Sometimes, you just gotta hold onto the ball in order to come out on top. While it’s too early to determine if that will work for Notre Dame at this point, that certainly was case in the first quarter. How else to explain its 7-0 lead over Georgia Tech?
The Irish began the game with a possession that lasted 8:44 thanks to a nice mixture of runs and passes along with a few third-down conversions. It ended with an 8-yard touchdown pass from Ian Book to Joe Wilkins Jr. That’s the first score for Wilkins at Notre Dame. Book completed all seven of his pass attempts for 49 yards during the drive.
Despite having to wait longer than usual to see the field, the Irish’s defense did not miss a beat. It allowed Jahmyr Gibbs to pick up 5 yards on the ground on third-and-1, but took those yards right back when Gibbs was tackled behind the line after taking a pass from Jeff Sims. Soon after, the Yellow Jackets punted it away and then appeared to recover a fumble but a hands-to-the-face penalty. The Irish took advantage of their second life by getting close to the end zone again as the quarter ended.