January 1, 1999
Notre Dame Georgia Tech Gator Bowl Final Stats
by Patrick Downes, The Scholastic Football Review
Michael Jordan has repeatedly proven that it’s not the shoes. And after facing Georgia Tech in the Gator Bowl, the Irish have proven that it’s not the shirts, either. Notre Dame donned green jerseys for the game – the first time they have done so in four years – and lost in Jacksonville, Fla., 35-28.
Despite several emotional big-game vic tories with the jerseys, two consecutive green-clad losses (the other in the 1995 Fiesta Bowl) have muted any psychological advantage that the green jerseys might have provided. According to Head Coach Bob Davie, some seniors, including Jarious Jackson and Autry Denson, had asked Davie for the opportunity to wear them. “It was about a bunch of seniors who wanted to do it and hadn’t had a chance to do it,” said Davie. “I’d make the same decision again because of these kids.”
Whatever the intention, the jerseys (with a little help from some inspired second-half offensive play) almost saw another luck-of the-Irish comeback.
Down 21-7 at the half, Notre Dame – and senior tailback Autry Denson – came out charging. Denson, Notre Dame’s all time leading rusher, scored three touchdowns and amassed 130 yards at the Gator Bowl, gaining 59 of those yards (and one touchdown) on the opening drive of the second half. The Irish started the half on their own 20-yard line, and Denson immediately rumbled for a 19-yard gain. He followed that run with rushes of 3,11,5 and 15. Quarterback Jackson completed an eight yard pass to Malcolm Johnson and added two nine-yard runs of his own before Denson finished the drive with a one-yard touch down.
And the spark was not extinguished. Georgia Tech senior Kofi Smith caught the ensuing kickoff but sophomore Tony Driver snatched the ball out of his arms, putting Notre Dame at Tech’s 26-yard line. Three plays later the Irish sat on second and three from the four-yard line. Here the Yellow Jacket defense held tight – for a little while. It took five more plays (including a fourth-down conversion) for Jackson to score on a 2-yard option scamper. Smith would make up for his earlier mistake by blocking the point-after attempt, keeping the Irish one point behind,
Georgia Tech gathered some momentum from the error for its next drive. With their typical offensive efficiency, the Yellow Jackets marched to the Notre Dame 38, when a sack by senior linebacker Bobbie Howard set them back to the 44. Undaunted, Georgia Tech quarterback Joe Hamilton unloaded on the next play and hit Jacksonville native Dez White for a 44-yard touch down pass. The extra point was good, and the Ramblin’ Wreck was up 28 to 20.
The Irish were not finished, though. Jackson and the offense responded with a poise that typified their critical late-game drives throughout the season. Despite a poor field position after the kickoff, Denson’s 15-yard rush on the second play began the drive with authority.
A pass to junior tight end Jabari Holloway, an eight-yard quarterback draw and a 27- yard toss to junior split end Jay Johnson put the Irish at the Georgia Tech 28. Here the Yellow Jacket defense held the Irish to fourth down, and forced an incomplete pass. But when a Georgia Tech defensive line man flipped Jackson off of his back after the play, a personal foul gave the Irish 15 yards, a first down and a chance to stay in the game.
Georgia Tech Head Coach George O’Leary was livid at the penalty. “I can understand why he [the referee] called it,” said the coach, “just not at that time.” The Irish took advantage of the penalty – and tied the game – with a 1-yard touchdown run by Denson and a two-point conversion pass completed right down the middle to senior receiver Bobby Brown.
But the shootout continued on the very next drive. Gator Bowl Co-MVP Joe Hamilton hit the other MVP, Dez White, for a 55-yard touchdown strike – his second of the day. These were the final points of the afternoon. “When you give up big plays and allow teams to drive on you, you ‘re not going to win games,” said Davie. He added, “At some point you have to stop them. We just never did.”
Though the Irish made a game of it in the second half, the first was another story. Georgia Tech’s team speed and an offense that changed formations constantly kept the Irish defense off guard. “It was kind of like hitting a knuckleball,” said Davie of the Ramblin’ Wreck’s dizzying array of offensive formations.
After trading punts to start the game, Georgia Tech got the scoring started with an 87-yard drive that included a healthy mix of passing (four passes, 59 yards) and rushing (seven rushes, 28 yards). The Irish answered that drive with a 33-yard strike to Brown and four rushes, two to fullback Jamie Spencer and two to Denson, who scored from nine yards out.
The rest of the half belonged to Georgia Tech. Two drawn-out 10 play drives left the Irish down 21 to 7. Offensively the Irish also struggled in the first half. Jackson’s knee, injured at the end of the LSU game, was clearly not 100 percent, as the quarterback often avoided running the ball and suffered two first-half sacks.
Davie couldn’t help being disappointed at the loss. “This game is particularly tough because … these seniors will leave here without having [won 10 games] and without having won a bowl game,” he said.
But the coach was grateful for the seniors’ contribution. “They [the seniors] are part of this foundation that I think we have. Even though they are not going to be here, they ‘re going to be a part of it,” he said.