Notre Dame dominates Syracuse at Yankee Stadium

Notre Dame this time had no need for anything like the “Win one for the Gipper” speech that Knute Rockne delivered at Yankee Stadium exactly 90 years and one week earlier. On this trip to the Bronx, the Fighting Irish squad didn’t require inspiring words, it evoked them.

“That is a doggone good football team,” Syracuse coach Dino Babers said after his own accomplished team was totally overwhelmed by Notre Dame, 36-3. He added that the third-ranked Irish were similar to No. 2 Clemson, which beat Syracuse in a close game earlier this season. “Notre Dame is better than people think they are.”

Who knows what to think after what Notre Dame’s players did at the Stadium on Saturday afternoon, especially on defense. Not until the final 10 seconds did Syracuse get on the scoreboard. The Irish are 11-0 and took a major step toward the College Football Playoff, needing only a win over USC on Saturday to complete an undefeated regular season. Maybe college football cognoscenti will be more willing to mention Notre Dame in the same breath as Alabama and Clemson.

“We’re not interested in being compared,” winning coach Brian Kelly said. “All we want to do is play our best football. We’re playing really, really well, especially on defense.”

Kelly began his news conference by noting his team is 3-0 all-time in the new Yankee Stadium. “Each time we come back, it’s a great experience for our football team. We’re treated great here,” he said. “And we hold up our end by playing and winning.”

A sellout crowd of 48,104 was on hand to see the highest-rated — Syracuse is No. 12 — college football matchup in New York City since No. 5 Army and No. 6 Illinois played a scoreless tie at Yankee Stadium in 1946. Notre Dame, which chose to move its home game here, did all it could to meld its traditions with those of the Yankees. The players wore Yankees blue helmets and pinstripe pants. At halftime, the Notre Dame marching band played Stadium staples “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” “New York, New York” and “God Bless America.”

It was not hard to conjure echoes of Notre Dame’s previous glory in the Bronx, including the Rockne-fueled 1928 win over Army. This time, it looked more like the 1998 Yankees against the 1962 Mets. And Syracuse (8-3) is no slouch, having scored 50 or more points five times this season.

“They turned the game from chess to checkers,” Babers said of the ease with which Notre Dame stifled starting quarterback Eric Dungey, who was injured in the first quarter, and replacement Tommy DeVito. In a signature play late in the second quarter, Notre Dame free safety Alohi Gilman broke up a pass to Taj Harris with a hard hit that knocked the ball loose and Gilman scooped it up for an interception that he returned 54 yards.

That occurred after the Orange had built some momentum with a clutch end zone interception by Andre Cisco of Valley Stream, who used to play at St. Anthony’s High School.

The interception, on a pass from the 1-yard line, was the only one allowed by Irish quarterback Ian Book, returning from a rib injury. Book continued his storybook ascent from understudy to star by going 23-for-37 for 292 yards and two touchdowns.

“I’ll probably never forget the picture of walking into the Stadium. It’s such a historical ballpark with two historical brands,” Book said, referring to the Irish and the Yankees. “Just being able to make this happen was awesome. I’ll probably never forget this night, ever.”

Chase Claypool of Abbotsford, British Columbia, who caught Book’s second scoring pass, said he was excited, adding: “Back home in Canada, we don’t put out too big on baseball. I can only imagine what it could feel like for some of these other guys.”

It just would have been great to throw a shutout. Notre Dame’s fans booed when Syracuse chose to kick rather than try for a touchdown with 15 seconds left.

“The score will speak for itself. We’re a tough team,” Notre Dame defensive back Julian Love said. “It was a good kick by the kicker he made it. That’s a great statement game for us.”

Not that anyone will be quoting it in a movie, as they did with Rockne. It’s all fine for this year’s Fighting Irish.

“This game definitely showed what kind of potential we have as a defense,” Gilman said. “That’s our statement today.”