Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1508769
BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM OCT. 7, 2023 21 FIRST QUARTER NOTRE DAME 7, DUKE 0 Top moment: Notre Dame's first drive stalled near midfield, but fresh- man running back Jeremiyah Love took a direct snap in a punt formation 34 yards around the right end. Junior running back Audric Estimé scored a touchdown from 6 yards out two plays later. Feature performer: Estimé was handed the ball six times in the first quarter. He didn't take any of his car- ries for more than six yards, but Notre Dame was clearly making an attempt to feed their biggest, best back the ball early and often. Stats: Notre Dame outgained Duke 138 to 49 in total yards. The Fighting Irish averaged 6.9 yards per play to the Blue Devils' 4.5. Items: Duke missed a 38-yard field goal on its first possession … Irish se- nior safety Xavier Watts had his sec- ond interception of the season … Notre Dame had five penalties in the first quarter; Duke did not have any. SECOND QUARTER NOTRE DAME 10, DUKE 0 Top moment: On third-and-7 early in the frame, graduate student defensive end Javontae Jean-Baptiste and gradu- ate student linebacker Marist Liufau combined for a sack of Duke quarter- back Riley Leonard. The play resulted in a loss of 12 yards and signaled things would not be easy for Leonard all night. Feature performer: Graduate stu- dent defensive tackle Howard Cross III had 4 of his game-high 13 tackles in the second quarter. He forced a fumble late in the frame, too, and Duke ended up missing a field goal as time expired one snap later. Stats: Duke outgained Notre Dame 82 to 61 in total yards. The Fighting Irish averaged 5.1 yards per play to the Blue Devils' 3.9. Items: Notre Dame graduate student kicker Spencer Shrader made a 35-yard field goal early in the quarter and missed a 37-yarder later on … Irish junior tight end Mitchell Evans had a miraculous one-handed catch for the second week in a row. THIRD QUARTER NOTRE DAME 13, DUKE 7 Top moment: Duke clawed back into the game with an 11-play, 75-yard