Notre Dame played its best football of the year to stuff 14^th ranked Utah by 28-3 in the final home game of the season. The Irish celebrated their first win on Senior Day since 2007 as students streamed onto the field to enjoy the moment immediately following the game. Notre Dame dominated the Utes in all phases and resurrected hope for a post season bowl berth.

Freshman quarterback Tommy Rees performed well for the Irish after a rough start. It was obvious from the opening series that Coach Brian Kelly was not going to ask Rees to win the game by himself, but his strategy to establish the running game was initially disastrous. After a Bennett Jackson kickoff return to its own 44 yard line, Notre Dame failed to convert a first down with four consecutive runs and turned the ball over to the Utes near midfield. The Irish defense kept the damage to a minimum, although Joe Phillips hit a 46-yard field goal for an early 3-0 advantage.

Rees and the offense struggled despite good field position, and did not record a first down in its first three possessions. The defense appeared solid, however, as evidenced by a strong pass rush and good penetration at the point of attack against the run. When Notre Dame’s Brian Smith dropped a sure interception of a Jordan Wynn pass on a third down play, Irish fans groaned at the missed opportunity. Redemption came on the next play, when Robert Blanton broke through and blocked the ensuing punt. The ball bounced perfectly into Blanton’s hands and he waltzed into the end zone for a 7-3 lead.

Jonas Gray gave Notre Dame a spark on its next offensive series. The nearly forgotten tailback broke off a 36-yard run after he appeared to be trapped behind the line, and the Irish were in business at the Utah 7 yard line. Rees hit Michael Floyd two plays later for a score that pushed the lead to 14-3. The Utes were unable to get closer before the half, due primarily to an avalanche of self-inflicted penalties and a resurgent Notre Dame pass rush.

Any plans nurtured by Utah to get back into the game in the third quarter disappeared quickly when Shaky Smithson fumbled the second half kickoff after a solid hit by Austin Collinsworth. The Irish recovered and scored on the next play from 26 yards when Rees hit wide open senior Duval Kamara for the touchdown. The defense joined the party on the next series as Prince Shembo sacked Wynn to stop a Utah advance.

Rees then directed the team’s best drive of the day as Cierre Wood broke off a couple of dazzling runs and Michael Floyd caught a 24-yard pass to get into the red zone. Kamara was again on the receiving end of the touchdown pass from Rees, this time from 12 yards out. Notre Dame stretched its lead to 28-3 with nine minutes left in the third period.

The Utes had a few scoring chances as the clock ran down, but Notre Dame held on downs on three separate occasions. Meanwhile, the Irish ran the ball well enough to milk the clock and Kelly was able to empty his bench before the final whistle. Although the outcome will be viewed as an upset, Notre Dame dominated Utah in the trenches and a perceived advantage in speed by the Utes offense was not at all evident. The Irish allowed only 265 yards, and many of these were earned after the issue was decided.

Let’s review the answers to the pregame questions to understand how this victory unfolded.

Can Notre Dame’s offensive and defensive linemen get the upper hand against the Utes? Absolutely. The offensive line opened holes for the run and protected Rees, while the defense shed blocks to limit the Utah ground game to 71 yards and no runs of ten yards or more.

Which team will be able to sustain a balanced attack? Notre Dame maintained balance and was efficient, while the Utes never established a real threat.

Will the Irish be able to shut down Smithson on special teams? Yes – it was the best performance in years by Notre Dame’s special teams. Smithson had -1 yards in punt returns and coughed up the fumble on a kickoff.

Can Notre Dame pressure Wynn into a sub-60% passing day? Wynn finished just over 60% at 24 for 39, but many of these were checkdowns for short yardage late in the game after the Irish loosened up the pass coverage.

How well will Utah bounce back emotionally after last week’s crushing defeat? The Utes looked flat. The game was over when Smithson fumbled and Rees hit Kamara to open the second half.

Will Rees have to throw 50+ passes? He threw only 20 passes, thanks to an effective ground game and a stout defense. After starting 1 of 4 for three yards in the opening quarter, Rees finished by going 12 for 16 and 126 productive yards.

Which team will win the turnover battle? The Irish forced two turnovers, blocked a punt and stopped the Utes three times on downs. The only blemish on the stat sheet for Notre Dame was an unsuccessful fourth down rush on its initial series.

The ease of victory and the smiling faces along the sideline and among the fans were a pleasant surprise for a beleaguered program that has faced more than its share of adversity this season. The team played well in each phase and did not let up at any point in the game. Although it may be premature to interpret this result as the beginning of a turnaround in Irish fortunes, a meaningful win in November has been a rare commodity in recent years and deserves to be savored.