ATLANTA — Riley Leonard bolstered No. 12 Notre Dame’s playoff hopes by rushing for two touchdowns, and the Fighting Irish defense was dominant after a slow start in a 31-13 win against Georgia Tech on Saturday.
Jeremiyah Love added a touchdown run and defensive back Adon Shuler scored on a 36-yard interception return for Notre Dame (6-1). The Fighting Irish held Georgia Tech (5-3) to 64 rushing yards.
Leonard ran for 51 yards as Notre Dame extended its winning streak to five. Leonard completed 20 of 29 passes for 203 yards with an interception in the game played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, home of the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons.
With Haynes King held out with a shoulder injury, quarterback Zach Pyron was sharp early in his first start for Georgia Tech since his 2022 freshman season.
Pyron completed his first nine passes, including six on a touchdown drive. Jamal Haynes’ 1-yard scoring run as time expired in the first quarter gave the Yellow Jackets a 7-0 lead. Notre Dame led 31-7 before Pyron’s 7-yard touchdown pass to Chase Lane with 33 seconds remaining.
Led by Leonard, the Fighting Irish owned the second quarter with nine plays of 10 yards or more. Leonard’s first scoring run from the 1 capped a 14-play drive. He added another touchdown run from the 12, giving the senior 10 rushing scores this season.
Georgia Tech muffed a 39-yard field-goal attempt with 11 seconds remaining in the half when David Shanahan dropped the snap. Late in the third quarter, Notre Dame’s Bryce Young blocked a 35-yard attempt from Aidan Birr.
Leading 21-7, the Fighting Irish faked a punt, and Love gained 27 yards to set up Zac Yoakam’s 42-yard field goal, the first of his career. Yoakam filled in for Mitch Jeter, who missed the game with a hip injury.
Notre Dame’s special teams had more trick plays. Late in the game, holder Chris Salerno ran for 4 yards and a first down on a fake field goal.
The takeaway
Notre Dame: Defense played the lead role, even after giving up Pyron’s 60-yard pass to Abdul Janneh to the Irish 16 late in the third quarter. A third-down sack of Pyron by Rylie Mills set up Young’s blocked field goal. Safety Xavier Watts added a fourth-quarter interception, his third of the season.
Georgia Tech: Cornerback Warren Burrell set up the Yellow Jackets’ first-quarter touchdown with his interception of a deep Leonard pass. Burrell returned the pick out of the end zone to the 29. Pyron couldn’t maintain the momentum from his strong first quarter, throwing two interceptions and one scoring pass. He completed 20 of 36 passes for 269 yards.
Up next
Notre Dame: Plays in another NFL venue Saturday against No. 25 Navy at MetLife Stadium, home of the New York Giants and New York Jets.
Georgia Tech: Returns to its Atlantic Coast Conference schedule when it plays at Virginia Tech on Saturday.
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