Irish dominance in the series faces its toughest test yet. Discover the captivating clashes and pivotal moments defining Notre Dame's rivalry with Syracuse.
Notre Dame and Syracuse meet on Saturday in South Bend in what is always an emotional Senior Day. Since the 0-2 start, Notre Dame has won 8 straight games by double digits, outscoring opponents by 195 points over that span. The Fighting Irish are likely to secure a second consecutive CFP berth with impressive wins over Syracuse and then Stanford in the season finale.
SERIES HISTORY
Notre Dame and Syracuse have met 11 times previously, with the Irish holding an 8-3 advantage in the series. The Fighting Irish have won 5 straight games in the series since a brutal 24-23 loss to the Orange on Senior Day in 2008. Brian Kelly won all 4 matchups with the Orange, though Marcus Freeman did something in his first matchup that Kelly never had to do – win on the road in the JMA Wireless Dome.
Of course, as Irish fans are well aware, Notre Dame graduate transfer Steve Angeli started the first 4 games of the 2025 season for the Orange as they raced out to a 3-1 record, including a win at Clemson. Angeli led the nation in passing yards through 4 games but unfortunately suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in the second half of the Clemson game. The Orange have not won since, and are averaging just 11.7 PPG without Angeli, compared to 38.3 PPG with him at the helm.
SERIES RESULTS
2022 – Notre Dame 42, Syracuse 24 (Away)
2020 – Notre Dame 45, Syracuse 21 (Home)
2018 – Notre Dame 36, Syracuse 3 (Neutral – Bronx, NY)
2016 – Notre Dame 50, Syracuse 33 (Neutral – East Rutherford, NJ)
2014 – Notre Dame 31, Syracuse 15 (Neutral – East Rutherford, NJ)
2008 – Syracuse 24, Notre Dame 23 (Home)
2005 – Notre Dame 34, Syracuse 10 (Home)
2003 – Syracuse 38, Notre Dame 12 (Away)
1963 – Syracuse 14, Notre Dame 7 (Neutral – Bronx, NY)
1961 – Notre Dame 17, Syracuse 15 (Home)
1914 – Notre Dame 20, Syracuse 0 (Away)
NOTABLE GAMES
2020 – Notre Dame 42, Syracuse 24
Notre Dame wrapped up a perfect 10-0 regular season – its only as a full ACC member – with a 45-21 win over Syracuse in the season finale. The Irish were sloppy at times, but still put up over 500 yards of total offense. Ian Book threw for 285 yards and 3 TDs, all to Javon McKinley, while also adding another 3 scores on the ground, and RBs Kyren Williams and Chris Tyree each went over 100 yards. Tyree did most of his damage with a 94-yard burst, one of the longest touchdown runs in Notre Dame history. After a bye, Notre Dame lost 34-10 in a rematch with Clemson in the ACC Championship game yet still earned the program’s second CFP berth, where the Irish would lose to Alabama.
2018 – Notre Dame 36, Syracuse 3
Wearing pinstripe jerseys paying homage to the New York Yankees in a matchup with 12th-ranked Syracuse at Yankee Stadium, 3rd-ranked Notre Dame moved to 11-0 with a dominating 36-3 win over the Orange. Syracuse came into the game with a high-flying offense, but the Irish defense set the tone early by forcing a three-and-out on the first Syracuse possession and intercepting Eric Dungey on the second. Dungey was knocked out of the game late in the first quarter, and the Orange offense never had a chance to get rolling under backup QB Tommy DeVito. Notre Dame held Syracuse to just 234 yards and forced 3 turnovers, giving Ian Book (who threw for 292 yards and 2 TDs) plenty of cushion. Notre Dame beat USC 24-17 in the season finale, earning the Fighting Irish their first-ever berth in the College Football Playoff.
2016 – Notre Dame 50, Syracuse 33
In the first game since Brian Van Gorder was fired following the embarrassing loss to Duke in Notre Dame Stadium the previous weekend, Notre Dame defeated Syracuse 50-33 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ. The Notre Dame defense didn’t play much better under interim coordinator Greg Hudson, though they did pick up their first sack of the season (in Game 5). However, DeShone Kizer was unstoppable, throwing for 471 yards and 3 TDs, with 2 going to Equanimeous St. Brown, who had 182 yards receiving on just 4 catches. Unfortunately, any momentum from the Syracuse win was destroyed the next week when the Irish completed just 9-26 passes in a hurricane in a 10-3 loss to NC State.
2014 – Notre Dame 31, Syracuse 15
Notre Dame moved to 4-0 with a 31-15 victory over Syracuse at the new MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ. Perhaps no better game better encapsulated the career of QB Everett Golson – so talented, yet so inconsistent. Golson threw two interceptions and also lost two fumbles, yet also finished with 362 passing yards, 4 touchdowns, and set the Notre Dame record for the most consecutive completions with 25, 1 short of the FBS record. Golson’s favorite target was Will Fuller, who finished with 119 yards receiving and 2 touchdowns. Corey Robinson and Torii Hunter Jr. also added touchdown receptions in the victory. Notre Dame would beat Stanford and North Carolina the next two weeks, vaulting the Irish into the top-five before the heartbreaking loss at Florida State that sent the 2014 season into a tailspin.
2008 – Syracuse 24, Notre Dame 23
Notre Dame lost as a 19.5-point favorite to a 2-8 Syracuse team that had already fired head coach Greg Robinson in what senior Maurice Crum Jr. called “the worst loss of his career”. The Fighting Irish blew a 23-10 fourth quarter lead on a snowy Senior Day, and it was Syracuse QB Cameron Dantley, the son of Notre Dame basketball legend Adrian Dantley, who threw the winning touchdown pass with 42 seconds remaining. The game is most remembered for Notre Dame students throwing snowballs at the Notre Dame players in an ugly scene, and the Irish players heard plenty of boos leaving the field. Somehow, despite the weather and negative energy in the stadium, Notre Dame still managed to impress an important visitor that day from Hawaii – linebacker Manti Te’o, who would surprise the country with his commitment to Notre Dame a couple months later and be the catalyst for the 2012 team that returned the program to glory.
2005 – Notre Dame 34, Syracuse 10
Sixth-ranked Notre Dame hosted Syracuse on Senior Day, and behind 270 passing yards from Brady Quinn and 123 rushing yards from Darius Walker, the Irish cruised to a 34-10 victory. With the win, Notre Dame moved to 8-2 and extended its winning streak after the “Bush Push” loss to USC to 4 games. Notre Dame would defeat Stanford 38-31 in the season finale behind 432 passing yards from Quinn to secure a Fiesta Bowl berth.
1961 – Notre Dame 17, Syracuse 15
Syracuse was a dominant program in the late 1950s and early 1960s and entered the 1961 game in Notre Dame Stadium ranked 10th in the country to face a scuffling 4-3 Fighting Irish team. The Orange were led by Ernie “The Express” Davis, who would go on to be the first African-American recipient of the Heisman Trophy that season. Notre Dame led 14-0 before Syracuse scored 2 second half touchdowns to take a 15-14 lead. However, the Fighting Irish had one final chance when they got the ball back with 17 seconds left and quickly maneuvered into position for a 56-yard field goal. Kicker Joe Perkowski missed badly, but a controversial roughing the holder penalty gave Notre Dame another chance from 41 yards. Perkowski made the kick, lifting Notre Dame to the 17-15 victory.
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