Notre Dame Football: Key Takeaways as Irish Dominate Florida State

Notre Dame routs Florida State as expected, moves to 8-1

Nov 9, 2024; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish defensive lineman Bryce Young (30) and safety Adon Shuler (8) rush a punt by Florida State Seminoles punter Alex Mastromanno (29) in the second quarter at Notre Dame Stadium. / Matt Cashore-Imagn Images

The biggest home game of Notre Dame's 2024 football season (at least before the season began) was anything but competitive, as expected by kickoff.

Notre Dame started with a bang, moving right down field on the first possession of the game and scoring to go up 7-0 in just five plays.

Notre Dame didn't run up and down the field by any stretch of the imagination but did dominate its way to a 52-3 victory.

The Irish are now 8-1 with three games to go in the regular season as another step towards the College Football Playoff was taken Saturday night in South Bend.

Here are instant takeaways following the blowout victory:

Notre Dame's Near-Perfect Opening Possession

Nov 9, 2024; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Riley Leonard (13) jumps over Florida State Seminoles safety Shyheim Brown (1) for a touchdown in the first quarter at Notre Dame Stadium. / Matt Cashore-Imagn Images

Five plays, 75 yards, and seven points.

It didn't take long for Notre Dame to get on the scoreboard as a pass to Aneyas Williams got the Irish downfield and a run by Riley Leonard from 34 yards out gave the Irish the early lead.

For the second week in a row Notre Dame gets the ball and scores first. That's noteworthy as it didn't happen in the five games previous.

Notre Dame Defensive Line Supplies Pressure All Night

Howard Cross able to walk off the field to the sideline. Moderately positive sign. Heads to the injury tent.

— Pete Sampson (@PeteSampson_) November 10, 2024

Notre Dame has been able to withstand a slew of injuries this season which speaks to its depth but Saturday saw a scary sight for the Irish as Howard Cross went down with a first half ankle injury.

The amount of pain he was in right away made me think something worse and to the credit of Rylie Mills and Donovan Hinish, Notre Dame's defensive line flat out dominated Saturday, especially in getting to Florida State quarterbacks.

For Mills, his three sacks Saturday doubled his sack total for the entire year coming in.

Notre Dame is Like a Python on Discovery Channel

Notre Dame tight end Mitchell Evans (88) celebrates scoring a touchdown during a NCAA college football game against Florida State at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, in South Bend. / MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It was a blowout, Notre Dame easily covered the spread, but it didn't come without frustrations.

I think we live in a world where we think because one drive was incredibly easy early, that all drives should then be the same.

I made the realization tonight that Notre Dame in 2204 is like watching the Discovery channel back in the day.

When you'd watch the animal fights or attacks there were plenty there were flashy and an incredible adrenaline rush to watch, like a lion or tiger jumping an animal.

Notre Dame is more like a huge python. Sure, it can bite quickly at times but it's looking to just wrap its strong self around its prey and suffocate it. It's not always the most exciting to watch but man is it effective, and that was on display Saturday night.

Offense, defense, special teams. All played a factor in the destruction of Florida State that wasn't instantaneous Saturday night but was relentless for 60 minutes even with some hiccups.

Notre Dame Pass Defense is Insane Good

LUKE TALICH 7️⃣9️⃣ YARD PICK 6#GoIrish☘️ pic.twitter.com/ycGzPCij4D

— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) November 10, 2024

I know Florida State isn't going to come out and throw for 300 yards on anyone, but the Notre Dame secondary had it on lockdown Saturday night.

The only passes Florida State was really able to complete on the night were the little dump offs into the flat and even one of those eventually picked off and returned for a touchdown by Luke Talich.

Florida State completed just 10 of 26 passes for 89 yards, a 3.4 average per attempt while throwing two picks while no pass went for more than 15 yards all night.

Notre Dame Continues Dominating Run

We continue to hear about it and the more Notre Dame dominates the more we will: just how insane the loss to Northern Illinois was.

I know Notre Dame hasn't played the toughest of schedules this year but here is what the Irish have done since that mind-numbing loss:

Gone 7-0 and outscored opponents by a combined 308-61 along the way. That's an average score of roughly 44-9 on a weekly basis.

I've said it for weeks but keep getting told "but Nothern Illinois!" so I'll continue.

This Notre Dame team is really stinking good even if it isn't the sexiest of styles of football. Injuries have piled up for this team certainly but there is no reason to think that it's just get to the College Football Playoff and be happy to be there.

This is a team that can compete with any in the country.

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