Irish Show Potential, Prepare for Clash Against the
Huskers
UHND.com - Bob Berry
September 3, 2000
Arnaz Battle made his first start a successful one Saturday as Notre Dame handled 23rd ranked Texas A&M showing some serious signs of potential in the new millennium.
For anyone who thought that Arnaz Battle would have trouble throwing the ball or that he wouldn’t be able to do what it takes to beat a ranked opponent, you may now take your seat quietly. Although Battle was not Michael Vick in his debut at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, he showed us all that Jarious Jackson may not be missed like we initially thought.
For starters, Battle did something at the quarterback position that we really haven’t seen since Kevin McDougal was here in 1993. He played a mistake free, clean football game for four quarters. Battle did not even come close to throwing an interception, he didn’t fumble, he didn’t pitch a ball poorly on the option, or force a ball in to triple coverage. For two years we all saw Jarious Jackson make plays on offense for Notre Dame, but we also saw Jackson continuously make mistakes in nearly every game he played. If Battle can keep up the mistake free football that he gave us a glimpse of today, this could be a great season. Ironically McDougal was the last Irish quarterback to lead Notre Dame to a win over a top ranked opponent. Battle will have his chance next week.
While getting off to a shaky start Saturday, Battle picked things up late in the 2nd quarter when he threw a great touch pass to Joey Getheral in the right corner of the end zone to tie the game at seven. His aerial attack continued strong in to the second half as he hit Javin Hunter for a long touchdown pass, and threw a beautiful ball over the middle to David Givens on a 3rd and 19 to keep a drive alive. It appeared as though early in the game, Davie and offensive coordinator Kevin Rogers were hesitant to let Battle throw the ball over the middle of the field. However, as the game went on, they gained confidence in Battle, and it proved to be crucial.
Battle’s fine play was not the only positive from this game against the Aggies. As expected, Julius Jones was impressive coming off a sensational freshman season. But for being the most explosive player for the Irish, he was woefully underused. Jones was never back on either kick or punt return in this game, and he didn’t see all that much playing time at tailback either, splitting a rotation with Tony Fisher and Terrance Howard. One of the keys for next week’s game against #1 Nebraska will be finding a way to get Julius Jones the ball more often than he saw it against Texas A&M.
Another player looking to have a breakout season is junior David Givens, who is finally getting the chance to show his stuff. Givens looked impressive against the Aggies, showing that he is very versatile, catching tough balls over the middle, running back kicks, and taking crucial carries out of the backfield. Next to Jones, Givens may be the Irish’s best and most dangerous offensive weapon. Against Nebraska, it will be crucial for Notre Dame to get the ball to David Givens. The Irish must take advantage of their best players in order to pull off the upset next week.
Javin Hunter also proved to be another potent scoring threat for the Irish, catching a long pass for a touchdown from Arnaz Battle in the 3rd quarter. With Givens and Hunter at wide receiver, Battle has two major threats in the passing game that must be used in order for Notre Dame to be successful this season.
On the other side of the ball, the Irish showed flashes of brilliance, but also showed weaknesses that need to be sewed up before Nebraska comes a calling next weekend. Against the run, the defensive line held up pretty well against the Aggies. It was against the pass that the Irish found themselves getting hurt by most on Saturday. The weakest link on the defense is clearly cornerback Clifford Jefferson. Jefferson was exposed in a major way on Saturday, and if the Irish are going to be successful this season, it will be paramount that they replace him in the lineup as soon as possible. I am hard pressed to find a more embarrassing player starting for Notre Dame that I can remember in the last 20 years. I was happy to see Bob Davie finally getting in the face of someone, and showing some intensity. And yes, it was Jefferson receiving the lashing from Davie, and deservedly so. Also, give Davie credit for seemingly sewing up the kicking woes of the Irish at least for one week.
Davie named sophomore kicker Nick Setta the starter just a week before Saturday’s game, and Setta proved Davie’s decision to be a good one. For the first time in a long time it seems that the Irish went an entire game without a kick being missed. Setta was 3 for 3 on extra points, and 1 for 1 on field goals. Also, the kickoff duties held by former soccer player Matt McNew showed signs of life as McNew booted several kickoffs out of the end zone. The kicking game has been a brutal weakness for the Irish for several years, and it just may be finally showing signs of promise.
Next week’s game against top ranked Nebraska, needs no extra hyping. Simply put, it’s the biggest game Notre Dame has played since top ranked Florida State came to Notre Dame Stadium in 1993. Personally, I held off all predictions on this upcoming game until I saw the game against Texas A&M, and from what I saw, I like the Notre Dame’s chances against the Huskers.
The players and coaches both know that this game will be the chance for Notre Dame to return immediately to national prominence. Rarely does a college football team get a chance to host a game in their own stadium with as much on the line as this game has. There is no pressure on Notre Dame, and that is why I like their chances. Sure there is the pressure that a game of this magnitude brings, but the simple fact that is if the Irish fall short against the Huskers, they will have lost to the best team in the nation. It is almost expected that Notre Dame will lose to Nebraska next week, and by a considerable margin. But don’t expect a blowout next week at Notre Dame Stadium. When you look at Nebraska’s strength, Notre Dame has what it takes to contain it. Nebraska loves to pound the ball with their running game with quarterback Eric Crouch running the option play behind their dominating offensive line. That is good news for the Irish who’s weakest link on defense lies in the secondary. The veteran defensive line of the Irish should match up reasonably well against the Huskers, and if the secondary can make solid tackles, and avoid big plays, the Irish will be in this game for all four quarters. And that is just what Notre Dame needs to do in order to win this football game, stay close and strike late in the game. The Irish offense, if they utilize their best weapons in Julius Jones, David Givens, Javin Hunter, Jabari Holloway, and Arnaz Battle, should be able to put up enough points to give them a chance to win the football game.
If we all remember the last time Notre Dame was a struggling football program, hosting the #1 team in the nation, we will have reason for optimism for this game. In 1988, the Irish came back in to national prominence by taking down top ranked Miami 31-30 en route to a national championship. If the Irish can play mistake free football on offense like they did against Texas A&M, and they can come up with some big plays to give them the momentum in the second half, I feel the Irish will have the opportunity to pull off the upset of the year in college football and return this team to glory. So with my prediction, I will put my faith in Arnaz Battle, and the play calling of Kevin Rogers and the Irish will do as they did in 1988, and in 1993, and knock off the #1 team in the nation in the house that Rockne built. Reminiscent of the 1988 upset, the Irish prevail 31-30 over Nebraska.