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Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love set the College Football Playoff record with a 98-yard TD run against Indiana in the first-round win

Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love set the College Football Playoff record with a 98-yard TD run against Indiana in the first-round win

The first game of the 12-team College Football Playoff got off to a wild start.

Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love ran 98 yards in the first quarter in a dominant 27-17 Irish victory on Friday, and that came just one play after Indiana QB Kurtis Rourke threw an interception. Love’s run was the longest in school history as he became the first player to reach the end zone in the expanded playoffs.

Shortly before his run, Xavier Watts caught Rourke with an ill-advised throw. Rourke’s pass came right after Indiana WR Elijah Sarratt made a fantastic catch down the sideline on third down. As Indiana rushed to the line of scrimmage to ensure there was no replay of Sarratt’s catch, ESPN had to cancel the replay of the grab.

Indiana had the ball after Notre Dame’s Riley Leonard intercepted Notre Dame’s second offensive play of the game.

The run gave Love over 1,000 yards rushing this season. He entered Friday night’s game with 134 carries for 949 yards and 15 rushing TDs. His carry is also the longest run in College Football Playoff history. That record had stood since the first weekend of the four-team playoffs, when Ezekiel Elliott ran for 85 yards against Alabama in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1, 2015.

With its win, Notre Dame advanced to the quarterfinals and will face No. 2 Georgia in the Sugar Bowl on January 1st.

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