INDIANAPOLIS - No. 7 Notre Dame was in control from start to finish and beat No. 10 Indiana 27-17 in the first round of the College Football Playoff on Friday night in South Bend.
The teams traded interceptions at the beginning of the game, before Jeremiyah Love broke free for a 98-yard touchdown to put the Fighting Irish on top, 7-0.
Notre Dame added another touchdown on their next possession as Riley Leonard found Jayden Thomas for a five-yard score to make it 14-0.
The teams exchanged field goals to make the score 17-3 at halftime.
The Fighting Irish added a field goal in the third quarter before taking a 27-3 lead in the fourth on a Leonard one-yard run.
The Hoosiers made the score respectable with two late touchdowns. Kurtis Rourke connected with Myles Price for a seven-yard TD, then Elijah Sarratt for the two-point conversion to make it 27-11. Rourke hit Omar Cooper Jr. for a 23-yard touchdown to provide the final margin.
The victory is Notre Dame's first College Football Playoff win in the school's third trip to the CFP. The Fighting Irish advance to the quarterfinals to take on No. 2 Georgia in the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans on Jan. 1.
The loss ends a historic season for Indiana and first-year head coach Curt Cignetti. The Hoosiers won 11 games, including eight in the Big Ten for the first time in program history.