Hoosiers fail under the lights against as Notre Dame defeat Indiana 27-17 in College Football Playoff

In the first ever College Football Playoff hosted by a school Notre Dame dominated the Indiana Hoosiers with 27-17 victory at home in frigid temperatures in South Bend at Notre Dame stadium.

The ball game began with turnovers by each team. A interception on a tipped ball caused by pressure from James Carpenter and picked off by D'Angelo Ponds. But on the next drive senior quarterback Kurtis Rourke threw an interception to star safety Xavier Watts.

The next drive after that was a bang play by star Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love opened the drive with a 98-yard rushing touchdown. From that moment on, the Fighting Irish controlled the game from start to finish with a final score that didn't give the Fighting Irish's dominance justice.

The Indiana offense and quarterback Kurtis Rourke didn't hold up and do thre defense any favors. IU's offense looked horrible and flat all game, failing to show efficiency and power they rolled out throughout the year. Indiana trailed Notre Dame 17-3, at halftime and were down even more, 27-3 late in the fourth quarter before scoring two touchdowns late, one after a recovered onside kick with just under a minute left.

Fifth year senior and Duke transfer Riley Leonard was the player of the game and showed why the transfer portal worked in his favor this off-season. The Mobile (Alabama) native was 23 of 32 with 201 yards and one touchdown through the air. He also added a 1 yard rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter breaking Notre Dame’s season record by a quarterback, previously held by Brandon Wimbush with 15.

Jeremiyah Love finished with eight carries for 108 yards and leading receiver Jordan Faison caught seven passes for 89 yards.

Here's what Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman had to say about the win at home:

"We've been in the playoffs since Week 3," Freeman said, alluding to their postseason hopes following the stunning loss to Northern Illinois. "Every game we play is a version of a playoff game in our minds. We have to continue to understand that you don't have any more added pressure than you've had the previous 10."

The loss ends Indiana’s stunning turnaround season with an 11-2 record — the highest win total in school history but still four victories shy of the ultimate goal of a national championship.

As for Notre Dame, the Fighting Irish advance to the quarterfinals of the CFP, where the Irish will meet No. 2 seed Georgia in the Sugar Bowl on New Year’s Day at 8:45pm E.T. The Georgia Bulldogs are 3-0 all-time against Notre Dame, but starting senior quarterback Carson Beck is highly unlikely to play for the Bulldogs after injuring his elbow in the SEC championship game, ESPN reports. Former five-star sophomore Gunnar Stockon is expected to start.