Riley Leonard raced for two touchdowns and tossed for 215 yards and one touchdown as No. 10 Notre Dame routed Florida State 52-3 on Saturday night.
Notre Dame (8-1) accumulated 453 yards of total offense. The Fighting Irish defense recorded eight sacks and two extra tackles for loss.
Notre Dame’s triumph, the largest in a rivalry marked by nail-biting finishes, tied the series at 6-6.
Leonard scored his first touchdown after breaking to the left side and sprinting 34 yards before leaping into the end zone to conclude Notre Dame’s opening drive. In the third quarter, he ran for a 6-yard score against Florida State’s defense.
Jadarian Price ran 65 yards for Notre Dame’s second score, and tight end Mitchell Evans snagged a 12-yard throw from Leonard for a touchdown, extending Notre Dame’s lead to 21-3 at the half.
Jeremiyah Love converted a one-pointer early in the fourth quarter. Backup quarterback Steve Angeli capped the scoring with a 7-yard touchdown pass to Deion Colzie.
Luke Talich’s 79-yard pick-six with 1:23 left in the game sealed Notre Dame’s victory.
Florida State (1-9) went 75 yards in 16 plays, setting up Ryan Fitzgerald’s 23-yard field goal in the first quarter. The Seminoles gained only 37 yards over their next seven drives combined.
Notre Dame’s defense punished Florida State quarterbacks Brock Glenn and Luke Kromenhoek with eight sacks totaling minus 81 yards. Glenn completed 5-of-18 passes for 51 yards and two interceptions. Kromenhoek finished 5 of 8 for 37 yards.
Howard Cross III, Notre Dame’s defensive tackle, left the game in the second quarter with an apparent ankle injury. Cross limped off the field and did not return. He leads Notre Dame with four sacks this season.
