Notre Dame got revenge on Louisville in a hard-fought battle in South Bend Saturday afternoon. This game was not pretty, it was not a work of art, it will not be remembered as some instant classic, but it was a critically important game for Freeman and Notre Dame.

Notre Dame is 3-1. Notre Dame opened the season with a 23-13 victory over Texas A&M in College State, Texas, before falling in its home opener to Mid-American Conference school Northern Illinois, 16-14, in a stunner for the Irish. The Irish bounced back with a 66-7 victory at Purdue and then dispatched Miami (Ohio), 28-3, last weekend at home.

Riley Leonard threw two touchdown passes and ran for another, and No. 16 Notre Dame capitalized on No. 15 Louisville’s first three turnovers of the season to hold on for a 31-24 victory Saturday.