Notre Dame Football at North Carolina Tar Heels review: 3 Studs, 3 Duds
By Andrew Hall
The Notre Dame football team took care of business against No. 19 North Carolina on Friday, and here are the Studs and Duds from the win.
With a stellar defensive performance, the No. 2 Notre Dame football team pulled away from the upset-minded North Carolina Tar Heels, 31-17. After the teams scored touchdowns on four of their first five possessions, Notre Dame dominated the contest by outscoring the Tar Heels 17-3. This was due in large part to the Notre Dame defense finding its footing against the high-powered Tar Heel attack.
The game ball truly belongs to Notre Dame’s defensive coordinator, Clark Lea. He devised a game plan that allowed the Irish to hold North Carolina to 17 points and 298 yards, both season lows. Sam Howell finished with 211 yards and one touchdown, and before playing the Irish, he averaged 328.9 yards and three touchdowns.
On the other side of the ball, Ian Book shined once again. He threw for 279 yards on 23-of-33 passing. Book added eight carries for 48 yards, and his heart-stopping improvisation allowed Notre Dame to extend drives and find pay-dirt.
Kyren Williams carried the ball 23 times for 124 yards and two touchdowns, with the majority of his yards coming on Notre Dame’s last scoring driving. This year, it seems, if a Notre Dame team with a lead possesses the ball within ten minutes left, the Irish offensive line will take over.
Ultimately, this was a victory of perseverance. The Irish played with two new starters along the offensive line and absorbed the loss of Kyle Hamilton, who was ejected in the first half for targeting. Notre Dame now moves on to their final two games of the regular season before they head to the ACC title game
Here are this week’s studs and duds.