It is harder to anticipate that no one saw this coming.
It has become as abundant Notre Dame attitude as aureate helmets or the Achievement March.
Win an doubtful achievement adjoin a civic ability one week, lose to a mid-level aggregation disturbing
through a characterless division the next.
through a characterless division the next.
Lou Holtz's 1993 aggregation may be the a lot of notable in the trend, assault No. 1 Florida State, afresh falling to Boston College the next.
In 2002, Ty Willingham's aboriginal Irish band ran out to an 8-0 alpha and the No. 5 atom in the civic acclamation afterwards assault Florida State already afresh afore sleepwalking through a date with Boston College.
This year, Brian Kelly's third Irish aggregation akin Willingham's '02 accumulation with an 8-0 start. The team's resume was hardly added absorbing applique the no.3 ranking.
The aggregation catholic to Norman, Oklahoma to exhausted the No. 8 Sooners, assuredly avaricious absorption from the civic pollsters.
Then they played Pittsburgh.
Notre Dame absent to Pittsburgh. But somehow they didn't.
Notre Dame did things in the bold today that they hadn't done all year.
Settled for acreage goals. Turned the brawl over. Committed a host of bad penalties early. Gave up continued runs and fabricated arm tackles rather than wrapping and driving.
They also committed errors that accept become commonplace. Missed a acreage goal. Missed an added point. Missed advanced accessible receivers. Missed blocking assignments. Punt allotment that can alone be alleged a disaster.
Notre Dame came out on the game's aperture control and did annihilation they capital to do adjoin a Panther aegis that seemed to be outmatched physically until the Irish accomplished the red zone.
After a seven minute 60+ backyard aperture drive, the Irish could alone administer a acreage goal.
Pittsburgh signaled that they were actuality to play on their aboriginal play from flat as active aback Ray Graham sprinted 60 yards through the Irish band afore getting tracked down by KieVarie Russell.
Pitt angry the bold three plays later.
On the additional Irish control Notre Dame afresh acutely calmly collection the field, set up with a 1st-and-goal at the Panther two-yard line, and bootless to cantankerous the ambition line.
From that point Pittsburgh took over.
The Panthers acclimated backbreaking runs from Graham and define passes by fifth-year chief Tino Sunseri to body a 20-6 advance headed into the fourth quarter.
As the declared final arrangement began, a dead-all-day Irish breach sprang to activity and Notre Dame roared back.
Surviving an interception in the end area culminating what would accept been a 98-yard drive, Everett Golson affiliated with T.J. Jones for a score, again ran in a two-point about-face to even the account with beneath two account remaining.
Neither aggregation managed absolute yardage for the butt of regulation, and the bold went to added time.
In the aboriginal overtime, neither band managed a aboriginal down and traded quick acreage goals.
On the additional overtime possession, Notre Dame's appellation hopes fell afar as Cierre Wood fumbled as he flew adjoin the end zone. The brawl came apart just afore Wood bankrupt the even and was recovered in the end area by Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh had alone to authority assimilate the ball.
The Panthers absolutely played it safe, active three times beeline ahead, accepting eight yards, ambience up the game-winning acreage goal.
And he missed.
On the after control to activate the third overtime, Kevin Harper did breach the uprights to accord the Panthers a 26-23 advantage.
Notre Dame again went the abounding 25 yards in six plays with Everett Golson diving in from one backyard out to put the Panthers away.
Pittsburgh did aggregate they had to do. They angled but did not break. They ran the football effectively. They did not about-face the brawl over. They denticulate touchdowns in the red area and took a multiple-score advance into the fourth quarter.
Yet somehow it slipped away.
After Wood's bollix into the end zone, the bold was endemic for the taking. A simple acreage ambition from just central the appropriate assortment to allowance the win and play addle-brain adjoin Notre Dame, and it sailed just alfresco the appropriate upright.
Given one final adventitious at activity on a advantageous breach that hasn't gone Notre Dame's way for decades, the Irish capitalized.
Statistically, the numbers don't add up to the bold that anybody watched.
Notre Dame outgained the Panthers 522-to-308. Out rushed Pittsburgh 230-144. Held the brawl for 35:23 to Pitt's 23:29.
But Notre Dame's disability to accomplishment drives, abnormally in the aboriginal half, accustomed Pittsburgh to abide in command for a lot of of the contest.
In the end the Irish escape.
Everett Golson, admitting getting removed in favor of Tommy Rees, who was abortive for the aboriginal time this division in relief, took addition footfall against cementing his cachet as a leader.
Golson accomplished 23-of-42 for 227 yards with a brace of touchdowns and one interception. He aswell agitated the brawl 15 times for 74 yards, including the equalizing two-point about-face and the bold acceptable score.
The ultimate aftereffect tonight is that Notre Dame has accomplished its best almanac back 1993 if the aggregation began 10-0 afore falling to Boston College.
What is alien is how the near-loss will bell with voters who already accept Notre Dame rated abaft the added three best teams.
It is accessible that admitting the win Notre Dame could abatement added abroad from their Championship dreams if Alabama, Kansas State, and Oregon aswell win.
Should the Irish tumble to No. 4 in the BCS, it will be harder to altercate as Pittsburgh should accept concluded all altercation of a Notre Dame championship.
But Harper's bang sailed inches wide, and the Irish abide alive.
They also committed errors that accept become commonplace. Missed a acreage goal. Missed an added point. Missed advanced accessible receivers. Missed blocking assignments. Punt allotment that can alone be alleged a disaster.
Notre Dame came out on the game's aperture control and did annihilation they capital to do adjoin a Panther aegis that seemed to be outmatched physically until the Irish accomplished the red zone.
After a seven minute 60+ backyard aperture drive, the Irish could alone administer a acreage goal.
Pittsburgh signaled that they were actuality to play on their aboriginal play from flat as active aback Ray Graham sprinted 60 yards through the Irish band afore getting tracked down by KieVarie Russell.
Pitt angry the bold three plays later.
On the additional Irish control Notre Dame afresh acutely calmly collection the field, set up with a 1st-and-goal at the Panther two-yard line, and bootless to cantankerous the ambition line.
From that point Pittsburgh took over.
The Panthers acclimated backbreaking runs from Graham and define passes by fifth-year chief Tino Sunseri to body a 20-6 advance headed into the fourth quarter.
As the declared final arrangement began, a dead-all-day Irish breach sprang to activity and Notre Dame roared back.
Surviving an interception in the end area culminating what would accept been a 98-yard drive, Everett Golson affiliated with T.J. Jones for a score, again ran in a two-point about-face to even the account with beneath two account remaining.
Neither aggregation managed absolute yardage for the butt of regulation, and the bold went to added time.
In the aboriginal overtime, neither band managed a aboriginal down and traded quick acreage goals.
On the additional overtime possession, Notre Dame's appellation hopes fell afar as Cierre Wood fumbled as he flew adjoin the end zone. The brawl came apart just afore Wood bankrupt the even and was recovered in the end area by Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh had alone to authority assimilate the ball.
The Panthers absolutely played it safe, active three times beeline ahead, accepting eight yards, ambience up the game-winning acreage goal.
And he missed.
On the after control to activate the third overtime, Kevin Harper did breach the uprights to accord the Panthers a 26-23 advantage.
Notre Dame again went the abounding 25 yards in six plays with Everett Golson diving in from one backyard out to put the Panthers away.
Pittsburgh did aggregate they had to do. They angled but did not break. They ran the football effectively. They did not about-face the brawl over. They denticulate touchdowns in the red area and took a multiple-score advance into the fourth quarter.
Yet somehow it slipped away.
After Wood's bollix into the end zone, the bold was endemic for the taking. A simple acreage ambition from just central the appropriate assortment to allowance the win and play addle-brain adjoin Notre Dame, and it sailed just alfresco the appropriate upright.
Given one final adventitious at activity on a advantageous breach that hasn't gone Notre Dame's way for decades, the Irish capitalized.
Statistically, the numbers don't add up to the bold that anybody watched.
Notre Dame outgained the Panthers 522-to-308. Out rushed Pittsburgh 230-144. Held the brawl for 35:23 to Pitt's 23:29.
But Notre Dame's disability to accomplishment drives, abnormally in the aboriginal half, accustomed Pittsburgh to abide in command for a lot of of the contest.
In the end the Irish escape.
Everett Golson, admitting getting removed in favor of Tommy Rees, who was abortive for the aboriginal time this division in relief, took addition footfall against cementing his cachet as a leader.
Golson accomplished 23-of-42 for 227 yards with a brace of touchdowns and one interception. He aswell agitated the brawl 15 times for 74 yards, including the equalizing two-point about-face and the bold acceptable score.
The ultimate aftereffect tonight is that Notre Dame has accomplished its best almanac back 1993 if the aggregation began 10-0 afore falling to Boston College.
What is alien is how the near-loss will bell with voters who already accept Notre Dame rated abaft the added three best teams.
It is accessible that admitting the win Notre Dame could abatement added abroad from their Championship dreams if Alabama, Kansas State, and Oregon aswell win.
Should the Irish tumble to No. 4 in the BCS, it will be harder to altercate as Pittsburgh should accept concluded all altercation of a Notre Dame championship.
But Harper's bang sailed inches wide, and the Irish abide alive.
No comments:
Post a Comment