Jack Coan and Jonathan Doerer push Notre-Dame ahead of Virginia Tech – Inside the Irish

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Notre Dame is clearly unable to play a ho-hum game in 2021, or even a game that is simply close rather than riddled with quarterback questions and topped off with a dramatic comeback.

Even for Brian Kelly, the Irish quarterback’s dynamic in Saturday’s 32-29 victory at Virginia Tech may have reached a new level of absurdity. Kelly put his veteran starter on the bench after a dismal first quarter only to have his promising freshman fall back into the mistakes of youth before injury forced the veteran starter back into the fray. At that point, with No.14 Notre Dame (5-1) leading by eight points at the end of the fourth quarter, Jack Coan seemed to have the odds against him.

But at no point did he flinch, making five of six passes for 58 yards, then converting a bewildering two-point conversion by finding senior wide receiver Kevin Austin to tie the game at 29. After the Hokies got three Goals, Coan again showed impressive composure, completing two quick passes for 35 yards to put the Irish within shooting range.

Fifth-year kicker Jonathan Doerer took the chance to score his second game-winning goal of the year, both on the road, even though a fan used a version of a laser to try and distract him, according to Kelly. As his head coach protested the illegal distraction to officials, the veterans specialist finally told Kelly, “Coach, let’s go. “

“I’ve been in a lot of games, coached a lot of games, but I don’t know if I’ve ever coached a group of guys who had such determination and mental toughness that no matter what the situation is they have. just kept playing, ”Kelly said. “… As a coach, what I take away from these games is watching a guy like a Jack Coan come in, under these circumstances, and rise above it.”

These circumstances referred to the entire Notre Dame game, but more specifically to his quarterbacks. While Coan made no glaring mistakes as he struggled in the first quarter, those three practices gained a total of 17 yards, with three assists on possessions that lost yards. There was no sign of a promise that would deter Kelly from inserting freshman Tyler Buchner.

After Buchner’s first practice led to a quick touchdown, the notable moment was when he took the field in a second practice. Kelly had said Buchner would play in his usual situational role no matter who Notre Dame started as quarterback, but the second straight practice involved something more than a situational substitution, and Buchner delivered.

“We have to have a running game, we have to run football, we have to have a different mindset about how we do things,” said Kelly. “[Offensive coordinator Tommy Rees] and I spoke, I said, ‘Leave [Buchner] inside. He plays. Commit on your game sheet. He plays and he doesn’t go out, call the game that way.

Including that first drive, the Irish have scored three times in quick order with Buchner at the helm.

“He did some really good things and then he did some inexperienced things,” Kelly said. “… He’s getting there, but he’s not yet, and the maturing process continues.”

Indeed, Buchner’s inexperience allowed the Virginia Tech defense to score, thanks to an interception gift to Hokies cornerback Jermaine Waller that Waller came back for a touchdown and a 22-21 lead in the fourth. quarter, and Buchner was fortunate not to have thrown another -six choice. When he finally threw a second interception, he also suffered an apparent ankle injury.

Re-enter Coan, a move that could have happened regardless of the injury.

“[Buchner] need help today, ”Kelly said. “We had to go to the enclosure. Enter Mariano Rivera today, enter Sandman. [Coan] closed it for us.

Without second-year tight end Michael Mayer (groin strain), senior receiver Joe Wilkins (MCL tear) and running back Chris Tyree (turf toe) throughout the fourth quarter, not to mention Buchner, Notre Dame had little choice but to keep playing with what he had. Coan made the most of it. Even junior running back Kyren Williams missed the final moments after a blow to the head forced Irish medics to take concussion tests with him – he wasn’t concussed, only frustrated at not playing .

“Just do my job,” Coan told ACC Network key reporter Kelsey Riggs immediately after the victory. “I have a lot of great playmakers and linemen around me. … You continue to stay focused and help as much as you can.

Coan finished with 108 yards on 9 of 12 passes, 7 of 9 and 93 yards in the dying minutes.

“It’s about winning, no matter how pretty it is,” he said.

Buchner went 6 of 14 for 113 yards, adding 67 yards on 12 rushing attempts. His rush helped create both space and a change of mind for Williams, who ran 19 carries for 81 yards, including a hard-fought touchdown.

“We were jumping,” Williams said. “… It wasn’t two yards, it wasn’t really negative (play), we found points that were productive and we held on to them. Kudos to the coaches and linemen for doing what we do best and giving us the running backs a chance.

The Irish ran for 185 yards on 41 rushes (adjusted sacks), an average of 4.51 yards per stroke.

WHAT CHANGED?
How was Coan able to move away from the definition in the ineffective to conduct two clutch drives with no errors to win the game?

“It’s a combination of things,” Kelly said. “Things are starting to slow down a bit, the guys are getting a bit tired, he sees the game a bit differently, he settles down a bit.

“You still have to make those shots. We still have to be decisive. You watched what I watched. He was decisive, the bullet came out of his hands, the readings were correct and it looked like he was shooting fish through the barrel with the speed of the bullet coming out of his hand compared to what it was more early.

When things unfolded, Coan’s true nature was revealed. Not only was it the precision and efficiency usually seen in Notre Dame workouts, but it was the mentality that drove the Irish coaching staff to chase Coan through the transfer portal and quickly conquered the alignment of Notre-Dame.

“He’s got that look in his eyes, a lot of self-confidence,” said fifth-year Irish linebacker and captain Drew White. “He says a lot when he walks in at the end of the game over there, has that look on him. There are some guys who just don’t have it. He has the ability to be clutch and to lead winning orders.

SUMMARY OF POINTS
First shift
3:21 – hit Virginia Tech. Raheem Blackshear rush of 7 meters. Parker Romo PAT good. Virginia Tech 7, Notre Dame 0. (7 games, 80 yards, 3:54)

Second quarter
10:35 a.m. – Virginia Tech field goal. Romo 19 meters. Virginia Tech 10, Notre Dame 0. (14 plays, 59 yards, 6:17)
6:51 am – Notre-Dame touchdown. Tyler Buchner 3-yard run. Jonathan Doerer PAT good. Virginia Tech 10, Notre Dame 7. (7 plays, 75 yards, 3:44)
0:32 – Touchdown of Notre-Dame. 8 yard pass from Kyren Williams of Buchner. Doerer PAT good. Notre Dame 14, Virginia Tech 10. (9 games, 80 yards, 0:59)
0:00 – Virginia Tech field goal. Romo 52 meters. Notre Dame 14, Virginia Tech 13. (5 plays, 46 yards, 0:24)

Third quarter
8:53 – Virginia Tech field goal. Romo 26 meters. Virginia Tech 16, Notre Dame 14. (11 plays, 61 yards, 6:01)
4:27 – Landing of Notre-Dame. Williams 10-yard run. Doerer PAT good. Notre Dame 21, Virginia Tech 16. (4 plays, 29 yards, 1:56)
0:50 – Landing of Virginia Tech. Jermaine Waller’s interception return on 26 yards. 2-point conversion attempt intercepted by Bo Bauer. Virginia Tech 22, Notre-Dame 21.

Fourth trimester
3:55 – Touched Virginia Tech. Braxton Burmeister rush from 19 yards. Romo PAT good. Virginia Tech 29, Notre Dame 21. (8 plays, 56 yards, 3:43)
2:26 – Touchdown of Notre-Dame. Avery Davis touchdown from 4 yards from Jack Coan. Good 2-point conversion attempt, Kevin Austin caught at 2 yards. Virginia Tech 29, Notre Dame 29. (7 plays, 75 yards, 1:29)
0:17 – Notre-Dame field goal. Doerer 48 meters. Notre Dame 32, Virginia Tech 29. (7 plays, 45 yards, 1:39)

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