Ian Book, No. 16 Notre Dame Avoid Virginia Tech Upset with Last-Minute TD

Despite several uncharacteristic mistakes, the No. 16 Notre Dame Fighting Irish outlasted the Virginia Tech Hokies 21-20 on Saturday at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana.

After struggling in last week's loss to the Michigan Wolverines, Notre Dame quarterback Ian Book turned the ball over twice Saturday, but he scored the go-ahead rushing touchdown with 29 seconds remaining in the game.

Although the Irish outgained the Hokies 442-235, Notre Dame turned the ball over three times inside the Virginia Tech 40-yard line, missed a 35-yard field goal and was penalized seven times for 75 yards.

Even so, Notre Dame bounced back from last week's loss to Michigan and improved to 6-2 on the season, while the Hokies fell to 5-3.

Notable Stats

Ian Book, QB, ND: 29-of-53 for 336 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT; 13 carries for 50 yards, 1 TD

Jafar Armstrong, RB, ND: 19 carries for 37 yards; 4 catches for 49 yards

Chase Claypool, WR, ND: 8 catches for 118 yards

Cole Kmet, TE, ND: 4 catches for 28 yards and 1 TD

Quincy Patterson II, QB, VT: 9-of-28 for 139 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT; 19 carries for 77 yards

Deshawn McClease, RB, VT: 13 carries for 32 yards

Damon Hazelton, WR, VT: 5 catches for 63 yards and 1 TD

Book Comes Through in Clutch Despite Mistake-Laden Game

Although he made a few questionable plays that could have crippled the Fighting Irish on Saturday, Book likely earned himself some additional leash from head coach Brian Kelly by producing when it mattered most.

With Notre Dame trailing by six in the waning minutes of the game, Book orchestrated an 18-play, 87-yard drive that culminated in a seven-yard touchdown run:

Book and the Fighting Irish actually looked pretty good out of the gates Saturday, as he threw a pair of touchdown passes to Cole Kmet and Tommy Tremble in the first half:

The story of the opening half, however, was the fact that Notre Dame outgained Virginia Tech by nearly 200 yards but could only manage a 14-14 tie at halftime.

Turnovers played a significant role, as Book threw an interception in the red zone in the first quarter, which ended an impressive run of success inside the opponent's 20-yard line over the course of the season, per Mike Berardino of the Indianapolis Star:

An even bigger back-breaker occurred with seconds remaining in the first half and Notre Dame holding a 14-7 lead. The Fighting Irish appeared to be going in for a touchdown to make it 21-7, but running back Jafar Armstrong fumbled and Virginia Tech safety Divine Deablo returned it 98 yards for a touchdown.

According to Pete Sampson of The Athletic, it was highly unusual for a Notre Dame running back to fail to protect the football:

Per ESPN Stats & Info, it also marked the longest fumble return for a touchdown Notre Dame had ever allowed:

Virginia Tech held Notre Dame scoreless for nearly the entire second half, but strong defense from the Fighting Irish held the Hokies to only a pair of field goals.

Notre Dame had a chance to cut the deficit to three in the fourth quarter, but Jonathan Doerer missed a 35-yard field goal, which forced Book to win it with a touchdown.

Book delivered in the clutch and kept Notre Dame's New Year's Six Bowl hopes alive, but the Fighting Irish can ill afford to make so many mistakes moving forward if they want to avoid another loss.

What's Next?

Notre Dame will be heavily favored to get back on track with a win next week when it goes on the road to face the Duke Blue Devils.

Meanwhile, Virginia Tech will have a tough challenge on its hands when it hosts the No. 23 Wake Forest Demon Deacons, who improved to 7-1 on Saturday.