Irish finally get rolling in second half

B L ACKS B URG, VA . » Dexter Williams ran for three touchdowns, including a 97yarder, and No. 6 Notre Dame beat No. 24 Virginia Tech 4523 on Saturday night.

The Irish (60) had minus5 yards rushing and were facing secondand12 from their own 3 when Williams took a handoff into the left side of the line and broke into the clear early in the third quarter, putting Notre Dame ahead 2416. Williams had just been thrown for a 2yard loss, prompting the sellout crowd at Lane Stadium to grow louder, begging for the kind of big play the program’s defense has made so often. But Williams added TD runs of 1 and 31 yards.

The Irish’s defense was stout, too. Khalid Kareem stripped quarterback Ryan Willis on a scramble and Julian Love was in perfect position to scoop up the bouncing fumble and take it 42 yards for a touchdown, giving Notre Dame a 179 lead late in the second quarter. Before breaking the game open, Notre Dame also sacked Willis for 11 yards after Virginia Tech (32) drove to the 19, and stopped the Hokies on three tries from the 1 yardline. Both of those drives ended with the hosts settling for field goals by Brian Johnson.

Ian Book started fast and then struggled, but delivered the backbreaker for the Irish. Flushed left and surrounded by three closing defenders, he tossed a short pass just beyond them to Miles Boykin, whose 40yard touchdown made it 3116 late in the third quarter. The pair later connected for a 5yard TD as the Irish scored the first 21 points of the second half.