Notre Dame makes quarterback change against Virginia Tech
After starting Jack Coan at quarterback for the sixth straight game, Irish head coach Brian Kelly made a change at the position after just two series.
True freshman Tyler Buchner took over the reins from the graduate transfer and provided an immediate spark for Notre Dame.
After four straight run plays, Buchner completed a 46-yard pass to receiver Kevin Austin. Buchner capped off the 75-yard drive with a 3-yard touchdown run to make the score 10-7. It is the first rushing touchdown of his short career.
Following the first score, Buchner led a second touchdown drive of 80 yards that culminated in an 8-yard touchdown pass to Kyren Williams.
At the half, Buchner is 5-for-8 with 101 yards and two total touchdowns. Coan was 2-for-3 with 15 yards before leaving the game.
Virginia Tech scored on two of its first three drives, but the Irish have since gotten the game until control on the defensive side. The Hokies punted twice in a row and totaled 14 yards on the two drives. They did, however, end the first half with a 52-yard field goal.
The score at halftime is 14-13 with Notre Dame on top.
True freshman is likely the quarterback of the future in South Bend
The original plan was to prepare Buchner to take over the Irish offense next year, but due to underwhelming quarterback and offensive line play in South Bend, the 18-year-old standout has seen a fair amount of game action this year.
The California native is a run threat and former four-star recruit. He was the No. 5 player in California and the No. 11 quarterback overall in his class according to 247Sports. Buchner has played in three games this season but has been hindered by a minor hamstring injury.
Entering tonight’s game, Buchner was 3-for-6 with 78 yards, a passing touchdown and an interception. He had carried the ball 14 times for 100 yards.