North Carolina State's 21-point second quarter too much for Notre Dame to overcome in 28-6 Gator Bowl loss
By: CHRIS FEDERICO
Sports Writer
JACKSONVILLE, Fla.
A winter break that started bad ended even worse for Notre Dame with a 28-6 drubbing at the hands of North Carolina State in the Gator Bowl.
The suspension of starting tackles Brennan Curtin and Jordan Black, the season ending injury of starting linebacker Courtney Watson and the Jacksonville arrest of special teams player Chad DeBolt left the Irish with three black eyes and an injured knee before the team even took the field at Jacksonville's Alltel Stadium.
And then there was the game.
North Carolina State put up 21 second-quarter points and Wolfpack quarterback Philip Rivers went 23-for-37 for 228 yards and two touchdowns in leading his team to a 28-6 victory over a listless Irish squad.
"Their whole defense was very talented, and they played very hard," Irish center Jeff Faine said. "To be honest, we just didn't get it done, we kept shooting ourselves in the foot."
As Faine put it, self-inflicted mistakes held the Irish back all afternoon. Notre Dame committed nine penalties for 90 yards, including four personal fouls, turned the ball over three times and suffered injuries to quarterback Carlyle Holiday, tight end Gary Godsey and linebacker Mike Goolsby.
"We didn't play our style of football in the first half," All-American cornerback Shane Walton said. "We lost our cool, and it showed. It felt like we were on our heels a little bit in the first half."
Before the wheels came off in a three-touchdown second quarter, it was actually the Irish who struck first in the game. After holding North Carolina State to three-and-out on its first possession, the Irish moved the ball all the way to the Wolfpack 2-yard line.
On second-and-goal from the 1-yard line, Holiday swept around the right side and was hit hard by linebacker Dan Burnette. Holiday fell hard on his left side, re-injuring the shoulder he separated earlier in the season against Michigan State. The hit not only helped lead to the North Carolina State goal line stand, but it also sidelined Holiday for the remainder of the game, severely limiting the offensive game plan of the Irish.
"Their quarterback getting knocked out there at the goal line, there's no question [that's big]," Wolfpack coach Chuck Amato said after the game. "That's huge now. They have to play three quarters of the game and more without their starting quarterback, who had just improved and gotten better and better as the season went on."
Notre Dame would have to settle for a 23-yard Nicholas Setta field goal to end the 12-play, 52-yard drive.
On their next possession, the Wolfpack drove 96 yards on 12 plays, capped by a two-yard T. A. McLendon touchdown run for the 7-3 North Carolina State lead.
The Wolfpack would never look back.
North Carolina State scored touchdowns on each of its next two possessions, the first coming on a 2-yard McLendon run and the second on a 9-yard pass from Rivers to receiver Jerricho Cotchery.
Rivers, who won MVP honors in the game, was 13-for-15 during the first half, missing only his first and last passes of the period.
"[Rivers] did a good job reading our defense, making the high percentage passes over the middle," Irish safety Gerome Sapp said. "It's just one of those days you can't put your finger on. He played like a veteran."
Irish backup Pat Dillingham played three quarters plus in relief of the injured Holiday. The sophomore was under fire most of the day from the Wolfpack pass rush, but he remained in the game despite receiving several hard hits and a gash on his chin that required nine stitches to close up.
"We just had to go forward," Faine said. "We had a quality backup in Pat Dillingham, and you have to give credit to Pat, he kept his chin up."
Dillingham finished the day 19-of-37 passing for 166 yards, but with three costly interceptions.
The lop-sided loss casts a dark shadow on the sour end of a Notre Dame season that began with such promise. After starting out 8-0 and climbing as high as No. 3 in the BCS rankings, the Irish dropped three of their last five games and needed a last second victory to defeat Navy.
Notre Dame players and coaches say they will not let the rough ending spoil an otherwise successful 10-win season, however.
"It was still a very good season," Irish coach Tyrone Willingham said. "I don't believe there are very many 10-win teams in the country at this time."
All Sports Stories for Wednesday, January 15, 2003
