The Notre Dame Fighting Irish welcomed the Virginia Tech Hokies to South Bend for the first meeting in history between the two storied programs. For Virginia Tech, it was an opportunity to get another win over one of college football's blue-blooded programs. For Notre Dame, it was another chance to keep its bowl hopes alive.
In the end, it turned out to fit the 2016 storylines about perfectly. Notre Dame jumped out to an early lead, only to see it vanish as the minutes ticked away in the second half. It seemed almost inevitable, as the Irish were all but helpless as Virginia Tech took the lead and held them at bay late in the fourth quarter.