SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- They didn't finish it impressively, but No. 8 Notre Dame sent a message Saturday with a 30-22 victory against No. 14 Georgia Tech.

They might be on their second starting quarterback only three weeks into the season, but the Fighting Irish are still in good shape with sophomore DeShone Kizer running the offense.

Despite allowing two late touchdowns to give Georgia Tech some faint hope, Notre Dame improved to 3-0 in Kizer's first career start. Running back C.J. Prosise also had a great day, and Notre Dame's defense was stout against a potent run-based offense.

"Our defensive plan was outstanding," Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly said. "Our team executed it up until maybe the last couple of minutes, where we probably lost a little focus, but just a tremendous performance by our football team."

Prosise, a senior, rushed for 198 yards and scored on runs of 17, 1 and 91 yards.

His 91-yard bolt up the middle in the fourth quarter not only put the Fighting Irish up 30-7 with 6:58 to play, but tied for the second-longest run from scrimmage in school history and was the longest run in Notre Dame Stadium.

Kizer, starting in place of the injured Malik Zaire, made only one big mistake by throwing a first-half interception in the end zone. Otherwise he looked good.

Kizer completed 21-of-30 passes for 242 yards and a touchdown, and directed four drives that resulted in TDs.

"I couldn't see my first start being any better than this," Kizer said. "When they announced my name and I heard the response from the crowd, that was a pretty special moment."

Kizer's touchdown pass went 46 yards to Will Fuller in the first quarter for a 7-0 lead and highlighted another big game for Notre Dame's top target. Fuller caught six passes for 131 yards and has posted with more than 100 yards receiving in each of the first three games, the first Notre Dame receiver to do that since Tom Gatewood in 1970.

Prosise made it 13-7 with his 17-yard touchdown run with 1:40 left in the second quarter and that's the way it stayed at the half.

Georgia Tech kicker Harrison Butker missed field goals of 30 and 43 yards in the first half, but the bigger story was the Yellow Jackets' struggle to run the ball through the first three quarters.

Georgia Tech outrushed Notre Dame by one yard (216-215) and produced two rushing touchdowns, but the Yellow Jackets came into the game averaging 457 yards on the ground.

Their 337 total yards from scrimmage was 225 less than the 562 they averaged in their first two games against Alcorn State and Tulane, and Notre Dame forced them into three fumbles (one lost).

"We've got a lot of young skill guys and we just didn't play very good," Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson said. "I think we've got to give Notre Dame some credit. They had something to do with that, but the first half was awful. We gave up two long pass plays, our kicking game was atrocious ... it was disappointing the way we played."

It wasn't all bad, especially after Notre Dame took a 30-7 lead on Prosise's long TD run midway through the fourth.

Georgia Tech quarterback Justin Thomas led a 79-yard drive in response and made it 30-15 with 48 seconds left to play. Thomas capped it with a 24-yard TD pass to running back Patrick Skov, who scored all three of the Yellow Jackets' TDs.

After recovering the ensuing onside kick, the Yellow Jackets scored 26 seconds later on Skov's second TD reception to make it 30-22. Notre Dame fans started sending up a few prayers in the stands and the teams lineup up for the next kickoff, but receiver Torii Hunter Jr. recovered next onside attempt to save the day.

NOTES: Notre Dame sophomore Drue Tranquill started at safety instead of Elijah Shumate, but his day didn't have a pleasant conclusion. After making a pass breakup late in the first half in the end zone, he appeared to re-injure a surgically-repaired knee and didn't return. ... Notre Dame led 7-0 after the first quarter and has outscored opponents 33-0 in the first quarters of its first three games. ... Georgia Tech receiver Michael Summers was injured in the third quarter after making a catch. He left the game and didn't return. ... The Yellow Jackets hadn't been stopped inside the red zone this season until Notre Dame forced them to attempt a 30-yard field goal in the first quarter.