Notre Dame Shows "Grit" In Victory Over North Carolina

All the arrows are starting to point up for Notre Dame.

The Irish beat North Carolina 44-34, which improved them to 7-1. It was their third straight win since a disappointing loss to Cincinnati and it was their sixth win over a Power Five conference team.

Notre Dame (7-1) came in knowing that it was likely going to have win in a shootout against a team with a NFL-caliber quarterback in Sam Howell with an offense that was averaging around 471 yards per game.

It was a shootout. The Irish just had a little more punch than the Tar Heels (4-4).

Howell finished with 341 yards passing and one touchdown throw and he rushed for 101 yards and another score.

It wasn’t a great defensive performance but a lot of that was because of Howell. He can make an entire defense look bad.

“I really enjoyed watching him play,” Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly said of the UNC signal caller. “He’s special.”

Notre Dame got a season-high 293 yards rushing. Running back Kyren Williams ran for a career-high 199 yards on 19 carries. His touchdown, a 91-yard run, was spectacular.

Williams broke a tackle behind the line of scrimmage and then beat another guy in the backfield before racing down the sideline for an improbable score.

Kelly said he’s feeling good about this team.

“I like the position we are in,” he said. “It’s an improving football team. We’re getting better each and every week.”

Kelly called North Carolina, with Howell, a “tough team to beat.”

Notre Dame quarterback Jack Coan was solid again, completing 16 of 24 passes for 213 yards with one touchdown. Coan raced in from 21 yards out late in the second quarter for a score.

Notre Dame put the game away with a 15-play, 70-yard drive that ended with a Jonathan Doerer field goal from 22 yards with 1:37 left. It was a drive they needed to have, and it was Doerer's third field goal of the night.

It's what good teams do at the end of games.

Kelly said he’s happy with the progress the Irish have made.

“I really like this team,” he said. “I love their grit but I also love the fact that they’re getting better each week. That’s a good thing.”

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