Notre Dame football Updates

Observation shows that to win more games than any coach in the storied history of Notre Dame football, Brian Kelly has needed to be adaptable.

The Fighting Irish have used three quarterbacks and four left tackles, moved away from their run-first mentality, and added new wrinkles on defense to head into October unbeaten.

Chris Tyree returned a kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown and Drew Pyne threw a fourth-quarter touchdown pass in relief of an injured Jack Coan, helping No. 12 Notre Dame pull away from No. 18 Wisconsin 41-13 on Saturday at Soldier Field in Chicago.

The Fighting Irish (4-0) have shown plenty of vulnerabilities as they retooled a team that went to the College Football Playoff last season. But they keep winning.

“We got a long way to go still, but they’re getting better each week,“ Kelly said. “I’m having fun coaching them. They’re not perfect by any means, but they’re going to be better in November.”

With victory No. 106 in 12 seasons at Notre Dame, Kelly (106-39) surpassed the legendary Knute Rockne (105-12-5).

“Last year, we were a veteran team. We hunkered down. We put three tight ends on the field. This is what we were and kind of lived with it,“ Kelly said. “This is, like, we’re trying to figure it out as we go.“

Notre Dame wide receiver Kevin Austin Jr. celebrates his touchdown reception Sept. 25, 2021.

Graham Mertz threw four interceptions for Wisconsin (1-2), including two that were returned for touchdowns in the final 2:30 to blow the game open. Notre Dame scored the final 31 points, and the Badgers lost their seventh straight to a ranked team.

Running back Chez Mellusi called the collapse “embarrassing.”

Coan, a Wisconsin transfer, left because of a left leg injury in the third quarter with the score tied at 10. Kelly said it was a soft-tissue injury and it didn’t appear to be a severe ankle sprain.

“Jack Coan is our starter,” Kelly said. “If he’s physically able, he’ll be our starter against Cincinnati.”

Notre Dame had used freshman Tyler Buchner as a mobile complement to Coan the last two games, but he was dealing with a sore hamstring. So it was Pyne’s turn to step up.

Pyne lost a fumble on his second possession, leading to a field goal by the Badgers, but otherwise the redshirt freshman was solid, going six for eight for 81 yards.

Coan played 22 games for Wisconsin over three seasons and was the starter for the 2019 team that reached the Big Ten championship game. He broke his foot in the run-up to the abbreviated Big Ten season last year, and Mertz claimed the starting job.

A highly rated 2019 recruit, Mertz had some ups and downs in 2020, but Coan could see where things were headed and transferred to Notre Dame.

He has been a solid fit playing behind a struggling offensive line. Coan completed 15 of 29 passes for 158 yards and a touchdown, and he was sacked five times by his former team.

Mertz threw his first touchdown pass of the season but was otherwise ineffective, going 18 for 41 for 240 yards. The sophomore isn’t Wisconsin’s only problem on offense, but he is most definitely one of them.

Coach Paul Chryst said he needs to call better plays to put his quarterback in position to succeed.

“We know that we’re inconsistent, that it’s a struggle, and the best way to approach that is to own our part in it and then together we can try to fix it,” Chryst said.

No. 2 Georgia 62, at Vanderbilt 0

JT Daniels threw for 121 yards and two touchdowns while playing only the first quarter in the Bulldogs’ biggest win in this series that started in 1893.

The game was effectively over when Georgia (4-0, 2-0 Southeastern Conference) led 35-0 after the first quarter. The Bulldogs started three of four drives in Vanderbilt territory. They recovered a fumble on a kickoff to set up one touchdown, then Christopher Smith intercepted a pass to set up a second touchdown less than 30 seconds later.

Georgia nearly had more points than Vanderbilt managed yards, outgaining the Commodores 524-77.

Vanderbilt (1-3, 0-1) lost its 14th straight SEC game, a skid that could be longer if COVID issues hadn’t forced the Commodores to cancel their visit on Georgia’s Senior Day last season.

at No. 6 Penn State 38, Villanova 17

Sean Clifford passed for four touchdowns and a career-high 401 yards as Penn State showcased its speed against its in-state Football Championship Subdivision opponent.

Clifford completed 19 of 26 passes, finding Parker Washington for two touchdowns and Jahan Dotson and KeAndre Lambert-Smith for one apiece. Tyler Warren rushed for a touchdown and Jordan Stout kicked a field goal for the Nittany Lions (4-0), who led 17-3 at the break in their eighth consecutive win.

Daniel Smith threw 57- and 17-yard touchdown passes to Rayjoun Pringle in the fourth quarter for the Wildcats (3-1).

at No. 17 Coastal Carolina 53, Massachusetts 3

Grayson McCall threw for two touchdowns and ran for a third as the Chanticleers (4-0) sent the Minutemen (0-4) to their 15th consecutive loss.

Coastal Carolina, which scored on eight of nine possessions, has started 4-0 for the second straight season and has won 15 of 16 games over two years.

McCall opened the scoring with a three-yard touchdown run and added scoring passes of 25 yards to Isaiah Likely and a 23 yards to Javion Heiligh.

UMass, a Football Bowl Subdivision independent, hasn’t won since topping Akron 37-28 in September 2019.

at Texas 70, Texas Tech 35

Casey Thompson threw for five touchdowns and ran for another as Texas (3-1, 1-0 Big 12) continued its offensive explosion since naming him the starting quarterback with the rout of Texas Tech (3-1, 0-1).

Louisiana State 28, at Mississippi State 25

Max Johnson passed for 280 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Tigers (3-1, 1-0 SEC) to a win over the late-rallying Bulldogs (2-2, 0-1).

Bowling Green 14, at Minnesota 10

Quarterback Matt McDonald ran for a pair of scores, and two late interceptions by the Bowling Green defense sealed the win as the Falcons (2-2) shocked heavily-favored Golden Gophers (2-2) during their homecoming.