SOUTH BEND — No.3 Notre Dame is on edge because everybody is still doubting their ability to be as good as advertised. So they got out of the ride on Saturday night with a full length over coat on with a what we call in the hood a wide brim gangster on. For y’all that don’t know it’s a Bailey’s fedora. By the time the smoke cleared in Notre Dame Stadium Touchdown Jesus was pulling the Irish off of Florida State as they beat the brakes off of them 42-13.
Florida State won the toss and wanted the ball first. I guess they wanted to let folks know that they were in the building right out of the gate. Well my friend….on the second play of the game Notre Dame’s Nick Coleman picks FSU’s Deandre Franois off and returns it to the Seminoles’ three yard line. Two plays later Brandon Wimbush hits Miles Boykin for the touchdown. Notre Dame goes up 7-0 just like that. In all four of Wimbush’s starts this season he’s been able to score on the opening drive. I guess he’ll call it the magic touch.
On the Irish’s second possession Wimbush hits Alize’ Mack for a 6-yard touchdown as the Notre Dame gos up 14-0 with 6:51 left in the first quarter.
On the ensuing Seminole possession Notre Dame’s Adetokunbo Ogundej forces a fumble by Cam Akers as the Irish take over on the FSU 14 and eventually Justin Yoon connects on 26-yard field goal to go up 17-0 with 5:53 left play in the first quarter. Florida State turned it over twice in the first quarter which cost them 10 quick points. They definitely couldn’t afford to give up easy points when they’re on the road in 26 degree weather.
Please don’t think for one minute that the weather didn’t play a factor in those turnovers because it was 65 degrees in Tallahassee on Saturday. You already know that they were struggling to hold on to the ball because they had more drops than Sprint in the woods.
With 13:54 left in the half Willie Taggart goes for it on 4th and 1 from the Notre Dame 9 yard line. I guess he was thinking, we need touchdowns not field goals when our record is 4-5. On the very next play Cam Akers goes 8 yards for the touchdown. The Irish’s Jerry Tillery blocks the extra point and Julian Love goes 98 yards the other way for another ND 2-points.
On the next Irish possession the Irish waste no time putting up points on a 4 play 75 yard scoring drive as Dexter Williams explodes for a 58-yard touchdown down the middle of the field as the extra point was blocked. So the Irish go up 25-6 with 11:37 remaining in the half.
Taggart and Co. had nothing to lose on the road this late in the season so they went for it again on 4th and 1 in their own territory and picked up the first down, again.
On the next Irish possession Wimbush marches the Irish right down the field for a 6 play 67 yard drive as he hits Alize’ Mack for a 15-yard touchdown to put the Irish up 32-6. Have I mentioned that they were without Ian Book for this game?
Wouldn’t you know ss soon as I said that, Wimbush came out of the break and throws a pick on their first possession to start the third quarter on their on 30 yard line. Florida State punches it in 4 plays 30 yards later in 45 seconds to make it 32-13 Notre Dame.
Justin Yoon adds another 3 points to the total on a 35-yard field goal to extend the Irish lead to 35-13 with 10:08 left in the third quarter.
Wimbush again is careless with the football as he throws another pick intercepted by FSU’s Dontavious Jackson. The Notre Dame defense bends but doesn’t break and keeps the Seminoles out of the end zone on a 4th and 3 to take over on downs on their own 4 yard line.
At that point smoke started to fill the room and I look up and ND is up 42-13. Dexter Williams finishes the night with 202 yards on 20 carries as Brandon Wimbsuh delivers a solid night going 12of 25 for 130 yards, 3 TD’s and 2 picks that didn’t hurt them.
This game was never close or in question as No.3 Notre Dame take care of business to remain in the hunt for a College Football Playoff spot. Stop me when I start lyin’!