Irish come back to avoid Hokies’ upset
Ian Book ran 7 yards for a touchdown with 29 seconds left in the fourth quarter to cap an 18-play, 87-yard drive and No. 16 Notre Dame pulled out a 21-20 victory against Virginia Tech on Saturday at South Bend, Indiana.
The Fighting Irish (6-2) had committed three turnovers deep in Virginia Tech territory, including a fumble at the goal line that Divine Deablo returned for a 98yard touchdown to tie the game at 14 with 9 seconds left in the first half. The Hokies (5-3) added a couple of field goals in the second half and the Irish missed one, leaving Notre Dame trailing by six with 3:19 left and the ball at its 13.
Book led a methodical drive, converting two fourth downs, including a fourthand-10 from the Tech 33 for 26 yards to Chase Claypool that gave the Irish first-andgoal from the 7. After two incomplete passes, Notre Dame caught Virginia Tech in a blitz. Book ran away from it and darted into the end zone. Jonathan Doerer booted through the PAT for the lead, Kyle Hamilton picked off a long pass by Quincy Patterson around midfield to end the Hokies’ final possession and the
Irish averted a two-game losing streak.
Book passed for 341 yards and two touchdown.
Patterson got the start for Virginia Tech at quarterback in place of Hendon Hooker, who had started the three previous victories but suffered a knee injury in Virginia Tech’s 43-41 six-overtime victory over North Carolina two Saturdays ago.
Patterson ran for 77 yards on 19 carries and completed 9 of 28 passes for 139 yards and an 8-yard touchdown to Damon Hazelton in the second quarter.
TOP 25
• No. 4 Clemson 59, Wofford 14: Trevor Lawrence scored four touchdowns, Travis Etienne ran for 212 yards and two TDs and the host Tigers won their 24th consecutive game, rolling over FCS opponent Wofford.
Etienne, the reigning Atlantic Coast Conference player of the year, helped the Tigers (9-0) put the game away early with scoring runs of 47 and 86 yards in the game’s first 15:12. Clemson improved to 34-0 against FCS programs. It was the Tigers’ sixth straight win over Wofford (5-3), which fell to 1-21 against FBS schools.
Etienne became Clemson’s first rusher with three 200-yard games in his career. He also surpassed James Davis for Clemson’s career record for rushing TDs with 48.
• No. 14 Michigan 38, Maryland 7: Giles Jackson returned the opening kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown to get things started for the Wolverines, who used two first-half scoring runs by freshman Zach Charbonnet to pull away from the host Terrapins.
Seeking to build on a 45-14 rout of Notre Dame one week earlier, the Wolverines (7-2, 4-2 Big Ten) went up 21-0 at halftime and coasted to the finish against the fading Terrapins (3-6, 1-5).
• No. 22 Kansas State 38, Kansas 10: Skylar Thompson ran for 127 yards and three touchdowns, Harry Trotter added 92 yards rushing and another score and the host Wildcats romped past the Jayhawks.
Thompson also had 129 yards passing for the Wildcats (6-2, 3-2), who showed no letdown from their upset of then-No. 5 Oklahoma in bludgeoning the Jayhawks (3-6, 1-5) for the 12th consecutive time.
Carter Stanley was 13 of 23 for 115 yards and two interceptions for Kansas before leaving with an injury late in the game. Star running back Pooka Williams managed just 61 yards rushing.
• No. 23 Wake Forest 44, N.C. State 10: Jamie Newman returned from injury to throw for three touchdowns and run for two more as the host Demon Deacons trounce the Wolfpack.
Newman had missed one game and part of another with a shoulder injury, and his status was uncertain for the long-running instate series. But Newman and the Demon Deacons (7-1, 3-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) got off to a dominating start that had this one wrapped up early over N.C. State (4-4, 1-3).
STATE SCHOOLS
• UCF 44, Houston 29: Dillon Gabriel passed for 298 yards and three touchdowns, including two to Tre Nixon, and ran for a score as the host Knights dominated the second half and beat the Cougars.
Houston jumped out to a 10-0 lead on Mulbah Car’s 37-yard TD run and a 45yard field goal by Dalton Witherspoon. Gabriel hit Marlon Williams for a 6yard score and, after Car scored on a 2-yard run, added a 32-yard scoring strike to Nixon to pull UCF (7-2, 4-1 American Athletic Conference) with 17-14 after one quarter.
Gabriel scored on a 22yard run midway through the second quarter to put the Knights up 21-17, but Witherspoon kicked two field goals in the final 4 minutes and Houston (3-6, 1-4) took a 23-21 lead into halftime.
UCF put the game out of reach with three third-quarter touchdowns. Bentavious Thompson scored on a 43-yard run, Gabriel and Nixon hooked up for a 34yard score and Thompson added a 2-yard TD run.
Gabriel hit 21 of 30 passes without an interception for the Knights. Nixon had six receptions for 123 yards.
• Stetson 27, Jacksonville 24: Jalen Leary ran for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter for the win as the Hatters (6-2, 3-2 Pioneer League) edged the host Dolphins(2-7, 0-5). The Hatters trailed 24-20 when Leary capped a 69-yard drive with a 29-yard run with 7:06 remaining for the final score. Jacksonville missed a field goal attempt from 53 yards with 1:20 left and the Hatters ran out the clock.