Notre Dame Hail Mary answered vs. Wazzu

2009 Notre Dame Fighting Irish Head Coach: Charlie Weis

2009 Schedule
2009 Record: 6-2

9/5 Nevada W 35-0
9/12 at Michigan : 38-34
9/19 Michigan St W 33-30
9/26 at Purdue W 24-21
10/3 Wash. W 37-30 OT
10/10 OPEN DATE
10/17 USC L 34-27
10/24 BC W 20-16
10/31 Wash St  W 40-14
11/7 Navy
11/14 at Pitt
11/21 Connecticut
11.28 at Stanford

2008 Schedule
CFN Prediction: 7-5
2008 Record:7-6

9/6 San Diego St W 21-13
9/13 Michigan W 35-17
9/20 at Michigan St L 23-7
9/27 Purdue W 38-21
10/4 Stanford W 28-21
10/11 at N Carolina L 29-24
10/18 OPEN DATE
10/25 at Wash. W 33-7
11/1 Pitt L 36-33 4 OT
11/8 at Boston Coll L 17-0
11/15 Navy (Balt) W 27-21
11/22 Syracuse L 24-23
11/29 at USC L 38-3
Hawaii Bowl
12/24 Hawaii W 49-21

Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Oct. 31
Notre Dame 40 … Washington State 14
Notre Dame finally got a win it didn’t have to sweat through the fourth quarter to get. Jimmy Clausen connected with Duval Kamara from seven yards out and Golden Tate and Robert Hughes each ran for scores on the way to a 23-0 lead, but Washington State was able to get on the board late in the first half on the first of two Jared Karstetter touchdown catches. And then Tate came up with one of the most impressive catches this year snagging a Hail Mary from 50 yards out with no time left on the first half clock. John Goodman closed out the scoring for the Irish with a 64-yard catch.
Player of the Game: Notre Dame QB Jimmy Clausen completed 22-of-27 passes for 268 yards and two touchdowns.
Washington State: Passing: Jeff Tuel, 12-23, 104 yds, 2 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Dwight Tardy, 8-72, Receiving: Tony Thompson, 3-27
Notre Dame: Passing: Jimmy Clausen, 22-27, 268 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Robert Hughes, 24-131, 1 TD, Receiving: Kyle Rudolph, 6-59
What It All Means: In some ways, this was a bigger win for Notre Dame than several of the other key wins throughout the year because it showed that the team can put away a mediocre foe. Washington State is awful, and if the Irish had any problems, then it would be time to wonder just how good the earlier wins were. Jimmy Clausen was great, Golden Tate was dynamic, and Robert Hughes ran well. It was an almost perfect performance, and one that allowed the team to take a deep breath before facing Navy and going to Pitt. 

Oct. 24
at Notre Dame 20 … Boston College 16
Notre Dame got five turnovers including a Brian Smith interception deep in Irish territory in the final minutes to seal the win, but the defense struggled for the rest of the game. The Irish O got an 11-yard Golden Tate touchdown catch late in the second half to take the lead, but BC took it back early in the second half on a two-yard Montel Harris run. Tate caught a 36-yard touchdown pass midway through the fourth to give Notre Dame the lead for good. While the Irish gave up 349 yards and 279 through the air, BC didn’t score over the final 27 minutes.
Player of the Game: Notre Dame WR Golden Tate caught 11 passes for 128 yards and two scores.
Boston College: Passing: Dave Shinskie, 17-35, 279 yds, 1 TD, 3 INT
Rushing: Montel Harris, 22-38, 1 TD, Receiving: Rich Gunnell, 10-179, 1 TD
Notre Dame: Passing: Jimmy Clausen, 26-39, 246 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Armando Allen, 21-98, Receiving: Golden Tate, 11-128 yds, 2 TD
What It All Means: Boston College got a nice passing day out of Dave Shinskie, up until the late interception, but the running game was stuffed and the offense wasn’t as balanced as it needed to be. The defense did a nice job of keeping Jimmy Clausen and the Irish passing game from exploding, but everyone’s having problems with WR Golden Tate at the moment. This might have been a disappointing loss, but the lines are playing well, Shinskie is improving, and there are wins coming around the corner with Virginia and Maryland still to deal with. But first, the Eagles have to be focused on a strong Central Michigan team, or it’ll be three losses in four games.
What It All Means: The defense keeps getting criticized, and rightly so with a secondary that’s not producing, but Boston College only came up with 16 points and the D held tough when it absolutely had to. Golden Tate is the most unstoppable receiver in college football at the moment, and while Jimmy Clausen is getting pressured, he’s making the right decisions and he’s keeping the offense moving. Close games are becoming old hat for the Irish, but they might be toughening the team up. The team appears to be calm when the games get tightest. However, if Washington State takes it down to the final minutes next week, then it’ll be time to worry about the final month of the year.

Oct. 17
USC 34 … at Notre Dame 27
In a thriller, Jimmy Clausen misfired a pass into the end zone in what appeared to be the end of the game, but with USC celebrating on the field, one second was put back on the clock and Clausen had another chance. He missed again, and USC came away with the tough win. The Trojans were up 20 in the fourth quarter, but Clausen rallied the Irish with a two-yard touchdown run and a 15-yard scoring pass to Golden Tate to get within seven. That would be it, though, for the Irish scoring. USC got up on two short touchdown runs from Allen Bradford and Joe McKnight, and two Matt Barkley touchdown passes to Damian Williams from 41 and 20 yards away. USC hadn’t given up a touchdown pass coming into the game, but it allowed two to Tate, who caught a 45-yarder to go along with his second score. Jurrell Casey and Taylor Mays each made ten tackles for the Trojans.
Player of the Game: USC QB Matt Barkley completed 19-of-29 passes for 380 yards and two touchdowns with an interception.
Notre Dame: Passing: Jimmy Clausen, 24-43, 260 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Armando Allen, 12-51, Receiving: Robby Parris, 9-92
USC: Passing: Matt Barkley, 19-29, 380 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Joe McKnight, 19-79, 1 TD, Receiving: Anthony McCoy, 5-153 
What It All Means: Will Notre Dame finally gain a measure of respect, even though it was a loss? Just when it seemed like the Irish were going to be blown out, they mounted a nice comeback to push the Trojans to the final second. Unfortunately, the running game had to be abandoned for a stretch even though Armando Allen was running well, but the receiving tandem of Golden Tate and Robby Parris helped carry the offense when the team needed to rally. Parris, however, suffered what appeared to be a knee injury late in the game, adding yet another big loss to an already hurting receiving corps. With Boston College up next, the Irish need to gear it back up and come up with the win before relative layups against Washington State and Navy. The BCS bid is still there for the taking, but winning out is a must.

Oct. 3
at Notre Dame 37 … Washington 30
Notre Dame’s Robert Hughes ran for a one-yard score on its overtime possession and held on Washington’s turn breaking up a fourth down pass to pull out the thrilling win. The Irish got two goal line stands (holding UW to no points on one and three on the other) to keep the Huskies from pulling away, and was able to take a late lead on a 12-yard Kyle Rudolph touchdown catch and a barreling two-point conversion from Hughes with 1:20 to play. But Washington rallied going 70 yards in nine plays with Erik Folk hitting a 37-yarder with six seconds to play to force OT. Nick Tausch hit five field goals for the Irish. The two teams combined for 987 yards of total offense.
Player of the Game: Notre Dame QB Jimmy Clausen completed 23-of-31 passes for 422 yards and two touchdown with an interception, and Golden Tate caught nine passes for 244 yards and a score.
Washington: Passing: Jake Locker, 22-40, 281 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Chris Polk, 22-136, Receiving: Jermaine Kearse, 8-94, 1 TD
Notre Dame: Passing: Jimmy Clausen, 23-31, 422 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Robert Hughes, 8-70, 1 TD, Receiving: Golden Tate, 9-244, 1 TD
What It All Means: No one’s stopping this offense. Jimmy Clausen is playing at another level, while Golden Tate stepped up his play with Michael Floyd gone and became the team’s star playmaker with 244 yards against Washington. The defense might not be anything special, but it came up with three big stops on the two goal line stands and in overtime, and now it’s time for the real work to begin. At 4-1, the heat is off Charlie Weis for now, but the program can really take off if it can pull off the win over USC. There are two weeks to prepare for the showdown, and the one thing that needs working on is tightening up the offense on third downs after converting just 2-of-10 chances. 

Sept. 26
Notre Dame 24 … at Purdue 21
Hobbled by a bad toe that kept him on the sidelines for a long stretch, Jimmy Clausen came off the bench to lead a 12-play, 72-yard drive that ended with a two-yard touchdown pass to Kyle Rudolph with 25 seconds to play. Purdue roared back in the fourth quarter to take the lead on a three-yard touchdown catch from Keith Smith, who caught 11 passes on the night, and a 38-yard scoring play from Jaycen Taylor, but the defense couldn’t hang on. The Irish got the lead in the first half on a two-yard Robert Hughes run and a 14-yard play from Golden Tate, but the offense sputtered with Clausen out. Purdue got tagged with 13 penalties, while Notre Dame was hit with six.
Player of the Game: Notre Dame QB Jimmy Clausen completed 15-of-26 passes for 171 yards and a touchdown with an interception.
Purdue: Passing: Joey Elliott, 22-38, 289 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Ralph Bolden, 17-67, Receiving: Keith Smith, 11-136, 1 TD
Notre Dame: Passing: Jimmy Clausen, 15-26, 171 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Robert Hughes, 15-68, 1 TD, Receiving: Golden Tate, 5-57
What It All Means: It’s a shame the Irish offense is as banged up as it is. The running game was creative, and wasn’t bad, even with Armando Allen out, and the passing game came through when needed without Michael Floyd, but the offense showed just how valuable Jimmy Clausen is even with a bad toe. The drive he led to pull out the win was stuff of Heisman legend, but he might have to do more of it. That toe isn’t going to get any better, and the Irish secondary isn’t going to grow into a rock any time soon. 

Sept. 19
at Notre Dame 33 … Michigan State 30
In a thriller, Michigan State’s Kirk Cousins missed a wide-open receiver in the end zone in the final moments, and made a mistake throwing a bad pass for an interception by Kyle McCarthy, when a field goal would’ve tied the score and would’ve forced overtime. Cousins had rallied the Spartans to a 30-26 fourth quarter lead on a 17-yard touchdown pass to Blair White, his second scoring grab of the game, but Jimmy Clausen connected with Golden Tate for the game-winner on the ensuing drive. Clausen also threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to Michael Floyd, who suffered a broken collarbone and was lost for the day. Irish RB Armando Allen started off the scoring with a 13-yard touchdown run and he threw a five-yard touchdown pass to Robby Parris.
Player of the Game: Notre Dame QB Jimmy Clausen completed 22-of-31 passes for 300 yards and two touchdowns
Michigan State: Passing: Kirk Cousins, 23-35, 302 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Larry Caper, 12-51, 2 TD, Receiving: B.J. Cunningham, 7-74
Notre Dame: Passing: Jimmy Clausen, 22-31, 300 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Armando Allen, 23-115, 1 TD, Receiving: Golden Tate, 7-127, 1 TD
What It All Means: Notre Dame had a battle against Michigan last week when everything didn’t go the right way, and lost. Against Michigan State, things didn’t always go the right way, with Michael Floyd suffering a broken collarbone and with Jimmy Clausen hurting his foot, and the Irish got the win. Too much was made about how this was a win Charlie Weis had to have, and while that’s an overstatement, this should take the heat off for a while. Eventually, everyone will realize that the team is playing well and is more than just competitive again. Yes, Weis is actually doing a good job. 

Sept. 12
at Michigan 38 ... Notre Dame 34
Tate Forcier capped a 57-yard drive with a game-winning five-yard scoring pass to Greg Mathews. Time ran out on the final Notre Dame desperation drive ending a huge day for QB Jimmy Clausen, who threw three touchdown passes including two to Golden Tate from four and 11 yards out. The Wolverines scored 17 straight points, highlighted by a 31-yard Forcier run, but the Irish came roaring back with the second Tate score and an eight-yard Armando Allen touchdown with 5:13 to play. But with a chance to run out the clock, the Irish failed and gave the ball back to Forcier with 2:02 to play. The combination of Tate and Michael Floyd combined for 16 catches for 146 yards and three touchdowns, but it wasn't enough.
Player of the Game: Michigan QB Tate Forcier completed 23-of-33 passes for 240 yards and two touchdowns with an interception, and he ran 13 times for 70 yards and a score.
Michigan: Passing: Tate Forcier, 23-3, 240 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Brandon Minor, 16-106, 1 TD, Receiving: Greg Mathews, 5-68, 1 TD
Notre Dame: Passing: Jimmy Clausen, 25-42, 336 yds, 3 TD
Rushing: Armando Allen, 21-139, 1 TD, Receiving: Golden Tate, 9-115, 2 TD
What It All Means: Instant Analysis - Michigan 38 - Notre Dame 34 ... Notre Dame will be kicking itself for weeks after this one. The passing game was clicking, Michael Floyd and Golden Tate were killing the Michigan corners, but when they were needed most late, Jimmy Clausen couldn't get them the ball. The offense worked with 336 yards through the air and 154 on the ground, but Michigan was able to come up with the right plays at the right time from the kickoff return for a score, to the short third quarter scoring drive off a turnover, to the late drive to win the game. There will be plenty of screaming after the game, but Notre Dame and its offense showed up. It was a loss to a good team in a high-energy classic. Now, if Notre Dame loses to Michigan State next week, then there will be major problems.

Sept. 5s, 2 INT
Rushing: Vai Taua, 18-114, Receiving: Tray Session, 5-51
Notre Dame: Passing: Jimmy Clausen, 15-18, 315 yds, 4 TD
Rushing: Armando Allen, 15-72, 1 TD, Receiving: Malcolm Floyd, 4-189, 3 TD
What It All Means: This was as dream come true for Notre Dame fans anxious for the opener. The offense was thrilling with big play after big play, Jimmy Clausen was nearly perfect, and the defense swarmed all over the Nevada running game that’ll end up averaging over 250 yards per game. The team let up a wee bit in the second half, but the defense kept the heat on and the offensive line did a great job of putting the game away with the ground game. Nevada had one of the best pass rushes in the nation last year and was held without a sack. However, before getting all giddy, Nevada was dead last against the pass last season.