Tommy Rees gets nice send-off in Notre Dame’s 23-13 win over BYU

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Tommy Rees, booed a year ago at Notre Dame Stadium when he was brought in late against Purdue, finished his last home game to chants of “Tommy” as the clock ran out in a 23-13 victory over Brigham Young on Saturday.

“That was a very special moment. We’ve been through a lot, this entire senior class. Not only on the team, but everybody here,” Rees said. “They could have chanted anyone’s name, it’s a whole senior class effort, but that was definitely a memory I’ll hold very closely for a long time.”

Rees got the Fighting Irish (8-3) going with a 61-yard touchdown pass to DaVaris Daniels on Notre Dame’s first possession, then set up a two-yard touchdown run by Tarean Folston with a 30-yard pass to T.J. Jones as the Irish rebounded from a disappointing 28-21 loss to Pittsburgh.

The game was played in intermittent snow, with temperatures in the 20s and winds gusting to 30 mph. The field was worn and torn despite being replaced a little more than a month ago. Several times, ballcarriers fell as they tried to make cuts. But the Irish improved to 13-1-3 all-time in games when it snows, with the lone loss coming to Indianapolis Artillery in 1895.

Coach Brian Kelly said the Notre Dame staff asked the players to focus on doing the little things right, which they lacked against Pitt.

“I think all of our players, in particular our seniors, really rallied to those things,” Kelly said.

Rees was 15 for 28 passing for 235 yards and the Irish rushed for 235 yards, led by a career-high 117 by Cam McDaniel. Folston had 78 yards in 13 carries as the Irish amassed 470 yards of total offense.

BYU is 7-4.