Ian Book, No. 10 Notre Dame Bounce Back for Win vs. Bryce Perkins, No. 18 UVA

Notre Dame rebounded from a loss to Georgia last week with a 35-20 win over No. 18 Virginia at home Saturday.

The 10th-ranked Fighting Irish still have a path to the College Football Playoff if they can run the table. Beating the Cavaliers in South Bend won't send them surging up the polls, but it was the result they needed to remain in the playoff conversation.

The Notre Dame defense stole the show, as it recovered three fumbles and intercepted Bryce Perkins twice—both times in the fourth quarter.

The defeat was a reality check for Virginia, which opened the season with four straight wins. Fans will have to pump the breaks a bit on the Cavaliers as a New Year's Six threat.

Notable Stats

• Ian Book, QB, Notre Dame: 17-of-25, 165 yards; nine carries, minus-11 yards
• Tony Jones Jr., RB, Notre Dame: 18 carries, 131 yards, 3 TDs; one reception, six yards
• Cole Kmet, TE, Notre Dame: four receptions, 65 yards
• Bryce Perkins, QB, Virginia: 30-of-43, 334 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs; 16 carries, minus-29 yards
• Wayne Taulapapa, RB, Virginia: 10 carries, 31 yards
• Hasise Dubois, WR, Virginia: nine receptions, 143 yards, 1 TD
• Joe Reed, WR, Virginia: nine receptions, 107 yards, 1 TD

Notre Dame Defense Sparks Second-Half Surge

The game's turning point arrived with 9:50 remaining in the third quarter. Perkins waited too long to release the ball and was stripped by Jamir Jones. Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa recovered the fumble and returned it 48 yards to the Virginia 7-yard line.

Two plays later, Tony Jones Jr. scored on a two-yard run to help give Notre Dame a 21-17 lead.

The gap grew to 11 points late in the third when Julian Okwara sacked Perkins, forcing a fumble, which was returned by Adetokunbo Ogundeji 23 yards for a touchdown.

The Fighting Irish needed the defense with the offense struggling for the second straight week. Against Georgia, Jones had 21 yards on nine carries, while Ian Book needed 47 attempts to get his 275 passing yards and two touchdowns (with two interceptions).

Even Brian Kelly seemed to lack confidence in the unit as the day wore on. With Notre Dame up 21-17 and facing 4th-and-1 from the Virginia 49 late in the third quarter, he opted to punt.

A steady diet of Jones was enough to move the ball in the fourth quarter. His 30-yard touchdown run showed how the Fighting Irish were finally opening up more running lanes.

Still, Notre Dame needs more from Book because its reliance on the defense isn't sustainable against tougher opposition.

Fourth-Quarter Magic Runs Out for Virginia

Virginia scored 21 points in the fourth quarter against Florida State to avert an upset two weeks ago. Last week, it put 14 points on the board in the final frame to beat Old Dominion. Unfortunately for the Cavaliers, Notre Dame is better than Florida State and Old Dominion.

The second half started brightly for Virginia when it recovered an onside kick.

Perkins had 235 yards and two touchdowns through the air in the first half. He couldn't maintain that pace, though, as the absence of a running game made the Cavaliers offense too predictable.

Perkins finished with minus-29 rushing yards, a result of the eight sacks he absorbed.

The performance of the Cavaliers defense provided reason for hope the rest of the way.

Virginia doesn't have another ranked team on its schedule, so the ACC Coastal title is attainable.

And the Cavaliers' bye couldn't come at a better time. They can take a week off to recover from this game and refocus on their return to ACC play.

What's Next?

Notre Dame will play Bowling Green at home Oct. 5 before a rivalry game with visiting USC on Oct. 12. Virginia will stay on the road for its next game, against Miami on Oct. 11.