No. 2 Notre Dame uses stout defense to top Tar Heels
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Ian Book kept No. 2 Notre Dame’s offense moving while the Fighting Irish defense locked down Sam Howell and No. 25 North Carolina’s potent offense for the final three quarters in a 31-17 victory Friday.
Book threw for 279 yards and a score and ran for 48 yards for the Fighting Irish ( 9- 0, 8- 0 Atlantic Coast Conference), with the fifth-year senior quarterback using his mobility and elusiveness to keep plays alive on a night when both offenses frequently faced long fields.
Receiver Ben Skowronek gave Notre Dame its first lead with his 13-yard run around the right side midway through the third quarter. Kyren Williams ran for 124 yards — including a 47-yarder with about 5 1/2 minutes left as the Irish burned the clock and sealed the game
Williams closed that drive with his second rushing touchdown, a clinching 1-yarder with 1:20 left that kept the Fighting Irish alone atop the ACC standings ahead of No. 4 Clemson and No. 10 Miami. More impressively, though, was a defensive showing that forced Howell and the high-scoring Tar Heels to work for every gain after the opening quarter.
North Carolina (6-3, 6-3) sprinted to touchdowns on its first two drives, but Notre Dame surrendered only one field goal from there. The Tar Heels came in averaging 43 points and 563 yards, yet they were unable to buy time for Howell to push downfield for big gains or to open running lanes for Michael Carter and Javonte Williams, who had each averaged better than 100 rushing yards a game.
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No. 15 Iowa State 23, No. 20 Texas 20
AUSTIN, Texas — Breece Hall scored on a 3-yard run with 1:25 remaining, and Iowa State held off a last-minute drive by Sam Ehlinger and Texas to remain in first place in the Big 12 with a victory.
After Iowa State sacked Ehlinger on third down, Cameron Dicker barely missed left with a 58-yard field goal attempt for Texas as time expired.
The Cyclones ( 7-2, 7-1) have almost locked up a spot in the Big 12 championship game for the first time.
Hall gained 91 yards on 20 carries, his first game with less than 100 yards this season, but he generated 30 on the final touchdown drive, which covered 69 yards. Quarterback Brock Purdy connected with tight ends Charlie Kolar and Dylan Soehner for the other 39 yards.
Iowa State trailed 20-16 early in the fourth quarter after a bad two- play sequence for Texas ( 5- 3, 4- 3) helped the Cyclones get a field goal by Connor Assalley. First, the Longhorns came up 3 yards short throwing on a fake punt on fourth-and-8. Purdy then found Kolar for 44 yards, and a holding penalty by the Cyclones forced them to settle for Assalley’s field goal.
The Longhorns were stopped inches short on fourth-and-2 at the Iowa State 13 with 8:05 left in the fourth quarter when a field goal would have made it a seven-point game.
Purdy completed 25 of 36 passes for 312 yards and one touchdown, and Kolar had six catches for 131. Ehlinger was 17-of29 for 298 yards with one touchdown.