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Notre Dame Beats Virginia: Senior Day Stats That Told the Tale

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Notre Dame Beats Virginia: Senior Day Stats That Told the Tale


No. 8 Notre Dame moved to 9-1 on the season with a 35-14 victory over Virginia that wasn’t as close as the final score indicated.

Notre Dame didn’t play a complete game but was in control from the get-go and is two wins away from reaching the College Football Playoff and likely returning to its home field for a First Round playoff game.

Numbers can tell the story and that was again the case Saturday. Here are the numbers that stood out the most in Notre Dame’s eighth-straight victory.

Notre Dame vs. Virginia: 5 Forced Turnovers

Xavier Watts celebrates a fumble recovery for Notre Dame against Virgini

Notre Dame safety Xavier Watts (0) celebrates picking up a Virginia fumble during a NCAA college football game at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in South Bend. / MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The old saying is that if you win the turnover battle that you’ll win the game. Although that isn’t always true, it is a lot more often than it’s not. Notre Dame’s defense was truly dominant on Saturday (more on that later) but the most important thing it did was turn Virginia over. Notre Dame turned Virginia’s first four turnovers into the first 28 points of the game. That was extra important because…

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Notre Dame vs. Virginia: 12 plays for 20 yards

Marcus Freeman shows some frustration during Notre Dame's win over Virgini

Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman celebrates a turnover during a NCAA college football game against Virginia at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in South Bend. / MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

After Chris Tyree muffed the opening kickoff for Virginia, Notre Dame scored a few plays later to take a 7-0 lead. As well as things went for Notre Dame by the time the game was over, the next four possessions that was not the case as the Irish went three-and-out on those possessions, totaling just 20 yards along the way and keeping Virginia in the game longer than necessary.

Notre Dame vs. Virginia: 3.6 Yards Per Play

Notre Dame makes a stop on Virginia during a 35-14 victory in 202

Notre Dame defensive lineman Bryce Young (30) tackles Virginia tight end Sage Ennis (0) during a NCAA college football game at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in South Bend. / MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

While this game was competitive, Notre Dame’s defense played absolutely lights out. Virginia’s first 11 possessions consisted of 41 plays that went for 138 yards total and no points. That’s an average of just 3.6 yards per play and coupled with the forced turnovers, put things out of reach for Virginia before the teams hit the locker rooms for halftime.

Notre Dame vs. Virginia: 151 Yards and 14 Points Overturned

If I’ve seen it happen before then I don’t recall it but with the issue still somewhat in doubt and Notre Dame leading 14-0, the Irish opted to try and break the spirit of Virginia. With 4:23 left in the second quarter, Riley Leonard found Jayden Harrison for a would-be 78-yard touchdown pass, but it was called back due to an illegal hands to the face call on Pat Coogan. The call was accurate but just a handful of plays later, Notre Dame ran one of the most creative fake punts of all-time as Jordan Faison trotted 73-yards for an Irish score.

Except it too was called back, this one for a much more confusing rule, and Notre Dame again had a touchdown off the board and opted to punt the ball away.

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Two long touchdowns called back within just plays of each other isn’t something that happens often.

Notre Dame vs. Virginia: 2 Wins Away

Notre Dame wide receiver Jayden Thomas celebrates scoring a touchdown against Virgini

Notre Dame wide receiver Jayden Thomas (83) celebrates a touchdown during a NCAA college football game against Virginia at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in South Bend. / MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The story regarding Notre Dame football this fall is the unlikely run towards the College Football Playoff. It seemed like a given after winning at Texas A&M to start the year and then felt impossible after the Northern Illinois debacle. Reality is after again dominating an inferior opponent, Notre Dame is two very winnable games away from not just making the College Football Playoff but potentially earning a home game in it to boot.

Instant Takeaways as Notre Dame Routs Virginia 35-14

Notre Dame vs. Virginia: Live Score, Game Updates and Commentary

Notre Dame Senior Captain Officially Sets Program Record

Former Notre Dame QB Sam Hartman Returns for Irish Game vs. Virginia





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Spanberger names longtime National Guard leader as next veterans secretary

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Spanberger names longtime National Guard leader as next veterans secretary


Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger on Monday announced she has selected retired U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Timothy Williams to serve as Virginia’s next secretary of veterans and defense affairs, tapping a longtime military leader who spent nearly four decades in uniform and led the Virginia National Guard through some of its most demanding recent missions.Williams, who retired in 2023 after 38 years in the armed forces, served for nine years as Virginia’s adjutant general under three governors. In that role, he oversaw the Virginia Department of Military Affairs, which provides leadership and administrative support to the Virginia Army National Guard, Virginia Air National Guard and Virginia Defense Force.



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Virginia Union’s Curtis Allen makes HBCU history winning Harlan Hill trophy: ‘Kind of crazy’

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Virginia Union’s Curtis Allen makes HBCU history winning Harlan Hill trophy: ‘Kind of crazy’


RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia Union running back Curtis Allen made history by becoming the first player from a Historically Black College or University to win the Harlan Hill Trophy as Division II college football’s player of the year.

Allen, in his only season as the Panthers’ starting running back, rewrote the program’s record books and captured the 39th annual award after a dominant campaign.

The senior finished 82 votes ahead of the second-place finisher and broke a 10-year streak of quarterbacks winning the honor, which is Division II’s equivalent to the Heisman Trophy.

Allen set a new Division II single-season rushing record with 2,409 yards in just 12 games, along with a nation-leading 30 rushing touchdowns. He also broke the CIAA single-season rushing mark.

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“It really sounds crazy because, you know, I really thought Jada (Byers) won last year, but I thought he was a finalist, but I thought he won,” Allen said. “So for me to actually win it, that’s actually kind of crazy. Because I feel like Jada could have possibly been a better running back than me. I just took what he did and did a little bit, you know better than him.”

Allen also recently won the 2025 Willie Laneir Award for his outstanding performance on the field.

Virginia Union’s Curtis Allen takes home Lanier Award

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CBS 6 provides Central Virginia with the most experienced local TV sports coverage in town. Count on Lane Casadonte and Sean Robertson for the most in-depth local sports coverage.

This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.





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Virginia lottery tickets win $400K in Saturday’s Powerball drawing

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Virginia lottery tickets win 0K in Saturday’s Powerball drawing


VIRGINIA (WAVY) – Saturday’s Powerball drawing treated Virginia players well as there were six winners which totaled $400,000, including a ticket bought in Richmond that won $150,000.

Virginia Lottery saw an additional five players win $50,000 each, including one winner in Norfolk. The ticket that won $150,000 was bought at:

  • Publix, 4591 South Laburnum Avenue in Richmond.

The five tickets that each won $50,000 were bought at:

  • 7-Eleven. 14533 Lee Road in Chantilly,
  • Food Lion, 1859 East Little Creek Road in Norfolk,
  • BJ’s, 6607 Wilson Blvd. in Falls Church,
  • Murphy USA, 1860 Stavemill Crossing Lane in Powhatan,
  • Online, using the Virginia Lottery mobile app.

Powerball drawings are held Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 p.m., with the odds of matching all six numbers sitting at 1 in 292,201,338. No tickets purchased matched all six numbers, raising the jackpot for Dec. 22 drawing to $1.6 billion.

All Virginia Lottery profits, including those from the sale of Powerball tickets, go to K-12 education in Virginia. For more information, visit the link here.

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