Notre Dame pulls away for impressive win after Army holds down the fort early at Yankee Stadium

Jeremiyah Love basked in both his accomplishment and the congratulatory screams and shouts of his teammates.

Moments earlier, the sophomore running back had taken a handoff from Riley Leonard, accelerated through a hole and sprinted 68 yards into the end zone.

One hundred years, one month and five days later — or, for the exacting, 36,561 days — the descendants found the proper way to pay homage to their forefathers.

By doing what their ancestors did so long ago:

Beating their forever rival.

No. 6 Notre Dame reinforced its claim for a berth in the College Football Playoff by routing previously unbeaten No. 19 Army, 49-14, on Saturday night at Yankee Stadium.

“We’re just coming out every week trying to reach our full potential,” Love said. “The job is not finished at all.”

In what was a mostly complete performance, the Fighting Irish (10-1) rolled up 464 yards of total offense against Army (9-1), which entered the contest allowing 10.3 points per game, which was tied with Ohio State for the fewest in the nation.

Notre Dame finished with 275 yards on the ground and five rushing touchdowns. Love ran for 130 yards and two touchdowns on seven carries. Jadarian Price added 53 yards and two scores on 10 carries. Aneyas Williams recorded 62 yards and a touchdown on three carries.

They weren’t the Four Horsemen, but the triumvirate more than sufficed.

The nationally televised prime-time showcase was the centerpiece of Notre Dame’s centennial celebration of the school’s 13-7 win over Army at the Polo Grounds on Oct. 18, 1924.

What took place over the course of three hours in the ballyard in the Bronx on a clear, cool night bore little resemblance to the epochal matchup at the Polo Grounds.

Because, in part, the forward pass was utilized, particularly by the Irish, as Leonard threw touchdown passes of 28 yards to Jordan Faison and 6 yards to Love on Notre Dame’s first two possessions of the game.

“Proud of this performance,” Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman said. “We knew we were preparing for a really good opponent and the preparation this week was really good.”

Leonard completed 9 of 11 passes for 130 yards and the two scores in the first half. The senior finished the game 10-for-13 for 148 yards and two touchdowns before being replaced by sophomore Steve Angeli late in the third quarter.

Angeli was 4-for-5 for 41 yards.

The Black Knights cut the deficit to 14-7 early in the second quarter on quarterback Bryson Daily’s 4-yard touchdown run, and when Army stopped Love on fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line on the ensuing possession, a murmur rumbled among the partisan crowd.

Could the visiting Black Knights — Notre Dame was the home team for this game — pull the upset?

The Irish answered the question definitively by forcing Army into a three-and-out and, when they regained possession of the ball, Love atoned with a 14-yard touchdown jaunt, the culmination of Notre Dame’s three-play, 41-yard drive.

Price’s 2-yard touchdown run with 26 seconds remaining sent the Irish into halftime with a 28-7 lead.

Notre Dame had a virtually insurmountable advantage. So with the result essentially accounted for, it was time for the Irish to do some resume-building and statement-making ahead of the playoff games they hope to find themselves in.

And on the first play from scrimmage in the second half, Love began and finished his 68-yard expedition through Army’s defense. That was bookended by Price’s 10-yard touchdown run at the end of the third quarter that stretched Notre Dame’s lead to 42-7.

Williams’ 58-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter ballooned the Irish’s advantage to 49-7. Daily’s 1-yard touchdown plunge with 22 seconds left ended the scoring.

Daily accounted for 139 of Army’s 207 rushing yards. He also completed 4 of 8 passes for 26 yards. The Black Knights totaled 233 yards of offense.

Notre Dame kicker Mitch Jeter missed a 48-yard field goal at the end of the first half and had his 30-yard attempt midway through the third blocked.