Notre Dame Football: 3 takeaways from statement win over Virginia Tech

Following a huge win over No. 7 Stanford, Notre Dame football survived numerous Virginia Tech surges on their way to a 45-23 win.

Notre Dame and Virginia Tech had met only once prior to this weekend’s matchup, setting a stage of unfamiliarity between the two teams. While the first contest resulted in a 34-31 Virginia Tech victory in South Bend, the Irish would travel to Blacksburg, Va., for their 2018 matchup.

Following a few upsets earlier in the weekend, head coach Brian Kelly and his Notre Dame Irish were on high alert. After losing three high-leverage games in 2017, Kelly has been preparing his team throughout the off-season for moments such as this. With the Hokies currently the last top 25 team remaining on Notre Dame’s schedule, the pressure was on for the Irish to deliver.

And deliver they did, as the Irish took down the Hokies in one of the nation’s toughest environments. Here are three takeaways from Notre Dame’s latest win on the path to the College Football Playoff.

3. Hot starts continue to fuel the Irish

A newfound strength of the Notre Dame offense, even under Brandon Wimbush, has been their ability to strike first. While this has occasionally come after differing, the Irish have made it a point to be the first team on the board regardless. The Irish have used early momentum to carry them to victory on a few occasions, and they were well on the road to doing the same against the Hokies.

Given the energy in Lane Stadium, Virginia Tech head coach Justin Fuente opted to differ until the second half, giving quarterback Ian Book and the Notre Dame offense the ball to start the game. Book took full advantage of this move, converting a share of third and fourth downs on the way to a touchdown drive capped by a Dexter Williams plunge.

As mentioned, this isn’t anything new. The Irish have scored first in all but one game this season, with their earliest deficit coming at the hands of Wake Forest. That game would finish as a 56-27 Notre Dame win, a matchup in which Book would solidify himself as the starter after throwing for 325 yards and recording five total touchdowns.

These quick scores have saved the Irish on many occasions, with Wimbush-led offenses often sputtering midway through games. While Book’s offense hasn’t fell victim to mid game lulls very often, it never hurts to get out on top, especially on the road. The Irish will need more of the same later in the season as they try to maintain playoff relevance.