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SOUTH BEND – Chan Gailey didn’t expect this. Charlie Weis didn’t expect it. Hardly any in Notre Dame Stadium did either.
So this is what an annihilation looks like, a 33-3 Georgia Tech thrashing of Notre Dame.
In 120 years, Notre Dame never lost an opener this bad. The Irish’s previous worst season-opening defeat was 31-10 to Pittsburgh in 1976. Before Saturday, Notre Dame had saved being blown out for elite teams. Now, ones that aren’t in the Top 25 are doing it, too.
Weis game-planned and went through exactly what he thought would happen. He set his strategy.
And every last piece of it – down to when he would allow Tom Zbikowski to return a punt without a fair catch – failed.
“About every goal that I identified with the team, this is what’s going to happen in the game, unfortunately, it happened just the opposite of what I said,” Weis said. “OK, give Zibby a chance to get going, he’ll make some hay; he gets hit in the mouth. Take care of the football; we lay it down on the ground. Don’t have any stupid penalties; well, we accomplished that one, too.
“You name it, I was prophetic.”
Not that anyone within Notre Dame’s program saw this outcome coming.
Weis said he planned on running the football. Instead, the Irish (0-1) went through its roster of competing quarterbacks. Demetrius Jones, the starter, barely threw a pass in the first half as the Irish ran a version of the West Virginia spread option offense nowhere. Evan Sharpley was next, and Georgia Tech’s defense made him their personal stress toy, sacking him seven times including one where the hit was audible all the way up in the press box. Another, not a sack but a quarterback hurry, had the same reverberations. Then, with 8:46 left in the game, Jimmy Clausen entered and – shock – threw a ball a long ways. Too bad it landed beyond everyone, including his closest receiver.
“If we could turn back the hands of time, we would want to erase the game and look at this as a bad dream,” Jones said.
Weis wouldn’t commit to a quarterback for next week’s game, saying he would likely do so by Tuesday.
It was more than the quarterback. About the only thing positive Notre Dame could say about this game was that no one left the field injured in body – just mind.
Jones didn’t have much time to do anything. Neither did Sharpley. The offensive line parted like Georgia Tech’s defense was an ambulance making its way to the hospital. Instead, the Yellow Jackets just did their best to send one of Notre Dame’s quarterbacks there.
“I think we confused their offensive line throughout the game,” said Georgia Tech linebacker Philip Wheeler, one of nine Yellow Jackets with at least half a sack.
“That’s what we wanted to do, and it made a big difference in the outcome. I don’t think their offensive line was ready for us.”
Jones was Notre Dame’s leading rusher, gaining 28 yards. Four rushers went for negative yards, Sharpley (minus 58), Clausen (minus 14), senior starter Travis Thomas (minus 7) and junior fullback Asaph Schwapp (minus 1). As a team, Notre Dame rushed for minus 8 yards. That came within four yards of Notre Dame’s record for all-time rushing futility, minus 12, against Michigan State in 1965.
“We need to protect better,” senior center John Sullivan said. “It comes down to that.”
Georgia Tech (1-0) held Notre Dame without a touchdown for the first time since Nov. 1, 2003, when the Irish were shut out by then-No. 5 Florida State 37-0. It was the first time since 1985 the Irish hadn’t scored a touchdown in a season opener.
The 122 yards of total offense was the worst since USC hammered Notre Dame 44-13 in 2002, when the Irish gained 109 yards.
The defense played well for almost a half, but every time they made a stop a turnover or bad punt left them in bad field position again. Eventually, the defense tired and allowed running back Tashard Choice to scamper for 196 yards, two touchdowns and a win.
Weis couldn’t remember the last time he had a throttling like this, the last time a Weis-coordinated team was held without a touchdown. He later relayed it might have been in the NFL when Buffalo beat New England 31-0 in the 2003 season.
“We’ve had some awful games in the past,” Weis said. “But it’s been awhile.”
mrothstein@jg.net
