, though. #2 Oregon visits West Lafayette on Friday night, and the Boilermakers still have #4 Ohio State, #3 Penn State, and #16 Indiana on the schedule.
MIAMI REDHAWKS
Record: 2-4 (1-1)
Week 7 Result: Won 38-14 at Eastern Michigan
Recap: Miami delivered their most complete performance of the season in a 38-14 victory at Eastern Michigan. QB Brett Gabbert was efficient, turning his 10 completions into 222 yards and 4 touchdowns, including a 75-yard strike on the first offensive snap of the game. RB Keyon Mozee rushed for 100 yards while WR Reggie Virgil caught just 3 passes, but racked up 113 yards and 2 scores. Miami was the MAC’s third-best scoring offense in 2023 but ranked dead last coming into this matchup, so the 38-point explosion is a very positive sign. MAC-leading Ohio visits Oxford next week. Win that one and the RedHawks are right back in the conference race.
LOUISVILLE CARDINALS
Record: 4-2 (2-1)
Week 7 Result: Won 24-20 at Virginia
Recap: Louisville snapped a 2-game losing streak with a gutsy win on the road at Virginia. Trailing 20-17 late in the fourth quarter, QB Tyler Shough capped off an 11-play, 67-yard scoring drive with a 5-yard touchdown pass to Jamari Johnson with 1:55 remaining and then the Cardinals’ defense held firm and turned the Cavaliers over on downs to seal the victory. There’s plenty for Jeff Brohm and company to clean up – the Cardinals were gashed by a mobile quarterback for the third consecutive game – but a comeback win on the road puts this season back in the right direction. Louisville hosts #6 Miami next week in a matchup that will determine the trajectory of the remainder of their season.
GEORGIA TECH YELLOW JACKETS
Record: 5-2 (3-2)
Week 7 Result: Won 41-34 at North Carolina
Recap: The Yellow Jackets blew a double-digit fourth quarter lead by allowing North Carolina to score 10 points in the last 3:27, with Noah Burnette ’s field goal tying the game at 34 apiece. Receiving the ball with just 28 seconds remaining, head coach Brent Key elected to play for overtime, but RB Jamal Haynes had other ideas. Haynes took the second play of the drive 68 yards untouched up the middle for an improbable game winning score with 16 seconds remaining. In total, Georgia Tech racked up 371 yards on the ground, averaging 7.7 YPC. The game-winning score capped off a massive day for Haynes, as he finished with 170 rushing yards and 2 scores, while QB Haynes King chipped in 107 yards and 2 touchdowns on the ground before leaving with an injury. There’s a lot to tighten up for the Yellow Jackets though, with Notre Dame on the horizon. In addition to the defensive lapses that allowed North Carolina to come back, Georgia Tech’s special teams were again subpar, as they missed a field goal and allowed a punt return touchdown.
NAVY MIDSHIPMEN
Record: 5-0 (2-0)
Week 7 Result: Bye
Recap: Navy likely used their bye to start preparing for the matchup with Notre Dame on October 26th with only a date with Charlotte in Week 8 in between. The Midshipmen also jumped into the AP poll at #25.
FLORIDA STATE SEMINOLES
Record: 1-5 (1-4)
Week 7 Result: Bye
Recap: The Seminoles mercifully had a bye this weekend and travel to Duke for a Friday night matchup in Week 8.
VIRGINIA CAVALIERS
Record: 4-2 (2-1)
Week 7 Result: Lost 24-20 vs. Louisville
Recap: Tony Elliott ’s team had a golden opportunity to move to 5-1, and despite a spirited effort, the Cavaliers were unable to make enough plays to pull out the victory over Louisville. QB Anthony Colandrea played arguably the best game of his career, throwing for 279 yards and a touchdown while also adding 84 yards on the ground, and most importantly, protecting the football. He keyed a Cavalier second-half comeback that saw them reverse a 17-7 deficit and take a 20-17 lead after his 46-yard strike to Xavier Brown with 10:03 remaining. Virginia will look back at this game and feel they should have won. They outgained Louisville, won the time of possession battle, did not turn the ball over, committed fewer penalties, and converted 8 of 19 third downs. Sometimes, though, a team just doesn’t make enough plays, and Virginia will look back on getting stopped on fourth down at the Louisville 3-yard line in the second quarter as a huge missed opportunity. There’s no time for self-pity though, as the Cavaliers travel to #10 Clemson next weekend.
ARMY BLACK KNIGHTS
Record: 6-0 (5-0)
Week 7 Result: Won 44-10 vs. UAB
Recap: Army obliterated another overmatched opponent with a 44-10 victory and with the win, made their first appearance in both the AP and Coaches’ polls. QB Bryson Daily accounted for 238 total yards and 5 touchdowns, and his 136 rushing yards paced a Black Knights attack that rolled up 413 rushing yards against UAB. After the Blazers had answered Army’s opening touchdown with a field goal to cut the deficit to 7-3, the Black Knights ripped off 37 unanswered points before a meaningless UAB touchdown with 2:01 in the game. Riding the program’s first 6-0 start in three decades, Army hosts East Carolina on the Hudson next weekend and are heavily favored to move to 7-0 heading into a Week 9 bye.
SOUTHERN CAL TROJANS
Record: 3-3 (1-3)
Week 7 Result: Lost 33-30 (OT) vs. #4 Penn State
Recap: The Trojans are officially in free-fall after Saturday’s loss to Penn State, and since Notre Dame blasted USC last year, the Trojans have just a 5-8 record. Lincoln Riley has a massive contract, but if this season goes off the rails, things are going to get interesting in Los Angeles. USC has held a fourth quarter lead in all 3 losses, and Riley told everyone all offseason that his team had bulked up and would be more physical in 2024 playing in the Big Ten, but the fact remains that this team cannot consistently close out games. USC led 20-6 at halftime but then inexplicably decided to stop guarding Penn State tight end Tyler Warren , who tied the NCAA record (for a TE) with 17 receptions for 224 yards and a touchdown. The Nittany Lions rallied to tie the game at 20 before the teams traded field goals to stay knotted at 23-23. After WR Kyron Hudson caught a 5-yard pass from Miller Moss to give USC a 30-23 lead with 5:56 remaining, Penn State converted fourth downs of 7 and 10 yards on the ensuing drive, which Nicholas Singleton capped off with a 14-yard touchdown reception from Drew Allar to send the game to overtime. After Trojan kicker Michael Lantz hooked a 45-yard field goal in the first overtime period, Ryan Barker was true from 36 yards to give the Nittany Lions a happy flight home and leave Riley and the Trojans with major question marks and another cross-country trip to Maryland next week.
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