Midshipmen scuppered as Irish find their fighting spirit

Navy 27 Notre Dame 54:IN THE end, the giant awoke, grabbed some rolled-up newspaper and gave the pup a good smack on the snout.

Notre Dame, who came into the game as favourites but with several questions hanging in the air, put in a solid display to fairly rout Navy in Saturday’s Shamrock Classic at Croke Park. The high hopes of the Midshipmen had a long way to fall.

From the opening kick-off, which Notre Dame’s Allen Rossum nearly broke and returned for 45 yards, the Irish were in control. With both full back Mark Edwards, who ran in three touchdowns, and tail back Autry Denson, who ran in another and did much of the donkey work up the middle, on form, Notre Dame were able to play a tight, no-nonsense ground game.

In contrast, Navy quarterback Chris McCoy could be forgiven for thinking there had been some rule changes overnight about which he was uninformed: every time the poor man raised his head he found himself staring into the numbers of one Notre Dame linebacker or another.

McCoy is rated as one of the great running quarterbacks in the game; by the end of the first half he had “gained” a total of minus six yards. Navy didn’t get a first down until midway through the second quarter.

They also displayed a disappointing tendency for shooting themselves in the foot. In one possession near the end of the first half, and trailing by just a touchdown, 14-7, Navy had a 50-yard pass called back on a penalty, and on the next play promptly lost five more yards and the down for another silly infringement.

Still, in the middle of the third quarter Navy were within two scores of the Irish, 28-14, and in college football, with the next turnover never far away, the Midship- men had reason to be hopeful if not optimistic.

Unfortunately, when that turnover came, it was theirs: McCoy, under pressure, made a poor pitch to his running back and Notre Dame linebacker Lyron Cobbins recovered the fumble. On the next play Denson went in from 24 yards for the touchdown.

Navy again got within 14 points with a fine, 55-yard touchdown pass to Corey Schemm to make it 35-21. But the Irish responded immediately with a 40-yard pass on the first play of the next drive to set up a one-yard dive from Edwards: 41-21, and the game was up.

Navy head coach Charlie Weatherbie had no excuses: “Notre Dame are a good football team, you can not afford to give them what we gave them in turnovers.

“Fundamentally we didn’t make it today. We didn’t play the way I know Navy can play football.”

His opposite number, Lou Holtz, was content and beginning to feel the season could still be rescued: “I thought we played well the first half in defence, made some big plays in the second half on defence. I felt our offensive line played very, very well. I thought we played physical, I thought we played aggressive.

“The thing I was pleased with was every time Navy scored we seemed to come right back and respond.”