There was no better way than to launch the return of the legendary NDL than in the shadow of the Golden Dome! 2 storied programs with veteran NDL coaches took centerstage with the eyes of the NDL on them.
On the opening possession, Duke transfer QB Riley Leonard looked like the stage lights might be too bright. After a few unproductive runs, Riley took to the air and quickly learned that the Alabama defense is on another level than what he saw in the ACC. 6'2" JR LB Deontae Lawson sank perfectly into his zone and stole Leonard's attempted touch pass from the sky, giving the Alabama offense and early opportunity to take the lead and silence the rowdy Notre Dame faithful. But not to be outdone, Northwestern transfer S Rob Heard returned the favor, picking off Alabama QB Jalen Milroe. Notre Dame's offense couldn't muster much more against the stingy defense and settled for a 51 yard FG attempt that was horribly shanked.
Both defenses continued to pitch shutouts until 3:40 to go in the 2nd quarter, when HBs Jadarian Price and Jeremiyah Love both ripped off a few solid runs and TE Mitchell Evans reeled in a clutch 3rd down conversion to get Notre Dame into the red zone. With 1st and 10 from the 11, Riley Leonard turned the corner clean and with a lead blocker,, electing to keep the option, but CB Domani Jackson shedded his block and ripped the ball from Leonard's hands at the goalline and LB Keanu Koht fell on it. The Alabama drive stalled out again just before reaching midfield, leaving Leonard and the Irish offense just over a minute to go 80 yards after the punt. That's when things started to finally slow down for Leonard and he began hitting some wide receivers in stride, swiftly moving the ball down the field. But with under 8 seconds left, the Irish didn't risk running a final play to try to get the ball in from inside the 5 and opted for a timeout, allowing K Mitch Jeter to score the first points in a new era of the NDL and giving Notre Dame a 3-0 halftime lead.
The energy in historic Notre Dame stadium shifted, as LB Jaylen Sneed picked off Milroe on the opening drive. The Notre Dame offense immediately went to work with the HB Jeremiyah Love picking up a few nice runs and HB Jadarian Price putting the first TD of the new era in the books, with an 11 yard run up the middle. With a 10-0 lead, home field advantage quickly became a major hurdle and the Alabama offense continued to struggle to produce positive plays, as LB Jack Kiser was quick to clean up anything that got behind the DL trio of Rylie Mills, Howard Cross and RJ Oben.
Notre Dame picked up another FG, stretching the lead to 13-0 at the start of the 4th and another big time 3rd down reception by TE Mitchell Evans, led HB J. Love rumbling in for another Irish touchdown to go up 19-0. Feeling tentative about the 2pt opportunity, Coach Reign opted to kick the extra point, going up 20-0. As the quarter reached the mid-point, Jalen Milroe started to finally find some targets and work the ball up the field, until CB Ben Morrison picked him off with 1:30 on the clock and sealed any chance for comeback.. Notre Dame took home the victory 27-0.
Coach Reign: "The nerves were a major factor today for Coach USMarine and I. We talked before the game and agreed that we were both honored and also both pretty antsy about having the eyes of the NDL world on us tonight. It was a big advantage to us to have this game here in South Bend. I think it's a much different outcome in Tuscaloosa. Huge credit to them for being willing to put a quality team on their schedule, on the road, to open up the season. I think you're going to see a lot of growth out of that offense over the next few weeks. I have to imagine if we make the return trip to Alabama next season, that we're going to have our hands full! Tonight is a big weight off of both of our shoulders and now both programs can move on to the task ahead."
The Alabama Crimson Tide fell to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in a humbling 27-0 defeat at Notre Dame Stadium. In a game that quickly became a tale of two halves, the Tide's promising start unraveled into a nightmarish finish as they dropped to 0-2 on the season.
The first half was a defensive stalemate, with both teams struggling to find their rhythm. Alabama's defense, led by standout linebacker play, kept Notre Dame's potent offense in check. The Tide's secondary, however, was tested early and often, bending but not breaking until the final moments of the second quarter. A late field goal by Notre Dame put the Irish ahead 3-0 as the teams headed into the locker room.
The second half told a different story. Alabama's offense, which had shown flashes of potential in the first half, completely unraveled. Quarterback Jalen Milroe, under constant pressure from the Irish defensive line, threw four costly interceptions. Each turnover gave Notre Dame prime field position, and the Irish took full advantage, scoring 24 unanswered points in the second half.
Milroe's struggles were emblematic of Alabama's overall offensive woes. The Tide managed just 96 total yards of offense, with the running game stymied by a stout Irish front seven. Wide receivers struggled to create separation, and Milroe's interceptions—two of which came deep in Alabama's own territory—proved to be the nails in the coffin.
Head Coach Nick Saban Kalen Deboer was visibly frustrated postgame, emphasizing the need for improvement across the board. "We didn’t execute. Simple as that. We turned the ball over, didn’t protect the quarterback, and couldn’t sustain drives. We’ve got a lot of work to do."
With the loss, Alabama finds itself in unfamiliar territory at 0-2. The road ahead doesn’t get any easier, with matchups against Ole Miss and LSU looming. The Tide will need to regroup quickly if they hope to salvage their season and keep their SEC title hopes alive.
For now, however, the focus will be on cleaning up the mistakes that plagued them against Notre Dame. The Irish were the home team with a game plan, and the Tide, for the first time in years, had no answer.
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