The first game of the 12-team College Football Playoff got off to a wild start.
Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love ripped off a 98-yard run in the first quarter a play after Indiana QB Kurtis Rourke threw an interception. Love’s run tied the longest in school history as he became the first player to find the end zone in the expanded playoff.
JEREMIYAH LOVE JUST WENT 98 YARDS FOR THE TD 😤 @insideNDsports
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) December 21, 2024
(via @BleacherReport)pic.twitter.com/lbcNMK5BT5
Right before his run, Xavier Watts picked off Rourke on an ill-advised throw. Rourke’s pass came right after Indiana WR Elijah Sarratt made a fantastic catch along the sideline on third down. As Indiana hurried to the line of scrimmage to make sure there was no replay review of Sarratt's catch, ESPN had to cut the replay of the grab short.
NOTRE DAME GETS AN INTERCEPTION!!!!! pic.twitter.com/4ly9GAAPK4
— Mr Matthew CFB (@MrMatthew_CFB) December 21, 2024
Indiana had the ball after Notre Dame’s Riley Leonard had thrown an interception on Notre Dame’s second offensive play of the game.
The run put Love over 1,000 yards rushing for the season. He entered Friday night’s game with 134 carries for 949 yards and 15 rushing TDs. His carry is also the longest run in College Football Playoff history. That record had stood from the first weekend of the four-team playoff when Ezekiel Elliott ripped off an 85-yard run in the Sugar Bowl against Alabama on Jan. 1, 2015.