Box Score (PDF) | Notre Dame Postgame Notes
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — The No. 7/7/9 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (9-1) went on the road and dominated Virginia (6-4) by a final score of 28-3 to extend its win streak to 23 straight games against regular season ACC opponents.
The Irish defense limited the nation’s top offense to just 278 yards and kept the opposition out of the endzone for the second straight game. Notre Dame’s pass rush created havoc all night, recording a season-high seven sacks. Linebacker Bo Bauer led the team in tackles with nine, including 1.5 sacks and a pass breakup.
On offense Jack Coan finished an efficient 15-of-20 passing for three touchdowns and 132 yards. Michael Mayer, Braden Lenzy and Kevin Austin each hauled in a touchdown in the winning effort. Kyren Williams led the way on the ground with 70 yards on 14 carries, including a 22-yard touchdown.
After Notre Dame’s first drive of the game stalled at the Virginia 21-yard line, the Irish defense forced a three-and-out to give the team great field position.
The Irish took over at the Cavaliers’ 43-yard line and cashed in with a touchdown six plays later on a six-yard touchdown pass from Coan to Mayer to put them on top 7-0 with just under five minutes left in the opening quarter.
The Notre Dame defense got off the field in just three plays again to give the offense the ball at its own 40-yard line. On the third play of the drive freshman running back Logan Diggs turned in a highlight-reel 26-yard run that featured a hurdle of a Virginia defender along the sideline. Four plays later Coan connected with Lenzy for a touchdown to push the Irish lead to 14-0.
On the next possession, Virginia picked up its first first down of the game in the second quarter but the Irish defense stopped a fourth down run short of the marker to send the offense back on the field.
For the third straight drive the Irish drove the field and scored a touchdown, this one spanning 80 yards in nine plays to make the score 21-0. Williams displayed his incredible athleticism on a 22-yard touchdown run where he broke multiple tackles. The Irish took the 21-0 lead into the half.
The two teams traded possessions for the majority of the third quarter until Notre Dame drove 61 yards over five plays for a touchdown to extend the lead to 28-0. Coan found Kevin Austin Jr. in the endzone for his third touchdown pass of the night for the score.
Notre Dame lost its shutout bid early in the fourth quarter, as Virginia made a 34-yard field goal with 12:16 left in the game to cut the Irish lead 28-3.
Virginia tried to put more points on the board in the final minutes but Notre Dame’s DJ Brown intercepted a pass in the endzone to put an exclamation mark on the 28-3 win.
The Irish return to Notre Dame Stadium for the final home game of the season to take on Georgia Tech at 2:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, Nov. 20. The game will air on NBC.
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