Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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24 NOV. 6, 2021 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED TURNING POINT Notre Dame was clinging to a 31-27 lead early in the fourth quarter when it took possession backed up at its 9-yard line in need of a momen- tum-changing drive. Enter junior running back Kyren Williams, who had temporarily left the game midway through the third quarter with what looked like a serious injury. Williams took a handoff up the middle and ap- peared destined to be tackled for a loss, but was able to bounce outside to his left where he stiff- armed 6-3, 265-pound UNC outside linebacker Tomon Fox to the ground and then outraced the rest of the Tar Heels' defense down the sideline for a 91-yard touchdown that electrified Notre Dame Stadium and pushed the Irish lead to 38-27. On the very next play from scrimmage senior safety DJ Brown picked off Tar Heels quarterback Sam Howell to give the Irish the ball on the UNC 15-yard line. Notre Dame converted the turnover into three points on a 20-yard field goal from graduate student Jonathan Doerer for a 41-27 advantage — a cushion that allowed them to keep the Tar Heels at arm's length the rest of the way. STAT OF THE GAME Five games into the season, Notre Dame's rush- ing attack appeared to be dead on arrival. Behind a struggling offensive line, the Fighting Irish were averaging just 80.8 yards per game. Against the Tar Heels, the Irish racked up a season-high 293 rushing yards. It marked their best ground output since compiling 353 en route to a 42-26 win over Florida State last season. With freshman tackle Joe Alt and junior guard Andrew Kristofic stabilizing the left side of the line, the Irish have averaged 214.3 rushing yards in their last three outings. No doubt, they have taken advantage of some favorable matchups against Virginia Tech, USC and North Carolina, but it still represents a major turnaround. With the ground game clicking, the Irish were able to put together five drives of at least 70 yards for the second straight week. And, after the Tar Heels scored to cut the lead to 41-34 with 7:23 remaining in the fourth quarter, the Irish drained 5:46 off the clock with a 13-play, 73-yard drive that ended with a field goal that iced the game. The rushing attack did the heavy lifting on that drive with 10 carries for 52 yards. OFFENSIVE FIREWORKS The last time the Tar Heels and Fighting Irish met in South Bend seven years ago, they com- bined for a Notre Dame Stadium-record 93 points and 1,029 total yards while the Irish came away with a thrilling 50-43 victory. This year's matchup proved to be equally exciting, with both teams moving up and down the field. The two teams combined for "only" 78 points this time, but they amassed a combined 1,087 total yards. With their best defensive player — Kyle Ham- ilton — sidelined by a knee injury, the Irish had a difficult time slowing down UNC quarterback Sam Howell. During last year's 31-17 victory in Chapel Hill, Notre Dame limited Howell to 213 yards of total offense and sacked him six times. They sacked him three times this year, but he threw for 341 yards and ran for 101. The Irish survived in large part because their best offensive player — Kyren Williams — bounced back from an injury scare of his own. The junior running back limped off the field midway through the third quarter but came back and compiled 142 of his 199 rushing yards, including his game-changing 91-yard touchdown run, to lead the Irish to victory. THREE OBSERVATIONS BY STEVE DOWNEY S DJ BROWN Making his first start for the injured Kyle Hamilton, Brown intercepted a Sam Howell pass and put the Notre Dame offense in position to kick a field goal and extend the Irish's lead to 41-27 early in the fourth quarter. North Carolina gained plenty of yards through the air, but Brown — who also made five tackles — and the Irish secondary only allowed one passing touchdown. QB JACK COAN Coan said before the season started that he views the "game manager" moniker as a positive thing. Well, if this is what a game manager looks like, then it's winning Notre Dame football games. Coan connected on 16 of 24 throws for 213 yards with a touchdown and added three carries for 28 yards and a score on the ground. Coan has come into his own since getting benched in the Virginia Tech game. RB LOGAN DIGGS With sophomore running back Chris Tyree still ailing a bit with turf toe, Diggs took on second-string running back duties and did a fine job. He ran 11 times for 42 yards and punched in his first career touchdown on a one-yard plunge. He recorded a long rush of nine yards but most importantly looked the part of a competent tailback in a big spot. DE ISAIAH FOSKEY On his 21st birthday, Foskey led Notre Dame with seven total tackles. He recorded half a sack to bring his season total to 8.5. There was a point in the fourth quarter when he was injured on the field, but he popped up and jogged to the sideline after a short time staying down. He has emerged as Notre Dame's ultimate defensive warrior. RB KYREN WILLIAMS Williams had not just the play of the game, but also the play of the year on his 91-yard touchdown rush. He finished with 22 carries for 199 yards and caught two passes for 15 yards in his second career game with 200-plus yards from scrimmage. He set a new career high in rushing yards and also had a career-best 47-yard punt return. GAME BALLS BY TYLER HORKA Freshman running back Logan Diggs recorded 11 carries for 42 yards and his first career touchdown for Notre Dame. PHOTO BY CHAD WEAVER