Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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26 OCT. 15, 2018 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED IRISH OFFENSE FINDS SECOND-HALF RHYTHM Notre Dame took a quick 10-0 lead over Virginia Tech with an efficient 75- yard drive on 12 plays that ended with a one-yard score by running back Dex- ter Williams, followed by a 31-yard field goal from kicker Justin Yoon. However, the Irish offense sput- tered on its remaining drives in the half, collecting just 43 yards on 20 plays. The struggles allowed Virginia Tech to cut the Notre Dame lead down to 17-16 going into halftime, and with possession coming out of the break. "We were getting the ball out quick, getting it out to our playmak- ers and had great protection when they brought the pressure," junior Irish quarterback Ian Book said of the offense's first quarter success. "That's what we needed to do consistently. "We did it enough to win the game, but I have to be better on some of those [throws]." The offense sputtered, going score- less in the second quarter and only netting 22 yards. "I was being a little skittish and not giving my guys a chance, which you can't do," Book said. "I put that all on me. There was good protection and those guys won on their routes. "When I went 8 for 10, I just fo- cused in on trusting my eyes, trust- ing those guys and focusing on the fundamentals we work on day in and day out." Adjustments made by head coach Brian Kelly, offensive coordinator Chip Long and the rest of the staff on offense paid off. After getting pinned deep by the Hokies early in the third quarter, Wil- liams took it 97 yards to the house to extend Notre Dame's lead to 24-16. A nine-play, 70-yard drive followed, which was capped off by a 40-yard scoring pass to senior wide receiver Miles Boykin. "I told them we were a little un- even in the in first half, but just do your job," Kelly explained. "We got outside our boundaries a little bit try- ing to do a little bit too much. "On the Ian interception, he was trying to do a little too much. I said just do your job, focus on what you're supposed to do, trust your teaching, trust your coaching, and we're going to be fine." Notre Dame's final four posses- sions of the game collected 114 yards on 20 plays and featured two touch- downs to seal the win. One of the four drives came late during the fourth quarter when the team was trying to run out the clock. In a hostile environment, Notre Dame needed to make a statement in the second half with the crowd squarely in the game still and much of the momentum resting with the Hok- ies. The Irish answered and then some. Taking out the defensive touch- down against the Hokies, the Notre Dame offense is averaging 44.0 points per game over the past three weeks. "You saw a lot of deep balls we missed on," Boykin stated. "We're not at our ceiling yet at all. We're still pushing and getting better every day." DEXTER WILLIAMS REMAINS HOT It's been quite the two games for senior running back Dexter Williams after missing the first four contests of the season because of suspension. Against Stanford, he rushed for 161 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries in a win over the Cardinal. He took it to another level on the road against Virginia Tech. When the Irish needed a spark in Blacksburg, Williams answered the call with his 97-yard score early in the second half. His touchdown was not only the second longest in Notre Dame history (Josh Adams with 98 yards in 2015), but the longest in Lane Stadium. "Huge lift," head coach Brian Kelly said of the score. "I'd say that's pretty big. We had first down, and we had a negative two-yard rush. We had a couple plays we felt comfortable with that we could run down there. We pulled Tommy Kraemer, and he had the kick-out block. "Dexter has great speed and was able to hit it. If we could get through that first level, we felt pretty confi- dent we could get a chunk play there, but we didn't expect to go 97 yards." Williams helped bring back the energy and mojo back to an Irish of- fense that desperately needed it in VIRGINIA TECH GAME NOTES BY COREY BODDEN Senior wide receiver Miles Boykin reeled in eight receptions for 117 yards and two touchdowns, both of which came in the second half when the Fighting Irish put away the Hokies. PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA MISCELLANEOUS NOTES • Notre Dame has outscored its opponents 62‑16 in the first quarter this season. • The Irish have forced a punt or turnover in an opponent's first possession in 16 of the team's 19 last contests. • The 45‑23 Fighting Irish victory marked the seventh straight time Virginia Tech has lost to a ranked foe at home inside Lane Stadium. • Junior cornerback Julian Love's 42‑yard fumble return for a touchdown was the first of its kind for Notre Dame since Nov. 15, 2014, when Austin Collinsworth brought back a fum‑ ble 32 yards for a score against Northwestern. • Senior wide receiver Chris Finke hauled in a career‑long reception, going for 56 yards in the first quarter. • With Love's interception in the fourth quarter, Notre Dame has recorded a pick in each game this season.