Army Falls to #6 Notre Dame at Yankee Stadium

BRONX – The #19 CFP-ranked Army Black Knights (9-1, 7-0 AAC) fell by a score of 49-14 at Yankee Stadium to the #6 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (10-1) on Saturday night.

QB Bryson Daily totaled 139 yards on the ground on 39 carries (3.6 avg.) while scoring two rushing touchdowns, giving him eight 100-yard games on the ground this season in nine games played, tying for the most 100-yard rushing games in a single-season in Army history.

Notre Dame totaled 462 yards of total offense, 130 on the ground from Sophomore RB Jeremiyah Love, who scored two touchdowns to power the Irish offensive attack.

Irish QB Riley Leonard passed an efficient 10-13 for 148 yards and two touchdowns.

Notre Dame won the coin toss and deferred to the second half. Army went three-and-out after three Bryson Daily runs for eight yards, punting from its own 34-yard line.

Notre Dame wasted no time on its opening drive of the game, marching five plays and 68 yards scoring on a 28-yard touchdown pass from QB Riley Leonard to WR Jordan Faison.

Army’s offense again went three-and-out as P James Wagenseller’s punt attempt was blocked by Notre Dame’s Bryce Young and the Fighting Irish recovered at the Army seven-yard line.

Notre Dame would score three plays later on a six-yard touchdown pass from Leonard to RB Jeremiyah Love to take a commanding 14-0 early in the first quarter.

Army began moving the football on its third drive which went into the second quarter, marching methodically on a 12-play, 75-yard drive absorbing 7:37 off the clock that was finished off by Daily’s 22nd rushing score of the season, from four yards out to cut into the deficit, 14-7. Army’s longest play from scrimmage on the drive was a pair of eight-yard runs from Daily.

Notre Dame moved quickly, having a first and goal from the Army five-yard line. However, the nation’s top red zone defense was up for the test, stopping four straight Irish runs including CB Jaydan Mayes stuffing a Jeremiyah Love fourth-and-goal rush attempt to force a turnover on downs.

The Army offense could not capitalize on the punt going three-and-out, yielding the ball back to Notre Dame.

The Irish would score three plays later on a 14-yard run by Love to retake a two-score lead, 21-7.

After forcing another three and out, the Irish got the ball back with just over two minutes remaining in the half, eventually having a first and goal from the one-yard line. Army’s goal line defense stuffed two runs up the middle from Leonard, before RB Jadarian Price found the end zone on third down with 26 seconds remaining which made it a 28-7 game.

Daily ran for a first down on Army’s opening play of the next drive, but the ball was punched out and recovered by Notre Dame with 19 seconds on the clock. The Irish settled for a 47-yard field goal attempt as time expired in the half, but the kick was no good and it remained 28-7 at the break.

Wasting no time coming out of the locker room, Jeremiyah Love took the handoff on the first play of the second half for a 68-yard touchdown to extend the Irish lead, 35-7.

Army’s Elo Modozie would block a Mitch Jeter field goal attempt from 30 yards away, recovered by Casey Larkin to halt an Irish scoring opportunity in the third quarter.

The Irish added another score late in the third quarter, a 10-yard touchdown run by RB Jadarian Price to extend the lead to 42-7.

In the fourth, Notre Dame scored again on a 58-yard run by Aneyas Williams to make the score, 49-7.

Army drove down on its final possession for a touchdown, with Daily finding paydirt from one yard out for his 23rd rushing touchdown of the season, making the final score 49-14.