SOUTH BEND – What happened to Notre Dame between “once upon a time” and “the end” Saturday was no fairy tale, at least as far as Brian Kelly and the Irish are concerned.

Then again, that’s how most of this season has gone.

Twice upon a time Saturday, Notre Dame led Virginia Tech by 17 points. Once again Saturday, the Irish couldn’t hang on to said lead in what ended in a 34-31 loss to the Hokies at Notre Dame Stadium.

The defeat most likely spelled the end of any hopes the Irish (4-7) had of a bowl bid in what has been season stuffed with “what ifs” and seven losses by eight points or fewer.

With one game against USC standing between the Irish and a long offseason, Kelly could only rewrite in his head what has been a trying season in South Bend.

“We’re going to wake up from this nightmare and we’re going to be 11-0,” Kelly joked. “Maybe not.”

Kelly was in no joking mood when he talked about the loss of yet another game and the near-loss of his quarterback, DeShone Kizer, who may or may not have played his final home game in an Irish uniform.

“These kids are wonderful kids,” he said. “I’m at loss for words really as to what to tell them. It’s just been a difficult year.”

One that was compounded Saturday by frustration with two noncalls and one questionable call by officials.

Kizer was rattled by a helmet-to-helmet hit by Terrell Edmunds early in the third quarter, when Notre Dame was clinging to a 24-21 lead.

Kizer immediately grabbed the back of his helmet as he lay on the ground and no flag was thrown. He remained in the game but wasn’t nearly the same as he had been in the first half, when he was 13-for-18 for 199 yards and two touchdowns.

Kizer was down again with 13 seconds left, after another hit to the head, and this time he was out, helped off the field after finishing 16-for-33 for 235 yards. Again, there was no flag.

After the game, Kizer said he was fine. Kelly confirmed that and said his quarterback had no concussion symptoms. But Kelly hardly was fine with the hits.

“That was clearly a quarterback that gave himself up and then was hit,” Kelly said. “So we’re either going to protect the quarterback or we’re not. I don’t quite understand what the rule is because it’s being officiated clearly differently.”

Kizer shrugged off the no-calls and deferred to the officials.

Notre Dame safety Cole Luke was called for a crucial pass-interference penalty near the goal line in the fourth quarter after he was shoved by the helmet to the ground by Hokies receiver Isaiah Ford.

Luke called the call “bogus” and Kelly said Luke did exactly what he was taught on the play. But two plays later, Virginia Tech (8-3) tied the score 31-31 with 9:13 left.

Joey Slye’s 20-yard field goal with 4:16 remaining sealed the Irish’s fate.

Early on it didn’t look like much of anything was going to stop Kizer and the Irish. Kizer was 4-for-4 for 72 yards on the opening drive, which ended with a 1-yard touchdown run by C.J. Sanders. It was the seventh time Notre Dame scored on its first drive this season and fourth game in a row.

Justin Yoon’s 25-yard field goal with 4:26 left in the first made it 10-0.

A second quarter full of firsts only added to the Irish’s optimism. Former walk-on Chris Finke caught his first touchdown seven seconds into the second quarter, a 31-yarder from Kizer that made it 17-0.

Miles Boykin joined Finke with his first touchdown grab, an 18-yarder, with six minutes to go in the second to make it 24-7.

“This one hurts,” offensive lineman Mike McGlinchey said. “We understand how crappy this does feel.”