Georgia Tech vs. Notre Dame: Score, Highlights and Twitter Reaction

On the strength of a stellar defensive effort and an efficient day from quarterback DeShone Kizer, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish knocked off the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, 30-22, to improve their record to 3-0.  

The final score isn't indicative of how one-sided Notre Dame's dominance was throughout the game, as Georgia Tech scored two touchdowns in the final minute to make it an eight-point difference. 

Even though there was some doubt about Notre Dame coming into the game, SportsCenter reminded everyone why it would be impossible for the Irish to lose on Saturday:

The two big stories coming into the game were how Kizer would look in his first start after Malik Zaire was injured and how to slow down the Yellow Jackets' potent rushing attack. 

Kizer answered the first question with a solid 21-of-30 for 231 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He was supported by running back C.J. Prosise, who finished with 198 yards and three touchdowns on 22 carries and put the exclamation point on the win on a 91-yard score with seven minutes to play. 

Per B/R Insights, it's been a long time since a Notre Dame running back has had a day like the one Prosise did on Saturday:

"

Notre Dame RB C.J. Prosise: 198 rushing yds vs Georgia Tech most for a @NDFootball RB in a game since Julius Jones in '03 (218 at Stanford).

— B/R Insights (@BR_Insights) September 19, 2015"

Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly told Paul Myerberg of USA Today leading up to the game that he felt confident about how Kizer would execute be able to execute the offense:

"

We are not going to make any excuses for where we are. There's no reason why we can't win with DeShone Kizer. Anybody that we lose, we believe that we've got guys that can step up. We believe that we've got players that we've recruited that can go in and get the job done. Now it's DeShone's time, and I've got confidence in him and I know our players do.

"

Will Fuller remains the go-to receiver regardless of who is playing quarterback, as the junior recorded his third consecutive 100-yard game and had a 46-yard touchdown catch to open a 7-0 lead in the first quarter, via ND Football:

In the midst of Saturday's performance for Fuller, Sports Illustrated's Pete Thamel put the star wideout in good company:

Lost in the shuffle of Zaire's injury, which led to experts betting against the Irish, is what Kelly is able to do with the roster he currently has in place, as Colin Cowherd of Fox Sports pointed out:

Even though Kelly doesn't have a national title under his belt like Nick Saban, Urban Meyer or Les Miles, he's rising into the ranks of elite coaches in the country. He took Cincinnati to a BCS game in 2008 and lost a BCS title game with Notre Dame in 2012. That's a strong resume, even without the final piece of the puzzle. 

Notre Dame's defensive hiccup last week against Virginia was just that, as Georgia Tech could muster only 216 rushing yards. That's a good total for most teams, but keep in mind the Yellow Jackets came into the day averaging 457.5 yards on the ground through two games. 

The key to stopping that potent ground attack is getting ahead early, forcing Georgia Tech quarterback Justin Thomas into a position in which he needed to throw the ball. Matt Chernoff of 680 The Fan in Atlanta noted early in the game the passing game was a huge problem:

Being a one-dimensional offensive squad always leaves a team vulnerable if it isn't working and the defense isn't on point. Georgia Tech hung around in the first half despite not moving the ball with consistency but had no answer in the second half until it was too late.

So far, Kelly has had his team on point when it needs to be. The injuries don't seem to have hurt anything, especially with Prosise stepping up in Tarean Folston's absence. This season will be a learning process for Kizer, but he's got the right supporting cast around him to do great things.

Notre Dame's win marks its first major test passed this season. The Irish should catch their breath next week before an October 3 showdown at Clemson that may end up having huge playoff implications for both teams.