Rivers' run

N.C. State QB hits 13 straight passes in Gator Bowl victory

Holiday injured in loss JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) -- Notre Dame quarterback Carlyle Holiday separated his left shoulder trying to run for a touchdown in the first quarter of Wednesday's Gator Bowl against North Carolina State. Minus Holiday, the Irish had trouble moving the ball all afternoon and lost 28-6. On second-and-goal from the 1-yard line, Holiday kept the ball and ran right but was stopped for no gain by linebacker Dantonio Burnette. The Irish settled for a field goal to take a 3-0 lead. Holiday, who was 3-of-6 passing for 22 yards before being injured, briefly went to the locker room, then returned to the sideline. He warmed up a bit, but did not return to the game and his arm was in a sling after it ended. Holiday was replaced by Pat Dillingham, the former walk-on who rallied the Irish to victory over Michigan State this season after Holiday left that game with an injured left shoulder. Dillingham was 19-of-37 passing for 166 yards with three interceptions in the loss.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) -- The Irish mystique was no match for the razzle-dazzle and determination of North Carolina State.

The 17th-ranked Wolfpack finished off the best season in school history with a 28-6 victory in Wednesday's Gator Bowl behind Philip Rivers and an offense that made Notre Dame look bad for the second game in a row.

Rivers completed 13 consecutive passes as N.C. State (11-3) scored three touchdowns in the second quarter, one of them on a fumblerooski and another set up by a flea-flicker.

The No. 11 Irish (10-3) lost quarterback Carlyle Holiday to a shoulder injury on their second possession, lost their temper with three personal fouls and wound up losing their sixth consecutive bowl game.

This one put a damper on an otherwise remarkable year.

Coming off a 5-6 season, Notre Dame won its first eight games and started thinking about a record ninth national championship. Instead, the Irish lost three of their last five games, and the last two were embarrassing.

Notre Dame gave up a school-record 610 yards in a 44-13 loss to Southern California, and a defense determined to show that game was a fluke instead looked hapless Wednesday.

The Wolfpack went 96 and 76 yards on consecutive drives, and there was nothing the Irish could do about it. Notre Dame, which allowed 145 points in its first 11 games, gave up 72 points in its last two.

Rivers, bobbing and weaving through the pass rush, was 23-of-37 for 228 yards and two touchdowns. Jerricho Cotchery caught 10 passes for 127 yards.

The Wolfpack defense did its part, hitting harder and with more purpose. It finished in style, denying a garbage score in the final seconds when Notre Dame had first-and-goal from the 2.

Rod Johnson, a senior safety who came in with one career interception, had three off Notre Dame backup Pat Dillingham, all in double- and triple-coverage.

The Wolfpack had never won more than 10 games in a season in their 111-year history, and saw this game -- and this opponent -- as a chance to start putting its program on the map.

Rivers was well short on his first pass of the game, and his desperation pass into the end zone at the end of the first half also fell incomplete. In between, he completed 13 straight.

In what looked like sandlot football at times, N.C. State ran three trick plays during one drive.

On the fumblerooski, the linemen were upright and didn't move even after the ball was snapped to Rivers, who was in a short, shotgun formation. Rivers quickly slipped the ball under the legs of T.A. McLendon in front of him, and the freshman plowed in for a 3-yard score.

McClendon also scored on a short run on the Wolfpack's opening drive.

Already reeling from the loss of both offensive tackles to suspensions, the Irish lost Holiday on their second possession. On second-and-goal from the 1, Holiday ran to the right and was hammered by Dantonio Burnette for no gain.

Holiday eventually walked off holding his left arm, and never returned. On the next play, Ryan Grant was stopped for a loss of 5, and the Irish had to settle for a field goal.

N.C. State's defense never gave Dillingham much time to throw, or many options when he did manage to get the pass off. He threw into double coverage and was intercepted by Johnson late in the second quarter.

That led to another Wolfpack touchdown -- set up by another trick play.

Rivers short-hopped a lateral to Bryan Peterson, who scooped it up and threw 24 yards to Joseph Gray. There was no one within 15 yards of the 260-pound tight end, but he fell down catching the ball.

Three plays later, Rivers found Cotchery for a 9-yard touchdown.

The Irish got inside the 25 three times in the second half, but managed only a field goal. Their last bowl victory was 24-21 against Texas A&M in the 1994 Cotton Bowl.

 

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