September 6, 1997
Notre Dame Georgia Tech Final Stats
By Jeff Cox, The Scholastic 1997 Football Review
Despite a new coach and expanded stadium, the script was all too familiar. Early in the fourth quarter of its opening game, Notre Dame found itself trailing a team generally considered an inferior opponent. In 1995, the Irish couldn’t overcome upstart Northwestem and lost 17-15. In 1996, the Irish had again struggled but managed to overcome Vanderbilt 14-7, courtesy of a late Marc Edwards touchdown.
This year, the Irish had to rally from a fourth quarter deficit to defeat 19-point underdog Georgia Tech 17-13. A one-yard touchdown run by Autry Denson with 2:37 left propelled Notre Dame to victory. “Sometimes it gets harder before it gets easier,” said Notre Dame Head Coach Bob Davie, who, unlike Lou Holtz, won his first game as head coach. “I knew it was going to be hard. You know going in it was going to be that way.”
This game, however, was harder than even Davie could have anticipated. Early on, the Irish looked out of rhythm. The offense came out with no huddle and even used the shotgun formation on a couple of plays. “I think the problem we had on offense was we were just feeling our way through,” Denson said. “We knew we could do the job. It was just a matter of time.”
After exchanging punts to open the game, the Irish marched down the field on the game’s first scoring drive. Quarterback Ron Powlus, who was 18 of 29 for 217 yards, did most of the damage, completing two passes for 38 yards and setting up Denson’s first touchdown-run, a 3 yard scamper, with 7:56 left in the first quarter. The Irish, however, wouldn’t score another touchdown until Denson’s game-winner in the fourth quarter.
Notre Dame failed to capitalize on an Allen Rossum interception on their next drive and gave the ball back to Georgia Tech at their own 34 to start their own scoring drive. Tailback Charlie Rogers did most of the work, rushing for 31 of the 66 yards on the drive. He helped set up an 11-yard touchdown scramble from Hamilton that tied the game at seven. On the drive, the option proved an unforeseen weapon for Georgia Tech. “Georgia Tech ran a little more option than we had anticipated,” Davie said. “We had trouble defending it.”
Notre Dame’s next drive featured Powlus as he accounted for 55 yards in the march to the Georgia Tech 8. He completed a pass to freshman Joey Getherall for 11 yards, then scrambled for 22 yards. The Irish came up empty, however, as a bobbled snap led to a missed 25-yard field goal from Jim Sanson. Georgia Tech started their next drive on the 20 with an option. Behind Rogers and Hamilton, the Yellow Jackets drove down to the Irish 15, leading to a 33-yard field goal by Frakes that gave Georgia Tech a 10-7 lead with 4:14 left in the first half.
Trailing for the first time in their new stadium, Notre Dame took over on their own 33 and attempted to gain some momentum for the second half. Powlus went six for-eight on the drive, with Brown, Getherall and Johnson each making receptions. Sanson connected on a last-second, 28-yard field goal that evened the score. “That field goal at the end of the first half was important. It changed the momentum,” Davie said. “I really thought Sanson did an excellent job. I’m proud of him.”
Georgia Tech seemed eager to regain that momentum at the.start of the third quarter. Rogers hauled in a 26-yard pass that moved the Yellow Jackets down to the Irish 14. On the catch, Rogers broke a Benny Guilbeaux tackle at the 36, but Guilbeaux quickly redeemed himself.
On third-and-two from the Irish 6, Hamilton looked for tight end Matt Gubba in the end zone, but Guilbeaux dove in front of Gubba for an interception. “I had to do something,” Guilbeaux said. “I’m a veteran. I can’t make those types of mistakes.”
Notre Dame appeared ready to take advantage of Guilbeaux’ s interception. Powlus hit Denson out of the backfield for 47 yards and then found tight end Dan O’Leary for 19 down to the Georgia Tech 4. After gaining three yards on the first two downs, the Irish failed to punch it in on three attempts from the one-yard line. An offsides penalty against Georgia Tech gave Notre Dame an extra shot, but it didn’t help. Ken Barry was stopped on fourth down and the Yellow Jackets took possession. “We only ran four live plays [in goal-line situations in practice] because of the fear of losing kids injury-wise,” Notre Dame Offensive Coordinator Jim Colletta said.”It’s hard to practice goal-line offense.”
Starting deep in their own territory, Georgia Tech went right on the attack as Hamilton hit wide receiver Harvey Middleton for 19 on their first play. Their 14-play, 84-yard drive culminated in a Frakes 32-yard field goal four ·seconds into the fourth quarter, putting Georgia Tech up 13-10.
The Yellow Jackets had two opportunities, courtesy of Ron Powlus’ interceptions, to add to their lead. But with the game on the line, the Irish defense got tough. The Yellow Jackets missed two field goals, the second of which set up Notre Dame’s winning drive. Denson was the workhorse for the Irish, gaining 44 of the 70 yards on the drive. He started with a 19-yard scamper that brought Notre Dame to midfield. Three plays later Denson fumbled, but tackle Tim Ridder was there to recover the football.
That near-disaster seemed to refocus the Irish. Powlus scrambled for 11 yards and fullback Joey Goodspeed followed with an 11-yard run to the Georgia Tech 12. On the next play, Powlus hit Brown for one of the senior wide receiver’s seven receptions. From there, it was all Denson. His 6-yard run put the ball on the 1-yard line and on the next play he twisted over the goal line to put the Irish in front for the rest of the game.
Sanson boomed the subsequent kickoff for a touchback, leaving Georgia Tech 80 yards to go with only 2:37 remaining. The Yellow Jackets’ final chance was halted when senior defensive end Melvin Dansby sacked Hamilton for a 13-yard loss. “It was our tum to step up. We needed to do our part,” said Dansby, who had 12 tackles and two sacks for the game. “It comes down to the senior leadership of the team. That’s what it’s about: gut check time.”
The Yellow Jackets ended up punting. After gaining one first down, the Irish ran out the clock for the victory. Though it was a struggle, players and coaches alike were happy with the win. “It was just a matter of everyone sucking it up and doing the job,” PowIus said. “I never felt like we would lose the game.”
Davie believed the win was one of the biggest the Irish had clinched in quite a while. “I told the team anytime you can win the first football game of the season, particularly with a new coaching staff, that is a big, big win,” Davie said. “I think the fans stayed in that game and really pulled us through.”
The 21,150 extra fans who accounted for a Notre Dame Stadium record crowd of 80,225 made a difference in the contest. “It was pretty loud out there,” Goodspeed said. “That was a big difference in the game.”
Even though the Irish only managed a four-point win, Davie felt relieved that his first game as Irish coach was in the books. “I hardly ever felt nervous,” Davie said. “We have so much invested in this that one grenade is not going to take us down.”