Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1528160
20 OCT. 26, 2024 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED nior running back Jamal Haynes scored a 1-yard touchdown, giving Georgia Tech the lead … Sophomore linebacker Drayk Bowen and graduate student linebacker Jack Kiser combined to stop a scrambling Pyron for a gain of 2 on third-and-4. SECOND QUARTER NOTRE DAME 14, GEORGIA TECH 7 Top moment: Leonard pulled the ball on a zone read, cut inside, veered outside and out-ran the Georgia Tech defense for a 12-yard touchdown run that gave Notre Dame its first lead. Featured performer: Leonard con- nected on 10 of 10 throws for 119 yards and rushed for 2 touchdowns, the other coming from a yard out. He completed 12 passes in the first half to eight differ- ent receivers. Notable Stats: Notre Dame out- gained Georgia Tech 147-50. The Irish converted all three of their third-down attempts. Items: Love caught 2 passes for 37 yards, including a 25-yard catch-and- run … The Irish got senior tight end Mitchell Evans going with 2 catches for 19 yards … The Yellow Jackets botched a hold on what would have been a 40- yard field goal attempt to end the first half. THIRD QUARTER NOTRE DAME 21, GEORGIA TECH 7 Top moment: Georgia Tech looked like it was about to cut Notre Dame's lead to 11 with a 35-yard field goal at- tempt, but Young had other plans. The 6-foot-7 defensive end got his left hand in the air and blocked his second kick of the season. Featured performer: Bowen was everywhere, making 3 tackles — two for gains of 2 and 1 on third-and-long, well short of the sticks — and breaking up a pass. Notable Stats: The Irish picked up 7 first downs to the Yellow Jackets' 2. Notre Dame averaged 7.4 yards per play to Georgia Tech's 7.2. Items: Leonard found sophomore wide receiver Jaden Greathouse down the right sideline for 28 yards on the first play of the second half … Love fin- ished that drive with a 1-yard touch- down run. FOURTH QUARTER NOTRE DAME 31, GEORGIA TECH 13 Top moment: Pyron overthrew his receiver, and the ball found its way into Shuler's hands. Shuler brought it back 36 yards for a pick six, the cherry on top of a blowout win. Featured performer: Notre Dame special teams coordinator Marty Bi- agi. The Irish ran a fake field goal and a fake punt, and both worked. On the punt, the Irish snapped it to the up man, Sherwood. He shoveled it to Harrison, who gave it to Love on the reverse. Love made a man miss and picked up the first down. Later, walk-on wide receiver and former Notre Dame/Alabama quar- terback Tyler Buchner — who wears No. 26, same as typical holder Chris Salerno — darted for a 4-yard gain and another first down. Notable Stats: Notre Dame won time of possession 10:59-4:01. The Irish averaged 3 yards per play to the Yellow Jackets' 4.5. Items: Price rushed 3 times for 19 yards. … Pyron found redshirt senior wide receiver Chase Lane for a garbage- time touchdown. ✦ NOTRE DAME 31, GEORGIA TECH 13 Oct. 19, 2024 ✦ Attendance: 59,021 Mercedes-Benz Stadium ✦ Atlanta 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Tot Notre Dame 0 14 7 10 31 Georgia Tech 7 0 0 6 13 ND GT FIRST QUARTER GT Haynes 1-yard run (Birr kick) 0:00 0 7 Drive: 13 plays, 71 yards, 7:06 SECOND QUARTER ND Leonard 1-yard run (Yoakam kick) 7:00 7 7 Drive: 14 plays, 75 yards, 8:00 ND Leonard 12-yard run (Yoakam kick) 1:53 14 7 Drive: 5 plays, 68 yards, 2:51 THIRD QUARTER ND Love 1-yard run (Yoakam kick) 11:01 21 7 Drive: 6 plays, 60 yards, 3:10 FOURTH QUARTER ND Yoakam 42-yard field goal 10:01 24 7 Drive: 11 plays, 32 yards, 3:59 ND Shuler 36-yard interception return (Yoakam kick) 2:37 31 7 GT Lane 6-yard pass from Pyron (Pass failed) 0:23 31 13 Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 2:08 ND GT Total First Downs 23 18 Rushing 12 4 Passing 11 13 Penalty 0 1 Rushing Attempts 39 29 Yards Gained Rushing 181 95 Yards Lost Rushing 13 31 Net Yards Rushing 168 64 Net Yards Passing 217 269 Passes Attempted 30 38 Passes Completed 21 20 Had Intercepted 1 2 Percent Completion 70.0% 52.6% Yards Per Attempt 7.2 7.1 Yards Per Completion 10.3 13.4 Total Offensive Plays 69 67 Total Net Yards 385 333 Average Gain Per Play 5.6 5.0 Fumbles: No.-Lost 0-0 1-0 Penalties: No.-Yards 5-37 5-25 Punts: No.-Yards 2-75 4-180 Average Per Punt 37.5 45.0 Average Net Punt 35.5 31.5 Punt Returns: No.-Yards 2-14 1-4 Kickoff Returns: No.-Yards 0-0 4-98 Interception Returns: No.-Yards 2-36 1-27 Fumble Returns: No.-Yards 0-0 0-0 Miscellaneous Yards 0 0 Possession Time 35:45 24:15 Third-Down Conversions 4-12 4-14 Percentage 33.3% 28.6% Fourth-Down Conversions 3-4 3-5 Percentage 75.0% 60.0% Sacks By: No.-Yards 2-14 0-0 Sophomore safety Adon Shuler's 36-yard inter- ception return touchdown late in the fourth quarter capped the Fighting Irish's run of 31 unanswered points. PHOTO BY MATT RUDOLPH