New Jersey natives put on homecoming show for Irish
By TIM CASEY
Assistant Sports Editor
PISCATAWAY, NJ
Along the red-painted wall in the closed end zone at Rutgers Stadium, which separates the field from the metal stands, there's a slogan. It reads: "Rutgers...The Birthplace of College Football."
That's not a misprint.
On Nov. 6, 1869, Rutgers defeated Princeton 6-4 in New Brunswick, N.J., in the first college football game ever played.
One hundred and thirty-one years and 12 days later, four of New Jersey's native sons helped Notre Dame defeat their state university 45-14 in front of only the second sold-out crowd in stadium history.
"They played well," coach Bob Davie said of the four New Jersey natives who played roles in the win. "Particularly the quarterback. He's an amazing guy."
For the sixth straight game, Matt LoVecchio proved to be the most improbable story in an unexpected season.
The Franklin Lakes resident's statistics (13-of-19 passes for 161 yards and two touchdowns and no interceptions plus 79 yards rushing) were again solid but LoVecchio's confidence and intangibles are what separate the 6-foot-3, 200-pounder from a normal 18-year-old.
Focus on one moment, during the middle of his press conference. A reporter asked LoVecchio what he thought when he threw a near-interception to defensive back Tony Berry in the third quarter. If Berry held onto the ball, he would have had a clear path to the end zone and tied the game at 24-24.
"I had an angle on him," LoVecchio said. "I was anticipating him catching the ball and trying to make a tackle and push him out of bounds."
Before the game, Davie pondered using some motivational techniques in case his team overlooked the 3-6 Scarlet Knights.
"I thought of putting mouse traps by their locker and saying we're going into a trap," Davie said. "I talked about calling it a sandwich game. When you play a night game at Notre Dame Stadium (against Boston College) with 80,000 people and the atmosphere the way it was and then going to SC. I knew this was a difficult game for us."
When questioned on the possibility of the Irish setting their sights on USC, LoVecchio claimed he has approached the season "week by week" and "one game at a time." But at least one teammate, also a Jersey guy, offered a different view than LoVecchio's cliché responses.
"You see light at the end of the tunnel a lot more now," said running back Terrance Howard, a native of Willingboro. "You try to look and say Rutgers isn't so good and you've got USC at USC. So you kind of look ahead a little bit."
Howard, who thought of leaving Notre Dame earlier in the season due to limited playing time, turned in one of his best performances of the year. The junior gained 69 yards on 16 carries and had two touchdown runs. His one-yard score with 19 seconds left in the first half gave the Irish a 24-10 lead.
He also played a major role in a third Irish touchdown drive. Ten minutes into the game, Notre Dame faced a 4th and 3 on its 39-yard line. LoVecchio completed a shovel pass to Howard, who eluded tacklers and gained 12 yards. Four plays later, on a fake field goal, Nick Setta found a wide-open Tom Lopienski for a touchdown for a 14-3 margin.
"A lot of friends and my family don't get a chance to come out to South Bend and see me play," Howard said. "It feels great."
The Notre Dame-New Jersey connection was not limited to the offense. Safety Ron Israel and defensive end Ryan Roberts, both from Lawnside, sparked an improved unit. Israel tied for the team-high with eight tackles and intercepted a Mike McMahon pass with 4:30 minutes left in the third quarter.
Since replacing Grant Irons in the Nebraska game, Roberts has been on a tear. He recovered two fumbles on Saturday while also recording four tackles.
Linebacker Anthony Brannan, a Cedar Grove native and defensive tackle Jim Molinaro, from nearby Bethlehem, Penn., also played in front of several friends and family members.
But on this mid-November day, the season-ending injury to cornerback Shane Walton, (who broke his right forearm in the first quarter), overshadowed the homecoming.
Without Walton, the Irish allowed 175 yards through the air and struggled at times against a quick, aggressive offense.
"Anytime you're not given a chance to huddle up, it's definitely an advantage to the offense," Israel said. "Their offense didn't give us as many opportunities to blitz as normal."
This weekend, another passing offense will challenge the depleted secondary. USC quarterback Carson Palmer has completed over 55 percent of his passes for 2663 yards, including 350 in Saturday's 38-35 win over UCLA.
Yet regardless of the outcome against the Trojans, at least one of Davie's post-Rutgers comments will remain the same.
"We'd like to come back (to New Jersey)," Davie said. "and get some more (players)."
All Sports Stories for Monday, November 20, 2000
