Sept 8, 2001

Notre Dame at Nebraska Final Stats

By RICHARD ROSENBLATT
AP Football Writer

LINCOLN, Neb. – A visit by Notre Dame was all Nebraska needed to play up to its potential.

Eric Crouch threw for one touchdown and Dahrran Diedrick ran for two more as the fifth-ranked Cornhuskers overwhelmed the 17th-ranked Fighting Irish with a 17-point first quarter for a 27-10 victory Saturday night.

Playing before a record crowd of 78,118 at Memorial Stadium, the Huskers performed with the passion they lacked in wins against TCU and Troy State.

But with the Irish in town for the first time in 53 years and a sea of red Huskers fans packed into the stadium, Nebraska (3-0) made it a long opening night for Notre Dame (0-1).

Diedrick, who carried 32 times for 133 yards, capped the opening drive with a 2-yard TD run 4:19 into the game. After tailback Terrance Howard fumbled on Notre Dame’s first offensive play of the season, the Huskers went ahead 14-0 a play later on Crouch’s 22-yard scoring pass to John Gibson. It was the quarterback’s first TD pass of the year.

The Irish, who ended last season with a disheartening 41-9 loss to Oregon State in the Fiesta Bowl, had hoped to beat a Top 5 team for the first time since 1993 and restore its fading reputation of winning big games. Last season, the Irish came close to upsetting then-No. 1 Nebraska in South Bend, but lost 27-24 in overtime.

In the rematch, it wasn’t even close, and now the Huskers are looking at relatively easy games against Rice, Missouri, Iowa State, Baylor and Texas Tech before facing No. 3 Oklahoma on Oct. 27.

Notre Dame lost two fumbles – one on a botched snap on a punt – and Matt LoVecchio threw an interception in the first quarter alone. The Irish finished with four turnovers after matching an NCAA record last year for least turnovers in a season with eight.

With Purdue up next week, coach Bob Davie now has himself a quarterback controversy.

Matt LoVecchio, 7-1 last season after replacing the injured Arnaz Battle, was ineffective all night. He was replaced by Carlyle Holiday late in the second period and the sophomore led the Irish to a field goal.

With Nebraska ahead 17-0, Holiday drove Notre Dame 64 yards and Nick Setta kicked a 29-yard field goal with 6:57 left in the half. Holiday played the third period and LoVecchio the fourth. Holiday finished 5-of-8 for 41 yards and ran eight times for 21 yards, LoVecchio was 11-of-24 for 78 yards. Each threw an interception.

Crouch had another mediocre game, completing 6 of 9 passes for 108 yards and running 14 times for 31 yards.

Nebraska extended its lead to 27-3 at the half on a 3-yard TD run by Diedrick with 3:57 left, and Sandro DeAngelis’ 21-yard field goal with a second left. DeAngelis had a 19-yard field goal in the first quarter.

A light rain fell in the third quarter and neither team scored. The Irish scored their only touchdown early in the fourth quarter on Tony Fisher’s 1-yard TD run on fourth down. The score was set up when cornerback Shane Walton blocked a punt at the Huskers 4.

After Diedrick’s opening 2-yard TD, a flurry of flubs followed. Howard fumbled LoVecchio’s handoff and linebacker Jamie Burrow recovered at the Irish 22.

On the next play, Crouch found a wide-open John Gibson in the end zone and in a span of 22 seconds Nebraska was ahead 14-0 just 4:41 into the game.

After Notre Dame punted, Crouch fumbled three plays later when he was hit by defensive end Anthony Weaver and linebacker Rocky Boiman recovered at the Huskers 34. Not only were the Irish unable to capitalize, but a botched snap on a punt that went for minus 45 yards gave the Huskers the ball at Notre Dame 8.

John Crowther sailed a snap over punter Joey Hildbold’s head and defensive end Justin Smith chased it down, setting up DeAngelis’ first field goal.

A turnover by each team followed – Huskers cornerback DeJuan Groce intercepted a pass by LoVecchio but Crouch lost another fumble on the next play – and the first quarter ended with Nebraska ahead 17-0.

Enter Holiday, playing his first game. He handed off to Fisher, who ran for 35 yards, then hit a 9-yard pass to Javin Hunter on fourth-and 7 and set up Setta’s 29-yard field goal with 6:57 left in the half.

But the Huskers struck again thanks to 42-yard kickoff return by Josh Davis, a 23-yard completion from Crouch to Wistrom and finally Diedrick’s second TD to extend the lead to 24-3 with 2:57 left.

The previous attendance record at Memorial Stadium was 78,096 against Kansas last season.