Chris Tyree Heads Home For Showdown With Virginia Tech

Notre Dame running back sophomore Chris Tyree heads back to his home state of Virginia in hopes of getting the Irish back on track

Notre Dame has focused a lot more attention recruiting the state of Virginia in recent seasons, and the prize jewel of those efforts is Chester, Va. native Chris Tyree. The sophomore running back, who is Notre Dame's most explosive player, came to South Bend from Thomas Dale High School, and he is excited to get back inside Lane Stadium.

“The stadium was literally shaking, it was so loud,” Tyree said, recalling a visit he took to Lane Stadium back in 2018.

He was a recruit back then, but now he's a playmaker for Notre Dame, and he'll get to live a dream this weekend.

“I’m excited to go back home and play there,” he said. “This is what I dreamed about since I was a kid.”

Virginia Tech coach Justin Fuente is aware of how Tyree can disrupt a game.

“Speed,” he said when asked about Tyree’s ability to change a game. “First of all, getting to know Chris and family through recruiting, he was just an awesome young man with an awesome family. The thing that stands out is he’s got lead speed. They have a dynamic 1-2 punch with Chris and 23 (Kyren Williams). Twenty-three plays incredibly hard. Chris is electric. If he has an eight-yard crease, he can take an eight-yard run and turn it into an 80-yard run in the blink of an eye.”

The game against the Hokies (3-1) is urgent for Notre Dame (4-1), which turned the ball over three times in its loss to Cincinnati. There is a sense that the Irish have to win this one to stay on track for a strong season. There is also a sense that they threw the game away last week.

The defense has played well but the offense has struggled. Notre Dame rushed for 84-yards against the Bearcats and three quarterbacks were a combined 23 of 46 with two interceptions and a touchdown pass. Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly won’t reveal his starter but Drew Pyne, who threw the touchdown pass, led the team to their 13 points.

Tyree said the team has moved on from the Bearcat loss.

“It really wasn’t different for us,” he said of preparing after the loss. “We have to get back to the basics and back to the process. I wouldn’t say there is any hangover in the building.”

Tyree added that the offense needs to get “its juice back. We need to get that swagger.”

For Tyree, that means making big plays. He’s the fastest player on the football team.

“I came here to be a home run hitter and a big playmaker,” he said. “That’s my job. Honestly. I understand that doesn’t happen every play. I just want to bring more consistency and more accountability. “

Regarding the fumble on the kickoff in the first half against Cincinnati, Tyree said it was just an unfortunate mistake.

“I think my teammates understood,” he said. “It was important for me to move on. We still had a lot of football left.”

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