Irish Are Running on All Cylinders

West Virginia tried everything to stop Notre Dame, even throwing in a towel. The Mountaineers simply couldn’t stop the Irish rushing game.

Tony Fisher scored on runs of 25 and 55 yards and Julius Jones ran for two touchdowns as Notre Dame (2-3) rushed for 345 yards in a 34-24 victory over West Virginia (2-4) in the rain Saturday.

Carlyle Holiday ran for 130 yards on 19 carries and Fisher added 119 yards.

“We knew they were going to run it. Everybody in the stadium knew they were going to run it. Our defense knew they were going to run it,” West Virginia Coach Rich Rodriguez said. “They pushed us around a little bit.”

It was Notre Dame’s best rushing game since getting 380 yards against Boston College last season. The Irish had 269 yards rushing in losing their first three games.

Trailing, 27-24, midway through the fourth quarter, the Mountaineers were driving when Brad Lewis threw the ball deep and it was picked off by Justin Smith at the 12.

Smith returned the ball to the 45, and Fisher put the game away on the next play, running 55 yards down the right side.

Fisher and Jones became the first Notre Dame backs to rush for two touchdowns each in a game in five years. Holiday and Fisher became the first Irish players to rush for more than 100 yards each in a game since Fisher and Jarious Jackson accomplished the feat against Oklahoma in 1999.

Notre Dame’s Nicholas Setta kicked field goals of 21 and 42 yards.

On the 42-yarder it appeared a West Virginia player threw a towel that touched the ball. Safety Rick Sherrod said the towel was his, but he didn’t throw it.

“I probably lost it on that play because I was looking for it and couldn’t find,” he said. “I was just jumping up.”