Fighting Irish Win Blarney Bowl Notre Dame Topples Navy As Fans In Dublin Try To Figure It All Out

Aye, it was a grand day all around for the Irish on Saturday. American football came to Dublin and, before it was over, two cultures journeyed noisily from opposite directions to share the same thrill.

Thousands of visiting Americans cheered themselves hoarse as Notre Dame walloped Navy for the 33rd consecutive year, in the process reviving its postseason expectations.

Notre Dame 54, Navy 27 is what the portable scoreboard said in the end zone of a borrowed stadium, but it wasn’t that close.

Thousands of Irish rooting for their honorary American cousins politely applauded an alien game but happily devoured the spectacle in which it came wrapped. They cheered the bands and they loved the cheerleaders. They even did the wave. Sort of.

“It’s an entirely new experience, not like a soccer game or any other sports event I’ve been to. It’s more of a family day out,” said recent college graduate Karen McGann.

The spectacle, yes. The sport, no thanks. That seemed the common thread among the Irish as Notre Dame took an early lead and swept away with a 33-point second half.

“Football is a baffling game. It stops more than it plays. I suspect football is something you have to grow with and go into. Still, I like the buzz,” said rugby fan Ron McWilliams.

What was ballyhooed as the first Shamrock Classic game drew an announced 38,651 spectators - less than a full house - to historic Croke Park in Dublin on a blustery and gray, but happily dry, afternoon.

Fullback Marc Edwards punched over from the 5 to climax a six-play, 43-yard drive to open the scoring. Edwards would score twice more on plunges of 1 yard in Notre Dame’s 19-point fourth quarter.

Notre Dame added its second touchdown on the first play of the second quarter on a 5-yard pass from quarterback Ron Powlus to tight end Pete Chryplewicz. Navy came back though with a 13-play, 66-yard drive that consumed 6:18 before fullback Omar Nelson scored on a 6-yard run, the first of two touchdowns for him. Sophomore tailback Autry Denson, who carried for a game-high 123 yards, also scored twice, on runs of 33 and 23 yards, the first with 14 seconds remaining in the half.

With a 21-7 halftime lead, Notre Dame put the game out of sight with 11:48 remaining in the third quarter when 281-pound defensive end Renaldo Wynn lumbered in with a 24-yard fumble return.

Navy was always game: Cory Schemm would score twice for Navy on second-half passes of 55 and 16 yards from Ben Fay. But the Midshipmen were never able to significantly close the gap.

“I’m very disappointed with the way we played. Notre Dame is a good team and we could not afford to give them the opportunities we did,” said Navy coach Charlie Weatherbie.

The result, leaving both teams with 5-2 records, was a boost for Notre Dame, which lost in overtime to Air Force two weeks ago.