Notre Dame’s 28-3 victory over Utah on Nov. 13 marked not only a turning point in the season, but the birth of a perfect November. The matchup featured strong Irish special teams and freshman quarterback Tommy Rees’ first start, inspiring a new wave of optimism in fans.
In the middle of the first quarter, a field goal from Utah’s senior kicker Joe Phillips gave the Utes their first points on the board. These three points, however, would be the last the Irish would surrender. Utah suffered 10 penalties in the first half alone, finishing the game with 11 for 70 yards. The Utes were held to a maximum of 24 yards per drive for their first nine drives, advancing to drives of 65 and 61 in the second half. Their efforts, however, were futile as the Irish stopped both on fourth down.
The Irish held the Utes to 71 yards rushing and a season-low 265 total offense. This was the least amount of yardage the Irish had allowed an opponent all season, while the rushing yards were the third fewest allowed. Conversely, the Irish achieved 256 yards in only 49 offensive plays, with yards per play averaging 5.2.
Just over five minutes into the game, senior safety Harrison Smith picked off his third pass of the season. In the last few minutes of the quarter, junior cornerback Robert Blanton blocked Utah’s sophomore kicker Sean Sellwood’s punt, ultimately delivering a 6-yard touchdown. Within seconds, Blanton came off the edge of the scrimmage line and was able to run untouched, marking Notre Dame’s first blocked punt returned for a touchdown since 2005. The Irish took the lead 7-3 at the end of the first quarter. Rees’s first touchdown pass of the game, a 3-yard completion to Floyd, boosted the Irish to a 14-3 lead early in the second quarter.
The first half of the game demonstrated the strength of the Notre Dame defense. For the remainder of the game, the Irish offense, along with the special teams, continued to dominate. Moments into the second half, the Irish forced Utah to fumble during the opening kickoff, courtesy of freshman wide receiver Austin Collinsworth’s fifth special teams tackle of the season. The Irish gained possession off of freshman wide receiver Daniel Smith’s recovery, and Rees connected with senior receiver Duval Kamara for a smooth 26-yard touchdown pass.
In the third quarter, the dynamic duo of Rees and Kamara teamed up again to deliver a 12-yard touchdown pass, making the score 28-3.
“It’s about just being patient,” Kamara said. “Things will work out for you. No matter what game you’re in, you have to try to make a difference. And you never know which play is going to be that play.” The team worked past their previous senior day losses and most recent loss to Tulsa to earn Notre Dame’s first win over a ranked opponent since Penn State in 2006.
“I wasn’t going to put this game on Tommy Rees,” head coach Brian Kelly said. “I was going to take shots when we had opportunities because he’s an accurate thrower of the football.” Rees showed progress throughout the game, completing 13 of 20 for 129 yards. Rees’s three touchdown passes helped the Irish end their 11-game losing streak against Associated Press Top 25 rated adversaries. It also marked the first senior day win since 2007.
Neither team scored in the fourth quarter, and the Irish put senior quarterback Dayne Crist in for the final minutes of the game, sealing the exhilarating senior day victory for Notre Dame. As the student section stormed the field, the players rejoiced for a successful sendoff of their senior teammates.
“It was crazy, and that’s how it should be,” sophomore inside linebacker Manti Te’o said. “We should give our fans what they want, and show them that we appreciate their support.”
