NCAA Football Recap (Notre Dame-LSU)
Posted: Sun December 28, 1997 at 11:52 p.m. EST
Backup tailback Rondell Mealey ran for a career-high 222 yards
and two touchdowns as Louisiana State avenged a
mid-November loss to Notre Dame with a 27-9 victory in the
Independence Bowl at Shreveport, Louisiana.
Mealey rushed 34 times for the Tigers (9-3), who won a bowl game
in their home state for the second time in three seasons. LSU
defeated Michigan State, 45-26, in the 1995 Independence Bowl.
LSU's Kevin Faulk, who was eighth in the nation in rushing at
just over 127 yards per game, left midway through the first
quarter with a twisted left ankle and did not return.
Ron Powlus completed 8-of-18 passes for 66 yards in his final
game for Notre Dame (7-6), which had a five-game winning streak
snapped. The Fighting Irish had not lost since falling to
archrival Southern California, 20-17, on October 18th.
Despite failing to live up to expectations, Powlus finished his
Irish career as the school record-holder for passing yards,
attempts and completions.
The game was the 13th rematch in bowl history. When the schools
played last month, Clement Stokes carried 15 times for 92 yards
and two touchdowns and Autry Denson ran for 97 yards and a score
as Notre Dame rolled in Death Valley, 24-6.
It was the eighth time that the team which lost in the regular
season returned the favor in the bowl game.
With the score tied, 6-6, early in the third quarter when Notre
Dame's Allen Rossum slipped on his own 5-yard line returning a
kickoff. The Fighting Irish went three-and-out and, after a
punt into the wind, LSU took over at the Irish 49.
The Tigers capitalized on the field position when quarterback
Herb Tyler drew Notre Dame's linebackers toward the line with
play-action and found Abram Booty on a slant in the middle of
the endzone for a 12-yard score.
The Irish wasted a golden opportunity to tie early in the fourth
quarter. After Powlus put the ball on the Tigers 20 with a
season-long 26-yard run, Notre Dame gained just four yards and
settled for a 33-yard field goal by Scott Cengia, his third of
the game.
LSU started the ensuing possession on its own 20 and on the
first play, Mealey broke through the line and raced 78 yards
down the left sideline to the Notre Dame 1. On the next play,
he took a handoff and followed Outland Award finalist Alan
Faneca into the end zone for a 20-9 lead.
After Powlus was sacked for the fifth time on a fourth down
inside his own territory with just over five minutes to play,
Mealey capped things with a one-yard scoring run.
As it did in the first meeting, Notre Dame controlled the game
early with its ground attack and took the lead with 7:13 to play
in the first quarter on a 33-yard field goal by Cengia. The
score, which capped an 86-yard drive, was set up by Denson, who
raced 36 yards to the LSU 13.
The Fighting Irish compiled 106 rushing yards in the first half
while Powlus attempted just nine passes, completing five for 46
yards.
LSU's Wade Richey pushed a 42-yard field goal attempt wide right
on the next possession before connecting on a 37-yarder midway
through the second quarter. The tying kick was made possible
when Jarious Jackson, on his first play replacing Powlus, made a
bad pitch on a option, giving the Tigers the ball inside the
Irish 25.
Notre Dame answered with a 12-play drive, but had to settle for
a 21-yard field goal by Cengia with 20 seconds remaining in the
half.
The Tigers countered by taking the second-half kickoff and
driving for the game's fourth field goal, a 42-yarder by Richey.
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