Syracuse suffers historic 70–7 defeat as No. 9 Notre Dame overwhelms Orange in every phase

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Syracuse football has taken its share of lopsided losses, but nothing in the modern era looked — or felt — like what unfolded Saturday afternoon inside Notre Dame Stadium. The Orange fell 70–7 to No. 9 Notre Dame, a collapse so complete that it instantly entered the conversation among the worst defeats in the program’s 134-year history.

The Irish scored three touchdowns before their offense ever stepped onto the field, returned two interceptions for touchdowns, gashed Syracuse for 329 rushing yards and led 56–0 by halftime. 

When triple zeros struck, Notre Dame’s crowd was still on its feet, roaring through a postgame interview with star running back Jeremiyah Love as if the score were far closer than reality. For Syracuse, it served as both an atmosphere check and a painful reminder of how large the competitive gap remains.

Love finished with three touchdowns and 171 yards on just eight carries, delivering one of the most efficient, explosive performances any Syracuse defense has faced in decades. He sprung loose for scoring runs of 45, 14 and 68 yards, each time blowing past defenders who rarely slowed him down. Every touch felt threatening.

“Hats off to that running back. I think he’s the Heisman,” Syracuse head coach Fran Brown said. “What made it difficult? He’s the best running back in the country, right? So, I mean, I think it’s difficult for everyone to tackle him. Probably look worse with us today, but it’s just one guy making one guy miss, and he’s able to take it… his speed, his vision, his power, he runs strong, just a really good football player.”

The avalanche began immediately. On Syracuse’s second offensive snap of the afternoon, true-freshman quarterback Joe Filardi’s out-route was undercut and returned for a touchdown by Benjamin Morrison. Minutes later, a punt was blocked and returned for another score. And on the next possession, another interception floated into Irish hands and went back for six. With 10:41 left in the first quarter, Notre Dame led 21–0 without having run a single offensive play.

“You know, we threw two interceptions and it was a blocked punt. So it was 21 points before the defense even got on the football field,” Brown said.

From there, Syracuse unraveled. Filardi was thrown into a nightmare from the opening whistle and never found room to breathe behind an overwhelmed offensive line. 

He finished 14-for-26 for 83 yards with three interceptions — including one pick-six that was erased by a roughing-the-passer penalty. Syracuse didn’t cross midfield until the 10:50 mark of the second quarter and went into halftime with just 16 total yards.

Filardi said Brown’s message remained steady throughout the afternoon.

“He just says, stay focused. Just keep your head in the game. Just keep battling,” Filardi said. “There’s 60 minutes in a game, so obviously, every rep means a lot, especially for me as a true freshman… Every rep counts for me.”

But Notre Dame’s offense — once it finally took the field — ensured the score kept ballooning. 

Love’s first-quarter touchdown runs ripped open Syracuse’s front seven, and his 68-yarder on the opening snap of the third quarter made it 63–0.

Even the Irish backups continued to pile on. Quarterback Kenny Minchey raced for a 25-yard touchdown, the first of his college career, to push the lead to 70–0.

The environment never wavered. Students stayed long after the game was decided, many shirtless in 40-degree weather, creating a surreal contrast to Syracuse’s frustration on the visiting sideline. When Love was interviewed postgame, the stadium erupted with chants of heisman — a rare scene in a 63-point win and a reminder of what a polished, playoff-caliber team looks like operating at full throttle.

Brown acknowledged that contrast directly.

“I just told them, that’s what I’m coaching you guys for our football team to look like,” Brown said. “That’s the character, the way they played, all the things they do… I think they’re a really good football team.”

The final margin carried statistical weight. Syracuse has surrendered 70 or more points only a handful of times ever. The modern high for points allowed remains the 76 given up to Pitt in 2016. The all-time worst loss, a 75–0 defeat to Union in 1891, briefly seemed in jeopardy as Notre Dame continued scoring into the fourth quarter.

This defeat marked Syracuse’s fourth-largest loss in program history and its worst since a 66-0 blowout against Union in 1893.

Syracuse’s lone touchdown came with seven seconds remaining, avoiding what would have been the Orange’s first shutout since 2016. For a roster built heavily around freshmen, Filardi said that the final drive still mattered.

“We could definitely take something from that,” he said. “Definitely could build off that, since we’re all young, and just keep getting better.”

Syracuse returns home next weekend to face Boston College in the regular-season finale, searching for something — anything — to stabilize a season that reached its lowest point in South Bend.