Notre Dame at Virginia Tech: Third-Quarter Analysis
We still don’t have an idea of who will win this tight contest between Notre Dame and Virginia Tech. All we know is the Irish won’t be able to afford many mistakes if they want the victory. One critical mistake late in the third quarter means they find themselves behind, 22-21.
The Hokies’ offense came out firing to begin the second half, facing only two third downs over a six-minute drive. It nearly resulted in a 13-yard touchdown pass to Tayvion Robinson, but an ineligible-receiver penalty wiped that out. The Irish’s defense held firm in the red zone after that. John Parker Romo kicked a 26-yard field goal, so the Hokies still were able to get the lead out of their first drive of the half.
Tyler Buchner nearly threw an interception on the ensuing Irish drive, but it was dropped. Jay Bramblett punted the ball 52 yards, pinning the Hokies at the 17-yard line. Three plays later, TaRiq Bracy intercepted Braxton Burmeister to set up show at the 29. The Irish needed only four plays to find the end zone and retake the lead, which happened on a 10-yard Kyren Williams run in which three Hokies defenders missed tackles.
The Hokies failed to get out of their own territory on their next drive, but their bigger concern was Burmeister grabbing his right shoulder after hitting the turf hard after a run. There is no word yet on whether Burmesiter will play in the fourth quarter. In the meantime, the Irish had to start their next drive at their own 2 after a 53-yard punt from Peter Moore. That field position turned out to be important when Jermaine Waller picked off Buchner and ran 26 yards for a touchdown.
The Irish had the last word on that misfortune when they intercepted the two-point conversion pass. Still, they let the Hokies grab momentum again in the waning moments of a quarter. And if that wasn’t enough, Mitchell Evans was ejected after the final play of the quarter for targeting. None of that will get it done.
