Notre Dame Pulls Away From Central Michigan, Setting A New Scoring Record

Notre Dame pulled away from Central Michigan to earn a 41-17 victory

NOTRE DAME, Ind. - Quarterback Sam Hartman’s day looked good statistically. Notre Dame’s day looked good statistically. In the end, Notre Dame beat Central Michigan 41-17, but getting there was not what most expected to see from the Fighting Irish on Saturday at Notre Dame Stadium.

Hartman finished with 330 yards and three touchdown passes, while running for another to help Notre Dame to the victory. Central Michigan entered the game as a near five-touchdown underdog and played the game without starting quarterback Bert Emanuel Jr., who did not make the trip due to illness.

With Emanuel out, backup quarterback Jake Bauer kept the Chippewas in the game throughout the day. He was just 10-20 for 137 yards passing, but ran for one of the Chippewas’ two touchdowns while connecting on crucial pass plays of 22, 31 and 37 yards.

Irish running back Audric Estime eclipsed the 100-yard mark for the third straight game with gains of 22, 13 and 41 yards on consecutive plays midway through the fourth quarter. He ran for a new career-high 176 on 20 carries. Estime also had a 72-yard touchdown run negated by a holding call.

The Irish tallied 578 yards of total offense to Central Michigan’s 268, but also committed eight penalties while the Chippewas had just two, both in the second half.

After Central Michigan went three and out to open the game, Hartman and company made it look easy right away. Estime ran the ball three straight times for a total of 16 yards. On 2nd and 5, Hartman dropped back, looked to his left and found a wide open Tobias Merriweather, who reeled the pass in near the sideline and raced to the end zone for a 75-yard score, his first of the season.

The Chippewas responded with a 65-yard touchdown drive to tie the game 7-7 with 7:22 remaining in the first quarter. Running back Myles Bailey capped the six-play drive with a six-yard touchdown run. The drive was aided by a late hit on Bauer by Irish defensive end Josh Burnham on the second play of the series.

The Irish marched 75 yards in 11 plays to reach the end zone again, this time on a 17-yard Estime run. Estime was initially ruled to have gained a 1st down on 3rd and two, but the spot was challenged by CMU. The replay crew initially announced the spot was confirmed, but then reviewed it again and declared it was short of the 1st down. Estime took the handoff on the 4th and 1 play and after an initial stumble at the line of scrimmage, raced to the end zone untouched the rest of the way.

Hartman and the Irish offense struck quickly, again, after another Chippewa three and out offensive possession. Hartman dropped back on 2nd and 9 and fired deep to Chris Tyree, who had raced past the CMU secondary and made an over the shoulder catch to zip to the end zone for a 76-yard score and a 21-7 Irish lead.

Central Michigan found the end zone for the second time when Bauer scored on a one-yard run with :17 seconds to play in the half. The Chips drove 83 yards in nine plays on the drive, including pass plays of 25 and 31 yards to set up the short run to make it just a 21-14 Irish lead.

Hartman was 8 of 13 for 215 yards in the first half. Notre Dame tallied 151 yards on the touchdown passes to Merriweather and Tyree, while Central Michigan had 160 total yards at halftime but trailed just 21-14.

The Irish had the ball to start the second half and Estime churned out 21 yards on their first play from scrimmage. Hartman connected with a diving Jayden Thomas for a 39-yard gain three plays later to give the Irish the ball at the three. Hartman scored on a sneak three plays later to make it 28-14.

Central Michigan drove to the Irish five and ultimately settled for a field goal at the end of the 12-play drive. Benjamin Morrison deflected Bauer’s 3rd down pass to force the kick and make it a 28-17 game late in the third quarter.

Spencer Shrader hit field goals of 50 yard and 31 yards on Notre Dame’s next two possessions to push the lead to 34-17 with 10:07 remaining.

Hartman hit Holden Staes on a six-yard touchdown pass with 5:45 to play to make it 41-17. The touchdown put the Irish over 40 points for the fifth consecutive game going back to last season. It also marks the first time the program has opened a season with four straight 40-point games since 1900.

Be sure to check out the Irish Breakdown message board, the Champions Lounge

Irish Breakdown Content

2023 Scholarship Chart
2023 Football Schedule

Notre Dame 2024 Scholarship Offers

2024 Commit Rankings - Offense
2024 Commit Rankings - Defense

2023 Recruiting Class Grades - Offense
2023 Recruiting Class Grades - Defense

———————

Become a premium Irish Breakdown member, which grants you access to all of our premium content and our premium message board! Click on the link below for more.

BECOME A MEMBER

Be sure to stay locked into Irish Breakdown all the time!

Join the Irish Breakdown community!
Subscribe to the Irish Breakdown YouTube channel
Subscribe to the Irish Breakdown podcast on iTunes
Follow me on Twitter: @SeanStires
Like and follow Irish Breakdown on Facebook

Sign up for the FREE Irish Breakdown daily newsletter