SOUTH BEND, Ind., Oct. 13 (UPI) -- Julius Jones and Tony Fisher ran for two touchdowns apiece Saturday to help Notre Dame win its second straight game, 32-24 over West Virginia.
With Notre Dame off to a disappointing start, rumors surfaced this week that coach Bob Davie, who signed a five-year contract extension last season, would be fired at the end of the year.
But the Irish (2-3) overcame the distraction.
Notre Dame plays Southern California and Boston College in the next two weeks before its next major test against Tennessee on Nov. 3.
West Virginia (2-4) played without Cooper Rego, who was held out after protests over his return to South Bend following a sexual assault accusation when he was a freshman at the school.
Fisher and Jones, along with quarterback Caryle Holiday, ignited Notre Dame's rushing game as the Irish gained a season-high 345 yards on the ground. Holiday gained 130 yards, while Fisher had 119 and Jones rumbled for 92.
Jones opened the scoring in the first quarter with a 19-yard touchdown run and added an one-yard plunge midway through the second to give Notre Dame a 17-10 advantage.
The Moutaineers stormed back in the third quarter as Brad Lewis fired scoring passes of 12 yards to A.J. Nastasi and eight yards to Tory Johnson, giving West Virginia a 24-17 lead.
Notre Dame tied it on Fisher's 25-yard run with 4:11 left in the third and took the lead for good on Nicholas Setta's 42-yard field goal with 10:56 remaining in the final quarter.
Fisher capped the scoring with a 55-yard jaunt just over three minutes later.
Avon Cobourne ran for 169 yards on 26 carries for West Virginia while Lewis completed just nine of 23 passes for 91 yards and an interception.
The Mountaineers suffered their third straight loss and have dropped all four meetings with Notre Dame.
