SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Leonard Moore had two of Notre Dame's four interceptions in his return from injury and the 21st-ranked Fighting Irish beat Boise State 28-7 on Saturday.
CJ Carr was 15-of-23 passing for 189 yards and threw touchdowns to Will Pauling and Malachi Fields.
Moore, a preseason All-America selection at cornerback, missed Notre Dame’s previous two games with a high ankle sprain. Tae Johnson and Luke Talich had the other two interceptions for the Fighting Irish (3-2).
Notre Dame star running back Jeremiyah Love briefly left the game in the first half, but returned and finished with 103 yards rushing and a 4-yard TD run. Jadarian Price rushed for 83 yards and scored on a 49-yard run.
Notre Dame's four picks matched the Fighting Irish total through its first four games.
“To think where that defense was and how they felt two weeks ago, so after week two, A&M, after week three versus Purdue, to think about how … it was a low point for us all," said Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman, whose team led the nation in takeaways (33) last season.
“And to see the way (the Notre Dame defense) stayed committed, stayed together. They worked tirelessly to come up with a better output. And I’m so proud of them. They worked hard.”
Moore had three career interceptions entering Saturday's game.
“It comes down to technique and practice reps,” Moore said of the interceptions. “It definitely feels good. Seeing anybody get an interception on the team unites the team.
“I feel like we’re just getting our identity, going out there and playing fast, playing violent,” Moore said of the improvement by the Notre Dame defense.
Maddux Madsen, who threw the four picks, scored the lone touchdown for Boise State (3-2) on a 1-yard plunge in the second quarter.
“Early on, we got explosive plays given up on defense,” Boise State coach Spencer Danielson said. “Offensively, we were moving the ball very similar to South Florida (a 34-7 loss), but we shot ourselves in the foot. We get explosive plays, get a penalty. We had four turnovers … you can’t beat hardly any team when you have four turnovers and they have none.”
This was the first football game between Boise State and Notre Dame. The Broncos rank No. 1 in all-time winning percentage in the FBS (76.7%) and the Fighting Irish rank No. 5 (72.5%). Both schools qualified for the College Football Playoff last season, making this matchup the third time two returning CFP participants played the following season in a nonconference game.
Notre Dame’s defense took heat in its first three games for allowing 32.7 points a game. In their last two, the Fighting Irish have held their opponents to 13 points (Arkansas) and now seven.
Notre Dame: The Fighting Irish defense slowed down what had been a high-octane Broncos offense in their past three games. Despite this, the Irish probably will not see much improvement in the AP poll this week.
Boise State: The Broncos hurt themselves with double-digit penalties. They racked up 13 penalties for 112 yards.
Notre Dame hosts N.C. State next Saturday.
Boise State hosts New Mexico next Saturday.
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Boise State wide receiver Latrell Caples (3) rushes against Notre Dame's Jalen Stroman (7) after catching a pass during the first quarter of an NCAA football game Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, in South Bend, Ind. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)
PARIS (AP) — Ukraine on Monday signed a letter of intent to buy up to 100 Rafale warplanes from France, the Ukrainian Embassy and the French president’s office said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and French President Emmanuel Macron signed the document stating that Ukraine is considering the possibility of buying French defense equipment, including Rafale jet fighters, Macron’s office said. It did not provide further details.
Zelenskyy was on his ninth visit to Paris since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022. His talks are meant to strengthen Ukraine’s defenses as the country enters another winter under Russian bombardment of its energy infrastructure and other targets.
On Monday morning, Macron and Zelenskyy visited an air base in the Paris outskirts, before heading to the headquarters of a multinational force, dubbed the “coalition of the willing,” that France and Britain have been preparing with more than 30 other nations to police an eventual ceasefire in Ukraine.
French officials say the force could be deployed immediately after a ceasefire and would be stationed away from the front lines in an effort to help dissuade renewed Russian attacks. Russian President Vladimir Putin has so far rejected calls for a ceasefire as his troops make creeping gains on the battlefield.
Zelenskyy wrote on X on Sunday that he looked forward to a “historic deal with France in Paris to strengthen our combat aviation and air defense." He made a stop to Greece on his way to France to sign an agreement to supply Ukraine with U.S. liquefied natural gas.
Last month, Ukraine and Sweden signed an agreement exploring the possibility of Ukraine buying up to 150 Swedish-made Gripen fighter jets over the next decade or more. Ukraine has already received American-made F-16s and French Mirages.
France is among major suppliers of defense assistance to Ukraine, including air defense systems and fighter jets.
The chief of the French defense staff, Air Force Gen. Fabien Mandon, this month told French senators that Ukraine needs immediate additional air defenses because Russia is on average targeting the country with about 1,700 drones per week and also hitting it with missiles.
He said that European-made SAMP/T ground-to-air systems that France provided are proving more effective than U.S.-made Patriot batteries against hard-to-hit Russian missiles.
“We helped Ukraine by deploying missile and drone interception systems called the SAMP/T system. The Russians adapted the flight profiles of their most advanced missiles because they realized they were being intercepted by Ukrainian defenses. Today, the Patriot system is struggling to intercept them, but the SAMP/T is intercepting them,” Mandon said.
Associated Press writer John Leicester contributed to the report.
Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
French President Emmanuel Macron, left, welcomes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Monday, Nov. 17, 2025 before a joint press conference at the Elysee Palace in Paris. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)
French President Emmanuel Macron, left, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, center, visit the offices of the future international force known as the coalition of the willing, Monday, Nov. 17, 2025 at the Mont Valerien in Suresnes, outside Paris. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena, Pool)
French President Emmanuel Macron, right, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shake hands after signing an agreement Monday, Nov. 17, 2025 at the Villacoublay air base near Paris. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena, Pool)
French President Emmanuel Macron, right, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sign an agreement Monday, Nov. 17, 2025 at the Villacoublay air base near Paris. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena, Pool)
French President Emmanuel Macron, right, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy hug after signing an agreement Monday, Nov. 17, 2025 at the Villacoublay air base near Paris. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena, Pool)
A Rafale jet fighter is seen before the arrival of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Monday, Nov. 17, 2025 at the Villacoublay air base near Paris. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena, Pool)
A Rafale jet fighter, drones and ammunitions are seen before the arrival of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Monday, Nov. 17, 2025 at the Villacoublay air base near Paris. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena, Pool)
A Rafale jet fighter is seen before the arrival of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Monday, Nov. 17, 2025 at the Villacoublay air base near Paris. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena, Pool)
