SAN ANTONIO — Notre Dame quarterback DeShone Kizer loosened up the Army defense with his arm. Then the Irish took advantage with their legs.

Kizer threw for three touchdowns and collected 72 of Notre Dame's season-high 261 yards rushing, helping the Irish beat Army 44-6 on Saturday.

C.J. Sanders returned the opening kickoff for a score, and then Kizer took over. He was 17 for 28 for 209 yards with an interception before he was replaced by Malik Zaire for the fourth quarter.

Tarean Folston and Josh Adams each rushed for a score as Notre Dame rebounded nicely from last weekend's 28-27 loss to Navy. Folston had 84 yards on 13 carries, and Adams finished with 15 carries for 70 yards.

"We were able to throw the ball over their heads, and it backed them off, so it gave us some opportunities to run the football," Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly said.

Along the way, Kizer looked at second and third options to find open receivers.

"He is maturing as a quarterback," Kelly said. "I liked his leadership today. I liked his leadership all week. He was holding players to a higher standard. I liked his toughness."

Kell Walker had a 2-yard touchdown run in the second quarter for Army's only score. Ahmad Bradshaw, Army's starting quarterback, was sidelined by a knee injury.

Notre Dame wide receiver Kevin Stepherson, left, is brought down by Army's Elijah Riley after scoring a touchdown during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 12, 2016, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)

Notre Dame wide receiver Kevin Stepherson, left, is brought down by Army's Elijah Riley after scoring a touchdown during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 12, 2016, in San Antonio.

Photo Credit: Darren Abate/AP

The Black Knights (5-5) began the day ranked in the top 25 nationally in several defensive categories, but the Irish (4-6) were in complete control right from the start.

Sanders returned the opening kickoff 92 yards, and Kizer tossed a 37-yard touchdown pass to freshman Kevin Stepherson with 10 minutes left in the first quarter. Adams had a 2-yard touchdown run with 3:44 remaining, and the rout was on.

The Irish led 38-6 at halftime. Tight end Durham Smythe had second-quarter touchdown receptions of 10 and 31 yards.

"I really don't know what to say after a tail-whipping like that," Army coach Jeff Monken said. "We couldn't stop the ball and couldn't run the ball effectively enough to keep drives going. Credit Notre Dame. They played like a championship team."

Notre Dame had dropped three of four. But Kizer and company got a chance to enjoy their first runaway victory in a while.

"We kind of challenge ourselves to build off each other, both offensively and defensively, to sustain success," Kizer said. "Today was the perfect example of us feeding off the defense, and the defense feeding off the offense, and one big special teams play."

THE TAKEAWAY

Army: The Black Knights have only two winning seasons since the mid-1990s - 10-2 in 1996 and 7-6 in 2010. After beginning this year with three straight wins, Army is in jeopardy of falling short of a winning season again. The Black Knights have games left against Morgan State and Navy.

Notre Dame: The Irish stayed in the running for bowl eligibility.  They have won 15 straight against Army.

NO GOOD TIME

Army began the game ranked second nationally in time of possession with a 10-minute edge per game. Notre Dame had an advantage of nearly nine minutes on Saturday. Monken said the Irish are too big and strong.

"There is no comparison physically," Monken said. "They just lined up and blocked us, and they are hard to tackle."

FAST START

Sanders' TD return on the opening kickoff was his second of the season and third of his career.

"That gave us a great deal of energy and momentum," Kelly said. "Any time you can steal a possession like that ... it gave us a great deal of confidence."

UP NEXT

Army: The Black Knights host Morgan State. They have met once before, with Army winning 28-12 in 2013.

Notre Dame: The Irish host Virginia Tech on Saturday in the first-ever meeting between the schools.

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