Based on how dominant Notre Dame was in the first half against Virginia, it was somewhat understandable if they chose to relax. That was evidenced by the fact that the first drive of the second half ended with Riley Leonard throwing an interception. But the third quarter still ended with a 35-7 Irish lead.

While Colandrea floundered, senior quarterback Riley Leonard was a dual-threat star for Notre Dame. Leonard made plays all day, which gave way for the Fighting Irish rushing game to succeed as well. In the end,

Notre Dame’s 52-3 victory — the largest in a rivalry highlighted by down-to-the-wire finishes — evened the series at 6-6 as the Seminoles fell to 1-9.

Riley Leonard passed for three touchdowns and Jeremiyah Love ran for two more in Notre Dame's eighth straight win.

A disastrous first half with ball security doomed Virginia (5-5) to a 35-14 loss on the road at No. 8 Notre Dame (9-1) on Saturday evening at Notre Dame Stadium. Here are five key takeaways from the Cavaliers' defeat to the Fighting Irish.