No. 8 Notre Dame continues its School Soccer Playoff chase on Saturday in South Bend, Ind., in opposition to a Virginia crew that’s 3-1 on the street and held a lead in each recreation this season.
The Preventing Irish (8-1) have a seven-game profitable streak since their two-point loss to Northern Illinois on Sept. 7 and gained all 4 earlier conferences with the Cavaliers (5-4).
Notre Dame improved to 4-0 this season in opposition to Virginia’s fellow Atlantic Coast Convention members with a 52-3 rout of Florida State final weekend, having additionally defeated once-ranked Louisville, Georgia Tech and Stanford.
Riley Leonard handed for 215 yards and a landing and ran for 70 yards and two scores in opposition to the Seminoles. The balanced Preventing Irish offense had greater than 200 dashing yards and 200 passing yards for the third time within the final 4 video games. The protection collected eight sacks and two extra tackles for loss and completed the blowout with a 79-yard pick-six by Luke Talich.
Leonard posted related numbers the final time he confronted Virginia. Enjoying for Duke in 2022, he threw one landing cross and rushed for 2 scores in a 38-17 defeat of the Cavaliers.
Virginia snapped a three-game skid final weekend with a 24-19 victory at then-No. 18 Pittsburgh. Xavier Brown had a 1-yard landing run and a 24-yard landing catch and former Notre Dame wideout Chris Tyree had his greatest recreation as a Cavalier with 4 catches for 42 yards and one run for 13 yards.
“I am excited to return,” mentioned Tyree, a graduate switch who gained 3,284 all-purpose yards with 17 touchdowns in 49 video games with the Preventing Irish from 2020-23.
Tyree’s fourth-quarter catch of 25 yards on third-and-15 allowed Virginia to increase a drive that consumed 8:26 and led to a discipline objective for the ultimate margin.
“I feel it is a actually good begin for us to complete these final 4 video games,” Tyree mentioned. “So it is simply as much as us to go 1-0 each week, take it day-to-day.”
The Cavaliers have not performed in a bowl recreation for the reason that 2019 season. They want another win to achieve eligibility with remaining video games in opposition to Notre Dame, No. 14 SMU and rival Virginia Tech.
“Coach (Tony) Elliott has achieved an awesome job. He has his crew actually taking part in at a excessive degree, taking part in with confidence, aggressive,” Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman mentioned.
“… They’d an enormous win final week versus Pitt, and so they’re a gifted bunch and so they’re taking part in that means with confidence and physicality. So, we’re anticipating their greatest and anticipating an awesome problem Saturday at Notre Dame Stadium for our Senior Day.”
Freeman mentioned Preventing Irish defensive lineman Howard Cross, who ranks second on the crew with 4 sacks, is not going to play because of an ankle damage.
The Notre Dame group mourned the loss this week of former head coach Gerry Faust, who died Monday at 89. Faust compiled a 30-26-1 document from 1981-85 earlier than being changed by Lou Holtz.
–Area Stage Media
