Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com SEPT. 30, 2019 39 However, in the last two years Notre Dame has responded well to these kind of contests in which an "upset special" was a popular pre- game theme. In 2017 the Irish crushed archrival and No. 11 USC 49-14, but then was expected to have a letdown the follow- ing week versus a strong North Caro- lina State unit that was ranked No. 14. The Wolfpack did take an early 7-0 lead on a blocked punt, but Notre Dame took complete control thereaf- ter in a 35-14 win. Last year Syracuse was deemed the perfect trap game at Yankee Stadium the week after the Irish had Senior Day versus Florida State and the week prior to traveling to USC. Plus, the 8-2 Orange had nearly upset Clemson earlier in the year, and were averaging more than 40 points per game. Instead, Notre Dame played its most complete game of the season in a 36-3 thumping of Syracuse. Virginia indeed poses a challenge the way top-15 North Carolina State and Syracuse did the past two sea- sons, but if Notre Dame comes out in the right frame of mind and with strong preparation (and "saves the letdown" for Bowling Green Oct. 5), it should be a prohibitive favorite again. STATE OF FLUX From the time Notre Dame first played football in 1887 through 2014, the Fighting Irish competed against a Virginia school in football only once: The 1989 Kickoff Classic versus the Virginia Cavaliers that was added after the Fighting Irish captured their most recent national title in 1988. The University of Virginia had traditionally been one of the worst programs in college football annals, including posting only two winning seasons in the 30 years from 1953-82. Once George Welsh took over in 1982 as head coach, he posted a winning season in 1983 and in 1984 steered Vir- ginia to its first bowl win ever while tying the school record for most wins in a season with eight (8-2-2). Despite losing to Notre Dame 36-13 in that aforementioned 1989 opener, Welsh led Virginia to a 10-3 record that season, and that type of success is what eventually helped enshrine him into the College Football Hall of Fame. Meanwhile, Virginia Tech had fin- ished ranked only twice in its his- tory until 1993, when Frank Beamer made it a top-15 operation for nearly two decades, even playing for the national title in 1999. Football in the state of Virginia has come a long way in the past 30 years, and with Notre Dame joining the At- lantic Coast Conference in 2013 it has also become, along with North Car- olina, a valued recruiting area. This includes current defensive starters in safety/captain Jalen Elliott and rover Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, plus highly coveted incoming 2020 all-pur- pose back Chris Tyree, ranked the na- tion's No. 40 player overall by Rivals. In Notre Dame's first game ever in the Commonwealth of Virginia, a dramatic touchdown pass from reserve quarterback DeShone Kizer to Will Fuller with 12 seconds left resulted in a 34-27 victory. The next season, a Virginia school visited the Notre Dame campus for the first time to play football, and the Virginia Tech Hokies rallied for a 34-31 victory. The Fighting Irish will play both Virginia ACC members at home this year and then both on the road in 2021. That means in the three seasons from 2019-21 it will have played four games against Virginia schools, or the same number it had all the way up to 2018. The visibility of Virginia in Notre Dame football is showing up both on the schedules and the recruiting circuit. ✦ GAME PREVIEW: VIRGINIA Wide receiver Will Fuller's 39-yard touchdown connection with quarterback DeShone Kizer with 12 sec- ond remaining in the game gave Notre Dame a 34-27 win at Virginia in 2015. PHOTO COURTESY VIRGINIA MEDIA RELATIONS Predictions Todd Burlage: Notre Dame 27, Virginia 20 With wins at Pittsburgh and against Florida State, Virginia is off to a solid start and one of only two home opponents for Notre Dame this season that had a winning record last year (Boston College is the other). Vince DeDario: Notre Dame 38, Virginia 21 Notre Dame looks to avoid the hangover effect when it faces Virginia following the Georgia game. They will start slowly, but bounce back to put the Cavaliers away early in the second half. Bryan Driskell: Notre Dame 31, Virginia 20 Containing quarterback Bryce Perkins with his abilities both as a passer and runner won't be easy, but the Irish offense should prove to be too much for the Cavaliers. Andrew Mentock: Notre Dame 41, Virginia 35 Virginia quarterback Bryce Perkins has been a stud as both a runner and thrower, meaning he won't miss wide-open passes like Jawon Pass did for Louisville. Fortunately, Ian Book and the Irish offense finds a way to score enough points. Lou Somogyi: Notre Dame 34, Virginia 20 Some aftereffects from the Georgia game will linger, but Notre Dame has genuinely built a strong home-field advantage the past three years and should find a rhythm as the game progresses against a well-coached team.