Honestly, walking into Notre Dame Stadium on November 9, 2024, felt a bit like watching a car crash in slow motion. We all knew Florida State was struggling—1-8 entering the game is a nightmare for any program, let alone a defending ACC champion—but the 52-3 beatdown the Irish handed them was something else. It was the kind of game that makes you question everything about modern college football, the transfer portal, and how quickly a powerhouse can crumble.
The FSU vs Notre Dame 2024 matchup wasn't just a win for the Irish; it was a 60-minute statement. Notre Dame (8-1) wasn't just playing for a win. They were playing for a spot in the College Football Playoff, and they treated the Seminoles like a scout team.
The Night the Irish Took Control
Riley Leonard is a name that FSU fans probably won't want to hear for a long time. The Notre Dame quarterback looked like he was playing a video game on rookie mode. He didn't even need to be perfect through the air because his legs did most of the talking. His 34-yard touchdown run in the first quarter basically set the tone for the entire night. It was effortless.
While FSU managed a lone 23-yard field goal from Ryan Fitzgerald early on—capping a surprisingly gritty 16-play drive—that was basically the end of the road for the Noles. By the time the second quarter rolled around, Jadarian Price was ripping off 65-yard touchdown runs. It felt like the FSU defense had just… stopped.
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A Tale of Two Quarterbacks (or Three)
Mike Norvell tried everything. Brock Glenn got the start, but he was under siege from the jump. Notre Dame’s defensive line, led by Rylie Mills who racked up a career-high three sacks, was in the backfield more often than the FSU running backs.
- Brock Glenn & Luke Kromenhoek: Combined for just 88 passing yards.
- The Interception Factor: Luke Talich’s 79-yard pick-six at the end was just salt in a very deep wound.
- The Sacks: FSU's quarterbacks were dropped 8 times. Eight.
It’s hard to run an offense when your quarterback is staring at the sky every other play. Honestly, seeing Luke Kromenhoek come in and struggle just reminded everyone how much FSU missed the stability of a veteran like Jordan Travis. The gap in talent and execution between these two rosters in 2024 was staggering.
Why FSU vs Notre Dame 2024 Matters for the History Books
Most people look at a 52-3 score and see a blowout. But if you look closer, this game was the "final nail" for the 2024 Seminoles. Directly after this loss, Norvell fired both his offensive and defensive coordinators. That’s a massive move mid-season. It showed that the administration had seen enough. FSU became the first team in the CFP era to go from a double-digit win season to a double-digit loss season.
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Notre Dame, on the other hand, used this game to prove they belonged in the top ten. Marcus Freeman has had his critics, especially after that weird loss to Northern Illinois earlier in the year, but this win showed maturity. They didn't "play down" to their opponent. They stayed focused and executed a balanced attack that piled up 453 total yards.
The Defensive Masterclass
We have to talk about Al Golden's defense. It wasn't just about the 8 sacks. It was the way they took away every single option for FSU. Lawrance Toafili tried to get things moving on the ground, and while he finished with 77 yards, he never felt like a threat to break the game open.
The Irish secondary was so tight that Glenn and Kromenhoek were often forced to hold onto the ball too long, leading directly to those sacks. It was a symbiotic relationship between the pass rush and the coverage. By the third quarter, FSU's offense looked completely demoralized. They finished the night averaging just 3.0 yards per play. You can’t win in the ACC—or against a top-10 Independent—with numbers like that.
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Surprising Stats from South Bend
- Time of Possession: FSU actually held the ball for over 33 minutes. Usually, that means you're winning. In this case, it just meant they were slowly moving 20 yards and then punting or turning it over.
- Rushing Dominance: Notre Dame averaged 6.3 yards per carry. Price and Leonard were basically finding gaping holes on every drive.
- Third Down Woes: FSU converted only 3 of 17 third-down attempts. That is a recipe for disaster.
What’s Next for Both Programs?
If you're an FSU fan, you're looking at a complete rebuild. The coaching staff changes were necessary, but the roster needs a massive infusion of talent through the portal and high school recruiting. The 2024 season was a historical outlier in all the wrong ways.
For Notre Dame, the FSU vs Notre Dame 2024 game was a stepping stone. It cemented their identity as a physical, run-first team with an elite defense. They proved they could handle the pressure of being a heavy favorite without slipping up.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Analysts:
- Watch the Coaching Hires: Keep a close eye on who Norvell brings in as the new coordinators. Their ability to recruit immediate-impact transfers will determine if 2025 is a bounce-back year or more of the same.
- Monitor Riley Leonard’s Draft Stock: His performance against FSU showed his dual-threat capability is NFL-ready, but scouts will still want to see more consistency in his intermediate passing game.
- Evaluate the Schedule: For those looking at future matchups, remember that the "prestige" of a name like FSU doesn't always match the current reality on the field. Betting lines or expectations based on 2023 were completely wrong for 2024.
The reality is that college football is more volatile than ever. One year you're at the top, the next you're losing by 49 in South Bend. This game wasn't just a score; it was a shift in the landscape.