Indiana's Historic Season Ends With 27-17 Playoff Loss At Notre Dame

Notre Dame jumped ahead early and methodically grounded out a win as Indiana's offense couldn't get untracked until it was too late in first round of the College Football Playoff.

Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love (4) runs past Indiana cornerbacks D'Angelo Ponds (5) and Jamari Sharpe (22) at Notre Dame Stadium. / Matt Cashore-Imagn Images

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Coach Curt Cignetti and the 10th-seeded Hoosiers spoke confidently of national championship aspirations. But their record-breaking season ended Friday night with a 27-17 loss to No. 7 seed Notre Dame in the first round of the College Football Playoff. 

Indiana’s top-ranked run defense allowed a 98-yard rushing touchdown by Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love on the second drive, and its second-ranked scoring offense could not get untracked for most of the game against a suffocating Irish defense. Notre Dame finished with a commanding lead in time of possession, 35:43 to 24:17. 

Notre Dame advances to face No. 2 seed Georgia in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals at 8:45 p.m. ET on Jan. 1 in the Allstate Sugar Bowl at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, La. Indiana finishes with an 11-2 record, the most wins in program history. But the end was not pretty, as quarterback Kurtis Rourke struggled and the offense only started clicking when the game was all but decided.

Indiana went three and out on its first possession, and quarterback Kurtis Rouke threw an interception on the second possession after a Notre Dame turnover gave the Hoosiers great field position. That was a sign of things to come, as Indiana finished with just 278 yards and Rourke completed 20-of-33 passes for 215 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. 

Indiana running backs Ty Son Lawton and Justice Ellison had gains of 22 and 15 yards, respectively, but those runs were few and far between. Indiana finished with 27 rushes for 63 yards, just 2.3 yards per carry. 

Notre Dame’s All-American safety Xavier Watts had a big day, with 10 tackles and an interception. The Irish defense was especially solid on third down, holding Indiana to 4-for-12 in those situations. 

Love’s big run early in the game highlighted what had been Notre Dame’s strength all season, its run game. The Irish finished with 193 yards on 35 rushes, good for 5.5 yards per carry.

Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard made an early mistake, but he was solid from that point on. He completed 23-of-32 passes for 201 yards, one touchdown and an interception. He also made a few key plays with his legs, rushing for 30 yards and a touchdown on 11 attempts. 

Neither quarterback got off to a start he wanted. Leonard’s first pass attempt of the game was tipped at the line of scrimmage by Indiana defensive tackle James Carpenter and intercepted by cornerback D’Angelo Ponds at the Notre-Dame 41-yard line.

Indiana immediately threatened to score with a 28-yard completion from Rourke to Elijah Sarratt, who showed impressive concentration to haul in a deflected pass at the Notre Dame 17-yard line. But Rourke threw into double coverage over the middle, and All-American safety Xavier Watts was there for the interception. The good field position went to waste.

Backed up at its own goal line, Leonard handed the ball to Love, who saw a wide lane on the left side. He hit the hole, burst past the initial line of defense and he was too fast for any Hoosier to catch. Love blazed down the sideline for a 98-yard touchdown, giving Notre Dame an early 7-0 lead. That run alone surpassed the season average of Indiana’s top-ranked run defense, which allowed just 70.8 rushing per game entering Friday.

The Hoosiers broke into Notre Dame territory on their next possession, with a 10-yard run from Justice Ellison and a 22-yard scamper by Ty Son Lawton. But Rourke’s 3rd-and-8 pass flew over Sarratt’s head incomplete. Cignetti had a difficult decision at the Notre Dame 37-yard line, likely out of kicker Nico Radicic’s range but risky to go for it. He elected to punt, and it wasn’t a good one from James Evans, just 20 yards. 

Leonard and the Fighting Irish did what they do best on the next drive, slowly but surely wearing down their opponent. With a balanced mix of runs and passes, Notre Dame built a 16-play, 83-yard drive that churned 9:08 off the clock. Leonard’s quarterback keeper converted 3rd and 1 in the red zone, and his play-action pass to Jayden Thomas gave the Irish a 14-0 lead with 12:52 left in the first half. 

Indiana reached midfield on its next drive with a first down completion to Ke’Shawn Williams and a 15-yard run by Ellison, thanks to good perimeter blocking. But Indiana opted to run the ball on 3rd and 10, got stuffed and had no choice but to punt. Evans’ struggles continued, as his punt flew just 28 yards to the Notre Dame 22-yard line. 

Indiana’s defense came up with a much-needed stop on the following possession, and the offense took over at its own 36-yard line. Rourke had trouble early completing passes over the middle, but he bounced back with first-down passes to Sarratt and Price, bringing the Hoosiers into the red zone. 

Indiana offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan called for a direct snap to Ellison on 3rd and 5, and it went for just one yard. Indiana lined up to go for it, but Cignetti called timeout and decided to kick. Radicic’s 34-yard field goal put the Hoosiers on the board, trailing 14-3 with 3:26 left in the half. 

Just before halftime, Notre Dame added to its lead. Wide receiver Jordan Faison made a diving catch to convert 3rd and 6, and a 12-yard pickup by Aneyas Williams moved the chains on another third down. That was enough to set up Mitch Jeter’s 49-yard field goal with seven seconds before halftime, pushing the Irish ahead 17-3. 

The Irish executed a reverse play on the opening kickoff of the second half, setting themselves up with optimal field position on the Indiana 47-yard line. But Indiana’s defense stood strong and got a crucial stop on 3rd and 6 to force a punt.

Indiana’s pass protection faltered on the following drive, as Rourke was sacked twice deep in his own territory. Carpenter made an uncharacteristic mistake shortly after, a late-hit penalty for his collision with Leonard out of bounds. That occurred on 3rd and 14 and gave the Irish a fresh set of downs. Indiana held Notre Dame to a field goal, though, limiting the damage but still trailing 20-3 with 4:21 left in the third quarter.

Carpenter blocked Jeter’s field goal with 12:22 to play, keeping the Hoosiers alive for the time being, though it would still take an improbable comeback. Rourke’s third-down pass went nowhere, and Cignetti chose to punt on 4th and 11 from the Notre Dame 48-yard line with 10:45 to play.

Leonard completed his biggest pass of the game on the following drive, a 44-yard strike to Faison over the middle and just shy of the goal line. Leonard fooled the Indiana defense on the goal line, faking a handoff and walking into the end zone on his own, extending Notre Dame’s lead to 27-3 with 4:50 left.

Indiana’s offense marched down the field for a seven-yard touchdown by Myles Price and a two-point conversion reception by Sarratt. The Hoosiers even recovered an onside kick, and Rourke threw a 23-yard touchdown pass to Omar Cooper Jr. with 25 seconds to play. But his two-point conversion fell incomplete, ending the comeback bid.

Indiana’s historic season came with plenty of exciting moments, but it ended in disappointment.