Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love didn’t just have a great game in Week 14, he delivered a performance that rewrote the script for the weekend. On eight carries he exploded for 171 rushing yards and three touchdowns, turning limited touches into relentless momentum and forcing every broadcast mic to ask the same question: who is this guy?
Game summary
Love’s night was the kind of efficiency that makes coaches smile and defenses wince. Each touch carried immediate threat: long gains that flipped field position, sudden bursts that ended drives, and three scores that arrived in different flavors, a between-the-tackles power surge, a boundary sprint that left defenders grasping at air, and a decisive cutback that exposed angles and pursuit mistakes. Those eight carries averaged over 21 yards per attempt, a number that reads like a highlight reel and played like a season-defining statement.
Why Love earned the honor
What separated Love from the rest of the Week 14 standouts was impact over volume. He didn’t need 20 carries to change the game; he needed one. Notre Dame’s offense gained an identity every time he touched the ball: sudden, explosive, and impossible to ignore. The three touchdowns weren’t just points on the board, each one shifted momentum, altered play-calling, and forced the opponent to rethink its entire defensive approach. That combination of explosive efficiency, game-altering scoring, and a national spotlight is exactly what the Impact HVAC award looks for.
Heisman implications
This performance does more than win a weekly award, it builds a résumé. Love’s candidacy isn’t built on volume or gaudy counting stats; it’s built on the kind of efficiency that breaks defenses and headlines. After several near-misses for weekly honors this season, Week 14 gave him the signature moment voters notice. If Notre Dame keeps winning and Love keeps producing in high-leverage moments, his name moves from dark-horse chatter to legitimate contender status for the Heisman trophy.
Players who just missed
Week 14 was stacked. A quick look at the runners-up shows why Love’s outing was so special:
Drew Mestemaker, QB, North Texas - 19-23; 469 yards; 3 TDs. Surgical and explosive through the air.
Ja’Kyrian Turner, RB, Pitt - 21 carries; 201 yards; 1 TD. An explosive ground game.
Joe Jackson, RB, Kansas State - 24 carries; 293 yards; 3 TDs. A monster workload and massive output.
Caden Curry, Edge, Ohio State - 6 tackles; 2 sacks; forced fumble; fumble recovery. A defensive game-changer.
Wyatt Young, WR, North Texas - 8 receptions; 295 yards; 2 TDs. Pure deep-threat production.
Week 14 delivered fireworks across conferences, but Jeremiyah Love’s night was the kind of efficient, explosive, and momentum-shifting performance that defines awards and alters narratives. Eight carries, 171 yards, three touchdowns, another impressive game that adds to his Heisman résumé.
(photo courtesy of South Bend Tribune)