No. 2 Notre Dame beats No. 25 North Carolina 31-17
(CHAPEL HILL, NC) – Ian Book kept No. 2 Notre Dame's offense moving while the Fighting Irish defense locked down Sam Howell and No. 25 North Carolina's potent offense for the final three quarters in a 31-17 victory on Friday. Book threw for 279 yards and a score and ran for 48 yards for the Fighting Irish (9-0, 8-0 ACC, No. 2 CFP), using his mobility and elusiveness to keep plays alive on a night when both offenses frequently faced long fields. Receiver Ben Skowronek got Notre Dame its first lead with his 13 yard run around the right side midway through the third quarter. Kyren Williams ran for 124 yards, including a 47 yarder with about 5½ minutes left as the Irish burned clock and sealed the game. Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly called it "one of those road wins that really shows the mettle of your football team." Williams closed that drive with his second rushing TD, a clinching 1-yarder with 1:20 left that kept the Fighting Irish alone atop the ACC standings ahead of No. 4 Clemson and No. 10 Miami. He also had a 4-yard scoring catch in the first quarter after Book corralled a low snap and scrambled to buy time before finding him on the right side. More impressively, though, was a defensive effort that forced Howell and the high-scoring Tar Heels to work for every gain after the opening quarter. UNC (6-3, 6-3, No. 19 CFP) sprinted to touchdowns on its first two drives, but Notre Dame surrendered only one field goal from there. The Tar Heels came in averaging 43 points and 563 yards, yet they were unable to buy time for Howell to push downfield for big gains nor open running lanes for a pair of backs averaging better than 100 yards rushing each in Javonte Williams and Michael Carter. By the end, UNC had finished with a season-low 298 yards while Howell threw for just 211 yards and a score. He also ran for a touchdown. The Fighting Irish came in with a defense that ranked among the nation's best by allowing just 85.1 yards rushing and 16.6 points. That unit came up big even after losing safety Kyle Hamilton to a first-half targeting call, sacking Howell six times while surrendering just 87 yards rushing.

OTHER FRIDAY TOP 25 SCORES
No. 13 Iowa State 23 – No. 17 Texas 20
Oregon State 41 – No. 15 Oregon 38
No. 24 Iowa 26 – Nebraska 20

FRIDAY MAC FOOTBALL SCORES
Central Michigan 31 – Eastern Michigan 23