Indiana (11-1) is set to make its College Football Playoff debut against Notre Dame (11-1) on Friday, Dec. 20 at 8 p.m. ET in South Bend at Notre Dame Stadium, with a chance to go to the Sugar Bowl on the line.
The Hoosiers enter the in-state clash three weeks removed from a complete demolition of rival Purdue, 66-0, in Bloomington. The Fighting Irish are all three weeks removed from a shootout win over USC in Los Angeles.
With both teams well-rested and well-prepared ahead of the most important meeting between these two teams in the history of each program, take an early look at Indiana's College Football Playoff opponent, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
KEY PLAYERS
- Quarterback Riley Leonard: Duke transfer Riley Leonard got off to a slow start this season in his first campaign with the Irish. Leonard, a 6-foot-4 signal caller out of Fairhope, Alabama, didn't throw his first touchdown pass until a week four win at home over Miami (OH). He then closed the season with multiple touchdown passes in four of Notre Dame's last five games, totaling 2,092 passing yards and 16 touchdowns through the air this season. On the ground is where Leonard might be more dangerous. He carried the ball 124 times for 721 yards and 14 touchdowns on the grounds this season. Leonard averaging 5.8 yards per carry and 60.1 yards per contest this year at Notre Dame.
- Running Back Jeremiyah Love: Sophomore running back Jeremiyah Love has been a workhorse this season in South Bend. The 6-foot, 210 pound tail back has averaged 7.1 yards per carry this year on his way to 949 yards rushing and 15 scores on the ground. A native of St. Louis, Missouri, Love hasn't played a huge role in the passing game this season for the Irish. He has 22 catches for 206 yards and two touchdowns as a pass catcher out of the backfield this season.
- Defensive Lineman Howard Cross III: A graduate student out of Paramus, New Jersey, defensive lineman Howard Cross is a game wrecker along Notre Dame's stout defensive front. The 6-foot-1, 288 pound interior defensive lineman missed the Irish's last three games of the regular season due to injury, however he's expected to be back and healthy for the College Football Playoff. This season, Cross has collected 23 total tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and 4.0 sacks. He's also registered three quarterback hurries. Whether it's in the running game or the passing game, Cross has made a name for himself at the college level by being disruptive up front.
- Linebacker Jack Kiser: An Indiana native, Jack Kiser is the unquestioned leader of the Notre Dame defense. Aside from leading the team in tackles this year with 64, Kiser has managed 3.0 tackles for loss, 1.0 sacks, a pass breakup, three quarterback hurries, two fumble recoveries and a forced fumble. At 6-foot-2 and 231 pounds, Kiser doesn't posses blazing speed or next-level athleticism. However, the sixth-year linebacker has a nose for the football, seemingly always finding himself in the right place at the right time to make a big play for the Irish.
- Safety Xavier Watts: Safety Xaiver Watts intercepted five passes and tallied nine pass breakups this season, yet it still wasn't the best season of his collegiate career. Throughout his five seasons in South Bend, Watts has established himself as one of the top safeties in the country, who will be playing on Sunday's in the not-too-distant future. The winner of the 2023 Bronko Nagurski award, representing the best defensive player in the country, after leading the nation with seven interceptions, Watts was once again a ballhawk on the backend for the Fighting Irish in 2024. Alongside his impressive interception and pass breakup numbers, the Omaha, Nebraska native recorded 49 total tackles, 1.0 tackles for loss, three quarterback hurries, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Watts is a player Kurtis Rourke will have to find, and likely avoid, each time he drops back to pass.
KEY STATS
- Notre Dame boasts the third-highest--one spot behind Indiana--scoring offense in the country this year, averaging 39.8 points per game.
- Notre Dame ranks 10th in total rushing yards (2,698) and yards per game (224.8) this season.
- The Fighting Irish also rank third in the nation in yards per carry, averaging 6.3 yards per attempt on the ground.
- Notre Dame has the third-best scoring defense in the country, holding opponents to an average of 13.6 points per game this year.
- The Irish's defense is holding teams to a 30.6% conversation rate on third down this season, the seventh-best rate in the country.
- Notre Dame has six defensive touchdowns this year, one fumble recovery for a touchdown and five interceptions returned for touchdowns. That's tied for first in the nation.
- Notre Dame has held teams to an average of 157.9 passing yards per game this season, good enough for the No. 3 passing defense in the country.
- The Fighting Irish have picked of the fourth-most passes in the country this season (17).
- The Irish have the second-best turnover margin in the country, sitting at +16 in the turnover department this year.
- Notre Dame has blocked six kicks this season, that's tied for the top mark in the country. The Irish have also blocked three punts, tied--with Indiana--for the second-best mark in the country.
OTHER NOTES
- Notre Dame went 10-3 last season, beating Oregon State 40-8 in the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas.
- The Irish leads the all-time series 23-5-1, including a 1-13-1 mark at home in South Bend.
- Indiana hasn't defeated Notre Same since 1950. The Hoosiers haven't bet the Irish in South Bend since 1898.
- Indiana vs. Notre Dame will be the only College Football Playoff first round game played on Friday. Kickoff is set for 8pm ET on ABC and ESPN.
- Notre Dame is a 7.5-point favorite.
- The winner of the contest will play Georgia in the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans on Jan. 1.
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