Multi-talented Givens has 'best football game ever'
By ANDREW SOUKUP
Associate Sports Editor
He can run. He can catch. He can throw.
In fact, it doesn't seem like there's a whole lot Notre Dame flanker David Givens can't do — when he's healthy.
Early in the season, Givens spent play after play on the sidelines, hampered by an assortment of nagging injuries. He only saw limited action against Michigan State and Texas A&M and, before Saturday, was only averaging a little over three catches a game.
But against the Volunteers, a healthy Givens arguably played the best game of his life. He caught a career-high nine passes for 99 yards — the most by any Notre Dame receiver this season — and rushed four times for 11 yards.
"I thought David Givens played the best football game he's played," head coach Bob Davie said. "I thought he competed exceptionally well. He made some plays, ran the ball, I was really proud of the way he played. He's not been healthy, and it's good to have him back and give him a chance to play the way he did yesterday."
"I felt like I was kind of in a zone today," Givens said. "I think our total offense was really in a zone today. We were just driving the ball up and down the field."
Givens made it a lot easier for the Irish — who finished with a season-high 146 passing yards — to move the ball down the field simply by being in the game. The Notre Dame receiver was often double-covered in the second half and made several key catches to keep the Irish in the game.
With the Irish trailing 21-10 early in the fourth quarter and facing fourth-and-three on the Tennessee 18-yard line, quarterback Carlyle Holiday took three quick steps back and fired a bullet to Givens across the middle.
Even though a pair of Tennessee defenders were draped all over Givens, he pulled the ball in for a six-yard gain and a first down. Six plays later, Tony Fisher scored Notre Dame's only offensive touchdown to bring the Irish to within three points.
"I think it was a tough pass to catch, but I think Carlyle was the one that helped me out the most with that," Givens said. "He put it right in the open area with zone coverage and I kind of sifted through the defenders and Carlyle found me in that shuffle."
That wasn't the only clutch reception Givens made Saturday afternoon. Earlier in that same drive, facing third-and-four, Holiday threw a pass toward the right sideline. Givens raced over, grabbed the ball and somehow kept his foot inbound for a 14-yard gain. And on the first half drive that led to Nicholas Setta's 41-yard field goal, he caught three passes, including one that he pulled in despite being triple-covered.
"He stepped up today," Holiday said. "A lot of the time he was one of the main reads. He is a senior and I think he showed that today. He made played and just stepped up for the most part."
Givens did more that just step up. He kept Notre Dame in the game. His nine receptions were the most of any Irish receiver since Bobby Brown caught 12 passes in 1999 and his 99 receiving yards were the most since Joey Getherall recorded 116 last year against Air Force.
But Givens' talents aren't just limited to catching the ball. He carried the ball several times Saturday afternoon to give the Irish offense an element of unpredictability. He threw a 21-yard pass to Javin Hunter last week. He even took a couple snaps at quarterback during Notre Dame's loss to Michigan State last year.
Saturday, Givens lined up several times in the Irish backfield, a move Davie said was designed to disguise Notre Dame's three-back set. In the past, the Irish had only used the flanker as a blocker. But against the Volunteers, Givens actually carried the ball.
"We've been practicing it for a few weeks and we just kind of put it all together this week and it kind of worked out," Givens said. "... I'm becoming more comfortable as a receiver in this offense now just because I've worked so hard at that as compared to running the ball. But it's pretty even as far as my preference."
It's surprising Givens played so well considering that he spent most of Thursday in the infirmary with the flu. But he wasn't about to let anything stop him from playing against the No. 7 team in the nation. And while he admits he hasn't caught the ball nearly as much as he wants to, Givens is just happy he's finally contributing.
"I think I played my heart out," he said. "I think I played as hard as I could today, and that was the mentality that everybody had coming into the game today."
"I thought he played terrific," said offensive coordinator Kevin Rogers. "He made plays. He played like a warrior and carried the ball. He played like the way that we're used to seeing David Givens play. He just had a great game."
All Sports Stories for Monday, November 5, 2001
