BLACKSBURG, VA. — Virginia Tech’s bid for a second upset of a ranked opponent ended in anguish when Jonathan Doerer’s 48-yard field goal in the closing seconds sailed between the uprights to give No. 14 Notre Dame a 32-29 triumph Saturday night at Lane Stadium.
The senior’s winning kick with 17 seconds to play prevented Virginia Tech from beating a second top-25 team at home in the same season for the first time since 2009. The Hokies (3-2) defeated then-No. 10 North Carolina in the season opener, 17-10.
Virginia Tech dropped its third consecutive game to the Fighting Irish (5-1), including a 21-20 loss two years ago in South Bend, Ind., also in heartbreaking fashion.
“Obviously it’s a tough locker room,” Hokies Coach Justin Fuente said. “What a football game. Incredible competitive event out there on the field tonight. Both teams, so many back and forths, different guys playing roles, guys going out, guys having to step in. It came down obviously to the very end there."
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Virginia Tech took a 29-21 lead with 3:55 remaining on ailing quarterback Braxton Burmeister’s 19-yard run amid a breakdown in protection. His elusive run concluded an eight-play, 56-yard drive that benefited from a roughing-the-passer penalty.
But the Fighting Irish drew within two on quarterback Jack Coan’s four-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Avery Davis with 2:26 to play. Coan then scrambled to extend the two-point conversion attempt before finding Kevin Austin in the end zone, setting up the frantic finish.
Virginia Tech played the final few minutes without starting linebacker and emotional leader Dax Hollifield, who was ejected for targeting. The penalty also means Hollfield is ineligible to play for the first half of next week’s game against Pittsburgh.
“It does hurt because Dax, he’s a positive energy giver,” Virginia Tech defensive end Tyjuan Garbutt said. “He keeps peoples’ heads up when they might be down. He continues to celebrate people when they make plays. He’s one of our leaders, and losing him, it’s hard to replace him, especially at the time we lost him.”
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The Hokies had claimed a 22-21 lead heading into the fourth quarter thanks to cornerback Jermaine Waller’s 26-yard interception return. The touchdown with 50 seconds remaining in the third quarter unfolded when Waller picked off a poorly thrown pass from Tyler Buchner intended for Deion Colzie and ran untouched down the left sideline.
The point-after pass failed when Hokies backup quarterback Connor Blumrick had his throw intercepted.
Notre Dame had moved in front 21-16 four plays after Burmeister tossed his second interception of the season on a pass directed at wide receiver Da’Wain Lofton. But cornerback TaRiq Bracy had inside position and secured the catch before he and Lofton slid out of bounds.
Burmeister left the game on the ensuing series at the end of a four-yard run on third and 10 with 3:02 left in the third quarter. Defensive tackle Jayson Ademilola corralled Burmeister from behind and landed hard on the redshirt junior, whose right shoulder absorbed much of the impact.
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He walked to the sideline in clear discomfort favoring his right side but went back into the game with 5:20 left in the fourth quarter with Virginia Tech clinging to the narrowest of margins.
“I mean obviously it was a little bit of pain,” Burmeister said, adding his arm went numb for a brief period. “But I’m always going to go if I can go.”
An error on the first series of the second half cost Virginia Tech a touchdown. On second and eight from the Notre Dame 13, wide receiver Tayvion Robinson caught an apparent touchdown from Burmeister, but left guard Lecitus Smith and center Brock Hoffman were ruled ineligible downfield.
The Hokies wound up settling for John Parker Romo’s 26-yard field goal for a 16-14 lead with 8:53 to go in the third quarter.
The final minutes of the second quarter featured quick scoring drives from both teams that resulted in Virginia Tech trailing 14-13 at halftime after Romo, a senior transfer from Tulsa, connected on a career-long 52-yard field goal as time expired.
Virginia Tech got into position for Romo to attempt the kick thanks to passes of 10, 23 and 13 yards from Burmeister (14 for 29, 171 yards) after the Hokies had taken over at their 19 with 28 seconds to play.
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Moments earlier Notre Dame had capped an 80-yard drive with Buchner completing an eight-yard scoring pass to Kyren Williams. The sophomore running back was wide open in the front right of the end zone thanks to a bit of misdirection on the play that led to miscommunication between Waller and linebacker Alan Tisdale.
Buchner came off the bench to direct the Fighting Irish to its first touchdown with 3:44 left in the first half. The freshman’s three-yard run punctuated a seven-play, 75-yard drive featuring Buchner completing a 46-yard pass to wide receiver Kevin Austin.
Buchner dropped the precise throw directly into the arms of Austin despite tight coverage on the part of Waller as the two drifted toward the right boundary.
Coan, a senior transfer from Wisconsin, began the game at quarterback for Notre Dame amid a dose of gamesmanship from Coach Brian Kelly, who at the start of the week declined to reveal his starter while indicating he was certain who that player would be.
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The Fighting Irish have used three quarterbacks this season, including freshman Drew Pyne.
“We practiced all week not knowing which quarterback was coming, so we wanted to prepare for all three of them,” Garbutt said. “You’ve got to know your personnel. You just trust in the training in going out there and doing what you’re supposed to do.”
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