(Matt Cashore-US PRESSWIRE)
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – So, this is what a “trap” game looks like.
Starting quarterback Everett Golson remained out from last week’s concussion in an emotional win over Stanford. Tommy Rees ran a much-less inspired offense for the Notre Dame football team. A showdown with Oklahoma looming and an Irish defense that had moments of confusion.
It all added up to a 17-14 come-from-behind escape for the Irish from BYU (4-4) Saturday.
The 7-0 Irish took a giant step toward securing a BCS game with the victory. Trips to Oklahoma (next Saturday) and Southern Cal (Nov. 24) are the primary obstacles facing Notre Dame the rest of the way.
Against BYU’s No. 3-ranked rushing defense, Notre Dame dominated. The Irish rolled up 270 yards on the ground and only threw the ball three times in the second half. Theo Riddick led the way with 143 rushing yards. Cierre Wood had 114.
“It was pretty clear that we were going to be able to control both sides of the ball on the offensive line and defensive line,” said Irish coach Brian Kelly. “And you know, (we) really stuck with our game plan. (We) came in here wanting to run the football.”
“I was really impressed,” BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall said of the Irish running game. “They were physical and we had a very difficult time making consistent tackles. And a lot of times, it seems like we had good contact, either at the line of scrimmage or shortly thereafter, and the running backs kept driving their legs and running hard.”
Rees passed himself out of the doldrums as the third period faded into the fourth. After completing 6-of-7 passes in the first period, he went the next seven without a completion. He hit TJ Jones with a 31-yarder that put the Irish in BYU territory. Riddick broke free for 19 yards to the Cougar 5. A couple plays later, George Atkinson III ran wide for a two-yard TD and a 17-14 Irish lead.
A Notre Dame offense that lacked a spark through most of three quarters found a little inspiration from Riddick. Stacked up near the line of scrimmage at the BYU 37, Riddick retained his balance and found an opening. He bolted 55 yards before finally being caught at the Cougar 8.
Three very conservative runs up the middle set the table for Kyle Brindza to hit a 24-yard field goal to cut the Irish deficit to 14-10.
“I was proud of our team,” Mendenhall said. “One or two plays short from being able to come away with a victory. Most likely the best game collectively we played offensively, defense and kicking but when you put the composite together it was good enough to get us within striking distance and had a great chance, a number of chances to maybe pull off an upset. But ultimately, we didn’t make a critical play here or there right down the stretch to win the game.”
Problems plagued Notre Dame throughout the first half. BYU capitalized with a 14-7 advantage.
Three sacks and an interception by linebacker Manti Te’o allowed the Irish defense to establish itself early. Nelson was hounded on every snap in the first 15 minutes.
Notre Dame took the early lead when tight end Tyler Eifert made a great catch for a 29-yard pickup. Cierre Wood rushed for 22. Rees hit Jones for nine yards to the BYU 4. Eifert capped the 64-yard, five-play drive with a four-yard TD pass from Rees.
The second quarter belonged to the Cougars.
Notre Dame’s offense dug a hole when tight end Troy Niklas was flagged for a personal foul after a first down. The Irish finally had to punt from their own 15, giving BYU the ball near midfield.
Jamaal Williams had a critical 22-yard run that set up a six-yard TD pass from Nelson to Cody Hoffman. The score ended a streak of 17 quarters the Irish defense had gone without yielding a touchdown.
“I went over to the sideline and there wasn’t one guy pointing a finger,” Kelly said of the end of the defense’s streak. “It was about let’s just continue to communicate out here. They felt like they let some plays outside the defense — I know a couple of times they felt like they should have been there.
“I went over there twice and really felt a good energy with the defense.”
Three plays later, a pass bounced off the hands of Notre Dame receiver DaVaris Daniels into the hands of BYU linebacker Kyle Van Noy at the Irish 30.
A defensive holding penalty on Notre Dame’s Danny Spond was a key play in BYU’s touchdown driveg with a two-yard pass from Nelson to Kaneakua Friel.
Besides two interceptions and two late-hit penalties, Notre Dame’s Brindza missed two field goals in the first 30 minutes.
