Miami vs. Notre Dame 2012 reaction: Offense and defense both impressive in 41-3 win

A dominant rushing game and defense helped the No. 9 Notre Dame Fighting Irish move to 5-0 with a 41-3 win against the Miami Hurricanes on Saturday.

Eric Murtaugh of Notre Dame blog One Foot Down posted some thoughts on the game, in handy bullet-point form:

• 34 first downs for the Irish.
• 376 yards rushing at 7.4 per carry, plus 5 rushing touchdowns.
• Just one punt.
• Paradoxical Brian Kelly showing up again with 39:08 in time of possession.
• Cierre Wood (118) and George Atkinson (127) both over the century mark rushing.
• Golson completed 77.2 percent of his passes.
• The second half saw just four possessions for the Irish---all touchdowns.

The win, combined with losses by LSU, Georgia and Florida State, helped the Irish move up to No. 7 in Sunday's AP Top 25 Poll.

College Football Rankings, Week 7: Notre Dame moves to No. 7, Northwestern drops out

Notre Dame remained undefeated and moved up to No. 7 in the AP Top 25.

Miami vs. Notre Dame final score: Fighting Irish defeat Hurricanes 41-3

The No. 9 Notre Dame Fighting Irish have moved to 5-0 after blowing out the Miami Hurricanes 41-3 on Saturday night at Soldier Field.

The game began with some controversy, as Notre Dame quarterback Everett Golson was benched for violating team rules. But Golson would quickly replace starter Tommy Rees in the first quarter, and there would be little controversy the rest of the night.

After building a 13-3 halftime lead, Notre Dame blew things open in the third quarter, scoring three touchdowns in the frame thanks mostly to a dominant rushing attack. The Fighting Irish finished with 379 yards rushing on 52 carries, good for a 7.3 average. Running backs George Atkinson III and Cierre Wood led the way with 123 and 117 yards on the ground, respectively.

Miami had several chances to grab momentum early, but they dropped passes and committed boneheaded penalties that derailed their efforts. And once Notre Dame's vaunted defense found their groove, they snuffed out any chances of a comeback.

Miami fell to 4-2 with the loss.

Box Score Hero: Although Golson failed to account for any touchdowns, he set the tone immediately upon replacing Rees. Golson finished the game 17-of-22 passing for 186 yards and also had 51 yards rushing on six carries.

Rankings Ramifications: Notre Dame came into the game ranked No. 9 in the AP Top 25. With No. 4 LSU and No. 5 Georgia losing, the Fighting Irish stand to move up a few spots. Miami had received a handful of votes in the poll, which they may lose thanks to this blowout.

But Did They Cover?: Notre Dame easily covered the 14.5 spread made by BOVADA. The over/under according to BOVADA was 55 points, so this game went under.

For More On This Game: Check out the Notre Dame blog One Foot Down. For more on Miami, check out The 7th Floor.

Next Week's Schedule: Notre Dame will host Stanford. Miami will host North Carolina.

This story originally appeared at SB Nation.

Miami vs. Notre Dame score: Fighting Irish blowing out Hurricanes heading into 4th quarter

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are well on their way to a 5-0 start, as they are crushing the Miami Hurricanes 34-3 after three quarters at Soldier Field.

Notre Dame's offense kicked into high gear in the third quarter, scoring twice on touchdown drives over 80 yards and three times overall. Quarterback Everett Golson continued his strong play from the first half, but it was running back Cierre Wood who did much of the damage in the third. Wood tallied two scores and has racked up 117 yards on 18 carries. George Atkinson III added a 55-yard touchdown scamper late in the quarter.

For the game, Notre Dame has totaled 28 first downs and 492 yards of offense. Thanks to the trio of Golson, Wood and Atkinson III, 306 of those yards have come on the ground. The Fighting Irish are averaging 7.7 yards per carry.

Because of the success of the Notre Dame offense, the defense has been able to stay fresh. There were a few defensive errors early, but Miami was unable to capitalize. And as the game has gone on, the Fighting Irish defense has found a groove and continued its dominant ways.

Miami vs. Notre Dame score: Fighting Irish hold 13-3 lead at halftime

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish have jumped out to a 13-3 halftime lead over the Miami Hurricanes, thanks to a combination of solid defense, Miami miscues and Everett Golson precision.

Golson, who was benched to start the game in favor of Tommy Rees due to violating team rules, accounted for 204 of Notre Dame's 263 total yards of offense. Golson was 15-of-20 passing for 153 yards and chipped in 51 yards on the ground.

Notre Dame held the ball for a majority of the first half, racking up nearly 19 minutes in time of possession. The Fighting Irish had two drives over six minutes that ultimately ended up in two field goals. Another long drive late in the first half resulted in a missed goal with time expiring.

Not getting more out of those long drives may come back to haunt Notre Dame, but the Fighting Irish will have nothing to worry about if their defense continues its solid play and Miami keeps shooting itself in the foot. Notre Dame's vaunted defense has played fairly well, but key mistakes by Miami has contributed to the score thus far.

Miami vs. Notre Dame score: Fighting Irish lead Hurricanes 7-3 after 1st quarter

The No. 9 Notre Dame Fighting Irish have taken advantage of a litany of Miami Hurricane errors en route to a 7-3 lead after the first quarter of Saturday night's game at Soldier Field.

Miami had a chance to take a quick lead on the first play of the game when wide receiver Phillip Dorsett broke free behind the Notre Dame secondary. However, Dorsett let the ball bounce right off his pads. Several plays later, Dorsett dropped another deep pass in the end zone, killing the Hurricanes' drive.

On the ensuing Notre Dame possession, the Fighting Irish appeared on the verge of going three-and-out before a roughing the punter penalty kept the drive alive. Reportedly suspended quarterback Everett Golson was apparently just benched, as he quickly replaced starter Tommy Rees after the penalty.

Golson, with the help of another personal foul penalty on Miami, quickly moved Notre Dame down the field. A 10-play, 88-yard touchdown drive was capped off by a one-yard rush by running back Theo Riddick.

Golson finished the first quarter 6-of-6 for 76 yards passing and also added 45 yards on the ground.

Everett Golson suspended: Notre Dame starts Tommy Rees at QB

Tommy Rees will see action in his third game for Notre Dame, but will be the starter this time around, as Everett Golson has been suspended for violating team policy.

Miami Vs. Notre Dame 2012: TV schedule, game time, spread and more

The Hurricanes head to Chicago in one of the best games of the weekend.

Notre Dame vs. Miami: Current players know little about rivalry's heyday

The 'Catholics vs. Convicts' rivalry has died down since 1988 and many of the players now have little knowledge of that rivalry.

Notre Dame football: Louis Nix keeps Irish light

Notre Dame defensive tackle Louis Nix, star of his own You Tube "Chocolate News" series, is making plays on the field and keeping his teammates relaxed off the field.

Notre Dame vs. Miami preview: Thoughts and mean things by a Catholic and a Convict

Z.W. Martin and Paige discuss the upcoming Notre Dame vs. Miami (FL) game on Saturday. A boy. A girl. A Catholic. A Convict. Things get heated. Also, informative.

Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly buys into the Manti Te'o Heisman hype

Fighting Irish head coach Brian Kelly is not shying away from the Heisman talk surrounding linebacker Manti Te'o.

Notre Dame vs. Miami: Fighting Irish look to continue strong start

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish look to continue their impressive start to the season against the Miami Hurricanes on Saturday. Notre Dame's staunch defense has been instrumental in their 4-0 start.

Notre Dame vs. Miami: No. 9 Fighting Irish meet the Hurricanes Saturday at Soldier Field

The Fighting Irish of Notre Dame meet the Miami Hurricanes Saturday at Soldier Field in Chicago, IL, reviving the decades old "Catholics versus Convicts" rivalry