Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Notre Dame QB Malik Zaire out for season with fractured right ankle

Published Sep. 12, 2015 6:15 p.m. ET

foxsports

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — Quarterback Malik Zaire is out for the season after fracturing his right ankle in the third quarter of No. 9 Notre Dame's last-minute 34-27 win over Virginia on Saturday.

Zaire gained 3 yards on a designed run and was helped to the sideline, then taken away in a cart. Coach Brian Kelly announced Zaire was done for the year after the game.

DeShone Kizer replaced Zaire and C.J. Prosise ran 24 yards for a touchdown on the next play. Prosise replaced Tarean Folston, who was knocked out for the season last week with a knee injury.

Kizer rallied the Fighting Irish in the fourth quarter and completed a go-ahead 39-yard touchdown pass to Will Fuller with 12 seconds left.

Zaire was 7 of 18 passing for 115 yards, including a 59-yard touchdown to Fuller. He ran 10 times for 87 yards.

The stunning victory was "bittersweet," Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly said.

"Now, Deshone has to run our football team and we feel good about it," Kelley said, even as he acknowledged that Kizer lacks experience.

"He's got great weapons around him and we saw that tonight."

The Fighting Irish (2-0) lost top running back Folston to a knee injury last week against Texas, and found a strong backup in Prosise, who ran for 155 yards against Virginia.