Davie’s Golden Dome Debut Rather Lacks Luster

Top 25

Bob Davie was silent, his head bowed as he left the locker room and entered Notre Dame’s famed tunnel for the first time as head coach.

If he was nervous, it didn’t show. If he was excited, he kept it to himself. Any emotions were his and his alone as he took the field.

And 3-1/2 hours later, he was silent again as he walked off the field alone after No. 11 Notre Dame’s 17-13 victory over Georgia Tech at South Bend, Ind.

This couldn’t have been the way he wanted to start. His team struggled for most of the game behind a confused offense and a lifeless defense, and Davie seemed powerless to do anything as he paced the sidelines.

Finally, with 5 minutes to play, the Irish came to life. Autry Denson’s 1-yard touchdown run with 2:37 left assured Davie of his first win. He crossed the field to shake Georgia Tech coach George O’Leary’s hand before strolling back to the locker room.

This wasn’t the way it was supposed to be. All week, he’d talked of bringing a new spirit to Notre Dame, of restoring the program to its former prominence. There was a new enthusiasm on campus. The parking lots were packed 4 hours before the game. Thousands of people lined the sidewalk to cheer the players as they left Mass 2 hours before kickoff.

Players, fans, alumni and past lettermen are eager for Davie to return Notre Dame to greatness.

“Tradition plays a role. There is now a beginning and a new era,” said Corny Southall, a free safety on the 1988 national championship team. “This year’s team, and everyone from now on, has an obligation to live up to what was done before.”

Georgia Tech (0-1) nearly pulled off the upset, but two missed field goals by Dave Frakes in the fourth quarter kept the Irish hopes alive.

Next for Notre Dame (1-0): at Purdue (0-1).

(1) Penn St. 34, Pittsburgh 17

At State College, Pa., Mike McQueary threw for a school-record 366 yards and two touchdowns as the Nittany Lions rolled past the Panthers in the first matchup between the rivals since 1992.

McQueary, a fifth-year senior who backed up Wally Richardson and Kerry Collins for four years, also set a school record for total offense with 370 yards against the outmanned Panthers (1-1).

McQueary completed 21 of 36 passes before he was pulled with 12:38 left in the game. Joe Jurevicius was his favorite receiver, catching seven tosses for 108 yards and a touchdown. Chafie Fields had three receptions for 80 yards.

Next for Penn State (1-0): vs. Temple (1-1).

(2) Florida 82, C. Mich. 6

At Gainesville, Fla., Doug Johnson tied a school record with seven touchdown passes in the first half, and the Gators set a school mark with nine overall against the Chippewas (1-1).

Florida also set a modern school record for points.

Next for Florida (2-0): vs. Tennessee (2-0), Sept. 20.

(7) North Carolina 23, Indiana 6

At Chapel Hill, N.C., Tar Heels quarterback Chris Keldorf threw three interceptions, but the team’s struggling passing game was bailed out by tailback Jonathan Linton, who gained a career-high 121 yards on 22 carries.

The North Carolina defense had five first-half sacks and limited the Hoosiers (0-1) to two field goals in Cam Cameron’s first game as Indiana coach.

Next for North Carolina (1-0): vs. Stanford (1-0).

(8) Colorado 31, (24) Colo. St. 21

At Boulder, Colo., Rashidi Barnes and Marcus Washington grabbed momentum-turning interceptions early in the third quarter, rallying the Buffaloes past the Rams.

Colorado was trailing 14-7 when Barnes returned his theft 26 yards for a tying touchdown with 13:58 left in the period. Washington’s interception and 10-yard return 2 minutes later set up the first of two touchdown passes from John Hessler to Phil Savoy.

Colorado, which has won the last seven games in the series with its in-state rival, went ahead 31-14 on Jeremy Aldrich’s 34-yard field goal midway through the fourth quarter.

Next for Colorado (1-0): at Michigan (0-0).

Next for Colorado St. (1-1): at Utah State (2-0).

(10) LSU 55, Texas-El Paso 3

At Baton Rouge, La., Kevin Faulk scored three touchdowns in the first half as the Tigers routed the Miners.

Faulk, who gained 84 yards on 12 carries, left the game 2 minutes into the third quarter after pulling his left hamstring on a 40-yard run.

It was the most points scored by LSU in a season opener since 1930.

Next for LSU (1-0): at Mississippi State (2-0).

(12) Texas 48, Rutgers 14

At Austin, Texas, Ricky Williams ran for 155 yards and three touchdowns and Aaron Humphrey had three interceptions as the Longhorns overcame a turnover-filled first half to topple the Scarlet Knights (0-2).

Texas quarterback James Brown left the game late in the first half with a sprained left ankle and didn’t return. Team doctors said the injury wasn’t serious but didn’t speculate as to how long he would be out.

Next for Texas (1-0): vs. UCLA (0-2).

(18) Clemson 23, App. St. 12

At Clemson, S.C., Nealon Greene threw for two touchdowns and a career-high 250 yards as the Tigers defeated Appalachian State, extending their winning streak against Southern Conference opponents to 33.

Clemson tailback Raymond Priester gained 138 yards, his 13th career 100-yard game and fifth in a row, but the Tigers’ revamped passing attack bailed them out against the Division I-AA Mountaineers (0-1).

Next for Clemson (1-0): at N.C. State (2-0).

(20) Iowa 66, Northern Iowa 0

At Iowa City, Iowa, Tavian Banks ran for a career-best 203 yards and two long touchdowns and caught one of Matt Sherman’s three scoring passes as the Hawkeyes routed the Division I-AA Panthers.

It was the Hawkeyes’ biggest victory margin and the worst loss for the Panthers (0-1) since Iowa’s 95-0 drubbing of Northern Iowa, then Iowa Teachers College, in 1914.

Next for Iowa (1-0): vs. Tulsa (0-1).

Wake Forest 27, (21) N’western 20

At Winston-Salem, N.C., Brian Kuklick directed three second-half TD drives that lifted the Demon Deacons to their second upset of Northwestern in as many years.

Wake Forest (1-0) limited the Wildcats to three-and-out on three of their first four possessions in each half.

Next for Northwestern (1-1): vs. Duke (0-1).

(21, tie) K-State 47, No. Illinois 7

At Dekalb, Ill., Michael Bishop made his Kansas State quarterbacking debut a spectacular one, throwing four touchdown passes and running for another - all in the first half - as the Wildcats hammered the Huskies.

Next for Kansas State (1-0): vs. Ohio U. (2-0).

(25) Michigan St. 42, W. Mich. 10

At East Lansing, Mich., Amp Campbell returned an interception 43 yards for a score, one of four turnovers that the Spartans turned into touchdowns.

The Spartans, who forced 18 turnovers last season, forced the Broncos (1-1) into seven.

Next for Michigan State (1-0): vs. Memphis (1-1).