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Last updated: October 8, 2011 5:32 p.m.

Irish up big at half

Tony Krausz | The Journal Gazette

Notre Dame scored every time its offense got the ball in the first half, and the Irish took a 42-16 halftime lead over Air Force.

Notre Dame followed a three-touchdown first quarter with a three-touchdown second quarter as the Irish spread the wealth on offense.

Six different players scored for Notre Dame with Michael Floyd, Tyler Eifert, Robby Toma and Theo Riddick catching touchdowns and Jonas Gray and Cierre Wood each rushing for a score. Quarterback Tommy Rees went 19 for 25 for 208 yards with four touchdowns.

The 42 first-half points were the most the Irish scored in a half since getting 42 in the second half of a 52-31 win over Navy in 1990. That game was tied at 10 at the break.

The second quarter didn't start out great for Notre Dame. Air Force had the ball at the Irish's 13 at the start and got to the 7 where it looked like it would have to settle for a field goal.

But freshman defensive end Aaron Lynch was flagged for being offsides on the field-goal attempt, and Air Force quarterback Tim Jefferson then scored on a 3-yard run to cut the Irish's lead to 21-9. Notre Dame's Darius Fleming blocked the point-after attempt.

The Falcons then attempted an onside kick that didn't go the required 10 yards before the Irish's Bennett Jackson grabbed the ball at the 39 and returned it a yard.

Notre Dame scored five players later when Gray powered his way through Air Force's defense for a 5-yard scoring run and a 28-9 lead with 11:39 left.

Notre Dame got the ball back when safety Jamoris Slaughter tipped a pass and caught it while falling at Air Force's 38.

The Irish turned Slaughter's first interception of the season into an 8-yard touchdown run by Wood and Notre Dame took a 35-9 lead with 6:10 left to play.

Air Force got to its 35 on the ensuing drive then used a fake punt to keep the drive alive to get to the Irish's 6 before Jefferson found Ty MacArthuer for a TD toss. The Irish held a 35-16 lead with 1:41 left.

Riddick finished the scoring when he turned a short pass from Rees into a 24-yard touchdown with 32 seconds to play.

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The Journal Gazette's Assistant Sports Editor Tony Krausz covers The University of Notre Dame. Krausz, a graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism and a native of St. Louis, has been assistant sports editor since October 2005. Prior to joining the JG, he worked at two papers in Mississippi covering high school and college athletics.
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