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Notre Dame Football: Top Storylines vs Virginia Tech

By Connor McJunkin

SOUTH BEND, INDIANA - OCTOBER 05: Phil Jurkovec #15 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish runs with the football in the second half against the Bowling Green Falcons at Notre Dame Stadium on October 05, 2019 in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images)
SOUTH BEND, INDIANA - OCTOBER 05: Phil Jurkovec #15 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish runs with the football in the second half against the Bowling Green Falcons at Notre Dame Stadium on October 05, 2019 in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images) /
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SOUTH BEND, INDIANA – OCTOBER 05: Head coach Brian Kelly and players of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish prepare to take the field for the game against the Bowling Green Falcons at Notre Dame Stadium on October 05, 2019 in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images) /

Bounce Back…Again

Coincidentally enough, the rebound game after Notre Dame’s first loss this year was the other Virginia school — a game the Irish dominated defensively and won 35-20.

While a loss is still a loss, there are obviously different kinds.

The loss to Georgia certainly hurt, but a 6-point loss to the No. 3 team in the country on the road leaves a different feeling in your gut compared to a 31-point beatdown at the hands of a lesser ranked, hated rival.

The last time Notre Dame was in this type of position came after the awful Miami loss in 2017, which oddly enough was their second loss of the season after dropping a close game to Georgia earlier in the year.

After that Miami game, Notre Dame wasn’t the same team that had reeled off seven straight wins beforehand. The next week they beat Navy 24-17 and in the season finale, collapsed vs Stanford 38-20, finishing 9-3 and relying on a Book-to-Boykin miracle vs LSU to salvage the season as Citrus Bowl Champs.

This team is far and away more talented with more experience and veteran leadership compared to the 2017 squad, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t susceptible to falling into a rut moving forward.

One of the true tests for any team, especially the great ones, is having the mental toughness to move on and bounce back after a loss. Winning fixes everything, and the easiest way to feel better and get back on track is with a dominating victory over a good Virginia Tech team.

November is here, and if the Irish want to get the most out of their season, they can’t let history repeat itself.

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