No. 10 Notre Dame routs Florida State 52-3 in largest margin of the rivalry
Riley Leonard accounted for three touchdowns and Notre Dame's defense recorded eight sacks as the Fighting Irish improved to 8-1 and evened the all-time series with Florida State at 6-6.
No. 10 Notre Dame defeated Florida State 52-3 at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana, on November 9, 2024, according to CBS Sports' game coverage. The win was the largest margin of victory in the all-time series between the two programs, and it evened the rivalry's overall record at 6-6.
Quarterback Riley Leonard passed for 215 yards and a touchdown while adding 70 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns, per CBS Sports. Running back Jadarian Price added 65 rushing yards and a touchdown of his own, and Notre Dame's defense recorded eight sacks for a combined loss of 81 yards. Linebacker Luke Talich returned an interception 79 yards for a touchdown in the final minutes. Florida State was held to 209 total yards of offense.
The coverage reviewed does not include full individual statistics for every Florida State player or a complete scoring-drive-by-drive breakdown beyond the highlights cited.
The context: a lopsided season collision
The rout came as Notre Dame pushed for College Football Playoff positioning at 8-1, while Florida State entered the game at 1-9, per CBS Sports' reporting. Florida State had a bye week before its next game, hosting Charleston Southern on November 23.
The framing: a coach citing preparation over margin
Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman attributed the result to his team's preparation regardless of the opponent's record, saying the Fighting Irish had "a mature group" that prepared appropriately despite facing a 1-9 Florida State team.
we've got a mature group
What it signals
A 49-point margin against a rival program, in a series that had previously been defined by close finishes, reflected less a single dominant performance than the wide gap in the two programs' 2024 trajectories — Notre Dame building a playoff case, Florida State already eliminated from postseason relevance well before November. Freeman's framing, crediting preparation rather than the scoreboard, was itself a signal that the staff wanted the result read as process validation rather than a statement game against a ranked opponent.
US In News compiled this archived account from contemporaneous coverage by CBS Sports. It restores a story originally published on this site in November 2024; figures are as reported at the time.