Irish eyes are smiling again
Jackson, Denson lead Notre Dame in upset over Michigan
Posted: Saturday September 05, 1998 09:49 PM
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Back on track: Coach Bob Davie (left) and quarterback Jarious Jackson were surrounded after the game, as students rushed the field, surrounded players and patted their helmets AP |
SOUTH BEND, Indiana (AP) -- So what if Notre Dame started its
celebration a few seconds early. After a summer of discontent, can
anyone blame the Fighting Irish?
As the final seconds ticked down on No. 22 Notre Dame's 36-20
upset of No. 5 Michigan on Saturday, Irish fans rushed the field,
players lifted coach Bob Davie on their shoulders and there was a
good-old fashioned pep rally going on.
But a time out had been called. The field was cleared and the
final two plays were run. Then, the celebration began all over
again.
"This confirms to the players that the plan will work and that
all their hard work was worth it," Davie said. "We had to go win
a big football game. I think it jump starts us. It boosts us a
little bit."
How about a lot?
The win eased much of pain endured by the Irish during a long,
hot summer, one in which a former assistant won an age
discrimination lawsuit and an NCAA investigation began into current
and former players taking gifts from a booster.
For now, the Golden Dome is tarnished no longer, as a determined
bunch of Irish defenders made big plays in the second half and the
offense took over.
Jarious Jackson, making his first start after sitting behind Ron
Powlus for three years, passed for two touchdowns and Autry Denson
had a career-best 162 yards and two TDs as Notre Dame ended the
Wolverines' 12-game winning streak in record fashion.
Knight (left) caught a 42-yard pass from Brady that set up Michigan's second field goal AP | |
"We can compete against anyone in the country," said Jackson,
who passed for 96 yards and ran for another 62 in Notre Dame's new
option attack. "You never know who's going to be the national
champion this year."
Notre Dame's point total was the most against the Wolverines in
the 28-game history of the series, usually marked by close games.
"I like our offense because I can see the potential for it,"
Davie said after the Irish produced 262 yards in the second half to
finish with 376 for the game. "We didn't play a particularly
consistent offensive game, but you can see we can do some different
things with the quarterback. I'm excited about the future."
Jackson took a half to warm up as a few big plays from the
defense got him going. Denson, meanwhile, got going right away,
running for a career-long 58 yards on Notre Dame's first play.
"I felt pretty good at halftime, because I knew No. 7
[Jackson] would play better once he got his feet under him and got
some confidence," Davie said. "I knew he could play better than
he played. He knew he could play better and I think he can play
better yet."
Tom Brady, in his first start for Michigan, was 23-of-36 for 267
yards and had a 1-yard TD run. He was the only bright spot for the
Wolverines, who missed four of six field goals, fumbled the ball
away twice and had a field goal blocked. They looked anything like
champions.
"Our defense tired, we missed four field goals and we didn't
run the ball well," Michigan coach Lloyd Carr said. "We've got a
long way to go. We've got a lot of corrections to make, and not a
long time to do it."
Trailing 13-6 at the half, and looking like they were about to
cave in to the faster and stronger Wolverines, the Irish scored on
five straight possessions to put away Michigan before a cheering
crowd of 80,225, the 137th consecutive sellout, at Notre Dame
Stadium.
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Joey Goodspeed and the Irish ground game controlled the second half, as Notre Dame rushed for 280 yards on 55 carries AP |
After cutting the lead to 13-9 on the third of Jim Sanson's
field goals, this one a 32-yarder, Michigan's Clarence Williams
fumbled the kickoff and Tony Driver recovered at the Wolverines 34.
Seven plays later, Jackson hit a wide-open Dan O'Leary to put the
Irish ahead 16-13 with 7:42 left in the third period.
Then, fullback Ray Jackson fumbled and Irish linebacker Grant
Irons recovered on the Michigan 35. On the next play, Jackson
nearly stumbled and fell as he dropped back, but regained his
balance and connected with Raki Nelson on a 35-yard TD pass with
5:02 left in the period.
"I tripped dropping back, but I saw the safety rushing in, and
I saw Raki wide open," Jackson said. "Once I could set my
balance, I just put some air under the pass."
Brady tried to bring Michigan back, hitting Marcus Knight on a
51-yard pass to the Irish 15. But the Wolverines were unable to
score as linebacker Jimmy Friday blocked Jay Feely's 40-yard field
goal attempt.
Feely and Kraig Baker, the starting placekicker, each missed two
of three field goal attempts for Michigan.
After the block, Denson scored from three yards out with 13:32
left in the game and Notre Dame was in control, 30-13. Denson added
a one-yard TD run with 4:04 left, and Michigan freshman Drew Henson
came on and threw an 8-yard TD pass to Jerame Tuman with 2:09 left.
Despite dominating the first half, the Wolverines led only 13-6
thanks to Brady's 1-yard TD dive with 23 seconds left. The TD
capped a 72-yard drive in 12 plays that included a goal-line pass
interference call on Irish free safety A'Jani Sanders on a
third-and-goal from the Notre Dame 8.
Michigan ran 54 plays to Notre Dame's 22 and controlled the ball
for 20:15 of the first 30 minutes. The final 30 minutes -- and the
victory -- belonged to the Irish.
Copyright 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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