Notre Dame controlled most of the action in the first quarter and limited Florida State's offense to 18 total yards and just one first down. The Irish, on the other hand, have been pretty successful at moving the football, though the red zone turnover troubles that have plagued them at times this season struck again.
Notre Dame's opening drive, an impressive 9-play, 74 yard march, ended when quarterback Tommy Rees threw an interception in the end zone. But the Irish defense responded by forcing a fumble on Florida State's subsequent drive and returning it for a touchdown.
The Irish ended the quarter by missing out on another scoring opportunity, this time via a missed field goal.
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