Virginia Tech 34, Notre Dame 31 | monday, November 21, 2016 | ndsmcobserver.com
Same old, same old Irish blow double-digit lead for fourth time this season, fall to Hokies on Senior Day
ROSIE LoVOI | The Observer
Virginia Tech junior quarterback Jerod Evans barrels his way into the end zone at the end of a 23-yard touchdown rush during Notre Dame’s 34-31 loss to the Hokies on Saturday. The Irish jumped out to a 17-0 lead on Senior Day, but the Hokies scored 20 points in the second half to hand the Irish their seventh loss of the season.
There is nothing left to say after another loss Marek Mazurek Sports Editor
I’m not sure what else there is to say. I could say that Notre Dame lost to Virginia Tech on Senior Day by a score of 34-31. But Notre Dame has lost many times before. I could tell you the Irish (4-7) blew 17-0 and 24-7 leads as they let the Hokies (8-3, 5-2 ACC) back into a game they had no business being in. But Notre Dame has already lost two games holding a double-digit lead, and in the seven games it’s achieved such a cushion, it’s given that lead up in four of them. I could say the Irish played well, but they’ve played well in losses before. I could say the experience the freshman class is getting will be valuable for next year, but we’ve been looking ahead to next year for the past month. Simply put, there is nothing see MAZUREK PAGE 3
By JOE EVERETT Sports Writer
The first time Notre Dame fans ever counted on DeShone Kizer, thrust into action after Malik Zaire suffered a broken right ankle, was when he was called upon to rally then-No. 9 Notre Dame from the jaws of defeat against Virginia during the second game of the 2015 Irish campaign. Kizer stepped up and rallied the team. Down 27-26 with 19 seconds left, Kizer side-stepped the Virginia pass rush and lofted the ball towards a streaking Will Fuller, who caught the ball in stride for a miraculous, go-ahead 39-yard touchdown, stunning the Virginia crowd and sending Kizer into Irish lore. On Saturday against Virginia Tech, Kizer looked to add one more chapter to his collection of comeback stories. After the Irish defense forced a punt from the Hokies inside Notre Dame territory, Kizer and the Irish offense took over possession at the Notre Dame 10-yard line with 1:07 left on the clock. Kizer quickly picked up a first down on an 11-yard run to the Notre
Dame 21 and followed that with a 20-yard completion to sophomore receiver Equanimeous St. Brown. With a 5-yard Virginia Tech offside penalty added onto the completion, Notre Dame had the ball on its own 46-yard line with 40 seconds to go and momentum on its side. Kizer appeared to set up another comeback in potentially his final game inside Notre Dame Stadium. However, as one might have predicted in a season marred by mistakes and disappointment, there was to be no storybook ending for Kizer, nor the Notre Dame seniors. Three straight incompletions left the Irish with a fourth-and-5 with 17 seconds to go. On the ensuing play, Kizer ran up the middle for seven yards to pick up the first down, but sustained a hit to the head in the process, causing him to leave the field for a play. Zaire entered for what would prove to be the final play of the game, as the Irish were only able to attempt one pass before time expired, sending Virginia Tech into jubilation and Notre Dame to its first losing season since 2007. Having to endure yet another close loss
this season, Kizer found himself a bit lost for words trying to describe a haywire 2016 campaign for the Irish. “At this point, what else am I supposed to say?” Kizer said. “It’s just unfortunate that this is how the season has gone. I do believe that in every game we’ve played we’ve had an opportunity to win. We beat ourselves in a sense, from stupid penalties to stupid decisions on reads. I think that, once again, every opportunity that we’ve been out there we’ve had a chance to win the game, and for us to come up short by an average of something around five points in all those games is very frustrating.” Although the Irish faced a long field with no timeouts on their final drive, Kizer said that he was confident in the offense’s ability to tie or potentially win the game. “Anytime the ball’s in my hand I think we’re going to score,” Kizer said. “With the guys that we have out there at skill positions and one of the best offensive lines in the country, you have to have all see SENIOR DAY PAGE 3
Notre Dame offense stalls in second half By ELIZABETH GREASON Sports Writer
Malik Zaire entered the game with seconds left on the clock, just as the Irish crossed into Virginia Tech territory, and completed a pass to sophomore wide receiver Equanimeous St. Brown to pick up a first down as time expired, sealing Notre Dame’s 34-31 loss to the Hokies (8-3). But let’s rewind to the end of the first half. The Irish had a 24-14 lead, and had led by as much as 17. Junior quarterback DeShone Kizer had completed 13 of 18 passing attempts and tallied 199 passing yards. Notre Dame had scored on four of its six drives, dominating the Hokies offensively. As the final score exhibits, the second half could not have been more different for the Irish offense, which Irish head coach Brian Kelly noted in his post-game press conference. see OFFENSE PAGE 2