SOUTH BEND, Ind. —
In the week leading to Saturday’s game, Notre Dame’s past defensive struggles with triple-option rushing attacks was well-documented. It was a major reason why Notre Dame was a home underdog, despite being ranked in the top 10 nationally.
But it was the Fighting Irish defense that set the tone for a Notre Dame win that was more comfortable than the 30-22 final would suggest. They held a Tech team that came in averaging 457.5 yards rushing per game to less than half that (216 yards). Much of it was gained late, after Notre Dame was up 30-7 and the game was well in hand.