Tar Heels rally, edge Irish

by Pete Byrne (pmbyrne@wsbt.com)

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Golden Tate North Carolina

North Carolina's Kendric Burney (16) follows Notre Dame's Golden Tate (23) into the end zone for Notre Dame's first touchdown in the first half of a NCAA college football game Oct. 11, 2008, Chapel Hill, N.C. (AP Photo/Sara D. Davis)

By WSBT Sports

CHAPEL HILL, NC -- Notre Dame bid to win on the road, upset a ranked team, and likely move into the top 25, came up a few yards short Saturday, falling to North Carolina 29-24.

Turnovers plagued the Irish, in a tale of two halves.

Notre Dame took the lead early. Jimmy Clausen hooked up with Golden Tate for the game's opening score, a 19-yard touchdown to put Notre Dame up 7-0.

Much maligned kicker Brandon Walker scored Notre Dame's next points.
Walker booted a 42-yard field goal right through the middle of the uprights, giving the Irish a 10-3 lead early in the 2nd quarter.

Shortly before halftime, Jimmy Clausen threw his 2nd touchdown pass of the game. A perfect pass to freshman Mike Floyd on 3rd and goal lifted the Irish to a 17-6 edge.

By halftime, Clausen had already thrown for 200 yards. The Irish defense had not allowed a touchdown, holding the Tar Heels to three field goals. The momentum belonged to Notre Dame, who led 17-9.

One play in the 2nd half changed everything. The Tar Heels intercepted Clausen on the first play of the 3rd quarter, and returned it 32 yards for the touchdown, to make it a 17-16 game. Perhaps more important than the score, the Heels had stolen the "Big Mo".

Notre Dame tempered that, responding with a 72 yard scoring drive, capped-off by a two yard touchdown run, the first of his career. That gave Notre Dame a 24-16 lead.

Carolina answered with a touchdown drive of their own, a short run by Ryan Houston. The Tar Heels went for two and Cameron Sexton's pass was batted down.

Notre Dame led 24-22 after three quarters.

However, the Irish couldn't hang on (to the football, or the lead). North Carolina turned another Irish turnover, a Clausen forced fumble, into another score.

Early in the 4th quarter, quarterback Cameron Sexton scored on the bootleg. The touchdown gave North Carolina their first lead of the game, 29-24 with 14:55 remaining.

Notre Dame made three strong bids to win after that. The first stalled on the North Carolina 23-yard line, as the Irish turned it over on downs.

The second, when Clausen was intercepted in the red zone, for the second time in the game.

Finally, with 11 seconds left, and Notre Dame facing 4th down on the Tar Heel thirty yard line, Jimmy Clausen found Mike Floyd over the middle for the 1st down. Falling to the ground, Floyd was stripped and once again, North Carolina recovered.

Notre Dame's fifth and final turnover, ended their chance at victory.

Notre Dame falls to 4-2 on the season heading into their bye week.

Lost in defeat, is a 3rd consecutive career high by Clausen in passing yards with 384.

Notre Dame returns to action October 25th at Washington.

Wednesday, Oct 15 at 7:52 AM DEBBIE wrote ...

WTG 8:05 am. you can see why they play like they do. depends on the bets they have.shut thier bookies down and they can play a good game from start to beginning.everyone pay attention and see how the games are played and you will see games are played by the bets....pay attention or do not watch.lol

Tuesday, Oct 14 at 2:24 PM J wrote ...

Herb, roundtable? by the way I'm cornholefusion's brother

Monday, Oct 13 at 9:55 PM Herb Stanton wrote ...

"j", what's YOUR problem with cornfusion? I look forward to his comments. I have seldom laughed so hard at some, and been enticed to ponder on others. I do not agree with EVERYTHING he writes but I still enjoy reading it. I think he adds something to this little roundtable of ours and he has never been cruel or spoken with malice to anyone. You on the otherhand do not seem to possess the smarts to simply look away and say nothing! You would rather criticize. I disagree with EVERYTHING you say!

Monday, Oct 13 at 10:39 AM J wrote ...

Cornholefusion has no life just a computer

Monday, Oct 13 at 1:54 AM Guy with a different outlook wrote ...

Its just one group of twenty-year-olds against another. What's the big deal?

Sunday, Oct 12 at 9:00 PM wow wrote ...

Where ya gettin that mash Lynn. I gots to get me some!!!! It'll help me through my ND saturdays, and maybe Bears sundays. I just want you to know, I don't do nuthin illegal. Or immoral.

Sunday, Oct 12 at 7:12 PM rsm wrote ...

Everyone talks about PURDUE NOT WINNING against a ranked TEAM! When did ND win against a team of that stature or even go to a BOWL GAME? BOILER UP!!!!

Sunday, Oct 12 at 7:03 PM John Wesley wrote ...

I have been a life long Irish Fan, I watch them win or lose, what I do not understand is why cant they play 4 quarters of football, they either come out and play brilliantly for one qtr, then sleep through the rest, or not even show up until the 4th and play like they are possessed. There is real brilliance on this team, it shows up for part of the game, if it would show up for the whole game, who knows what could be accomplished.

Sunday, Oct 12 at 5:34 PM Lynn Ayers wrote ...

Oh I can get all priests and nuns involved in the Irish win game. Of course we pray the rosary everyday and ask not only St.Anthony but all the saints in heaven above and all the angels that are protecting all our players and ourselves not to drink off to death because I know this people includes you fans of the Irish that drink like a fish and never stop. Where do you get all that money for boos? Tipe them words like a drunk and never stop. Please, be more courteous wtih yhour neigbors. OK

Sunday, Oct 12 at 4:19 PM ahhh wrote ...

The old glory days are gone forever...

Sunday, Oct 12 at 1:30 PM N.C. Grad wrote ...

Irish suck, Clausen is overated,and the coach is not a motivator.Their best days are gone.

Sunday, Oct 12 at 1:00 PM Cornfusion wrote ...

Treb we're going to have to agree to disagree on this one pal! If you and I were watching the same game the Irish had 12 guys on the field and one up in the instant review booth! Even the commentators, (or SPUDS, as my grandpa used to like to call them, 'Common taters', get it?) anyway, didn't know which game the refs were watching either! This season will be better than the last, and as far as a bowl game bid goes; they better hope it's at Notre Dame, because on the road they're roadkill!

Sunday, Oct 12 at 10:41 AM Treb wrote ...

The Irish are aeons ahead of where they were last year. Three mistakes cost the Irish a win yesterday. Nc is a solid top 25 team, It was a great game to watch. Clausen is a darn good young quarterback, he will rewrite the record books at ND! Go Irish!!!!!

Sunday, Oct 12 at 10:28 AM Cornfusion wrote ...

Hey Sporty! He was also named "PLAYER of THE GAME" by the commentators. Is this a crazy Topsy turvy world we live in or what!

Sunday, Oct 12 at 8:48 AM wow wrote ...

sorry bout that last comment, i thought i was making an entry in my memoirs file. I'm such an idi.... uh er duh ... I just don't have a clew, oops, clu, ahh, cluw, oh, I know what I mean. SINCERELY, G DUB

Sunday, Oct 12 at 7:38 AM Sporty wrote ...

Clausen is the major reason they lost this game.He was responsible for too many turnovers. Looked like Grossman out there,fumbling and bumbling the ball away.And this kid was the highest QB coming out of high school? You're kidding me,right? He best start playing like it! And where are ANY impact players on D? There is not one,not one stinking impact player on that side of the ball. NC just marched down the field,with their QB nary untouched. Pathetic...that D is a whosit group in need of impact

Sunday, Oct 12 at 7:05 AM wow wrote ...

I knew i couldn't trust em enough to bet 800 billion on em. Oops, was i thinking out loud? uh-oh, now what?

Sunday, Oct 12 at 6:59 AM Greg wrote ...

Are you serious? Worst call ever...

Sunday, Oct 12 at 12:18 AM joe wrote ...

Fightimg Irish, HA !

Saturday, Oct 11 at 10:01 PM Jim wrote ...

The refs blew the last series of North Carolina. The last nd drive should have never occured. Mark May said it best after the game...if nd was in the SEC or Big 12, they would not win 3 games! So True! Watching Florida now, The Gators would totally run nd...

Saturday, Oct 11 at 9:00 PM Todd wrote ...

Lousy refs? The only bad call would of not benefited ND. That last play was very clear on the playback.

Saturday, Oct 11 at 8:45 PM Go Irish!!! wrote ...

I still think we should be in the top 10.

Saturday, Oct 11 at 8:01 PM cromwell man wrote ...

don't get to excited about notre dame being 4-2, they have only played either weak teams or teams in thier rebuilding year. wait until they have to play teams that are actually tough-then see how good they really are!!

Saturday, Oct 11 at 7:30 PM LW wrote ...

Brian Billick

Saturday, Oct 11 at 7:05 PM Cornfusion wrote ...

Yo Samuel, can you get that priest to pray for the protection of St. Anthony, patron of losses to intercept, (oops) I mean intercede on their behalf. As in Half 'B' where they 'B'lew it! Oh, and one more thing, who's the boss of lousy ref's?

Saturday, Oct 11 at 4:30 PM Samuel OConnor wrote ...

Go Irish we want you to win all the games and Clausen is the best player of the year. We are preparing to make a party for him. 17 to 9 is a good sign they will win this one. There should be an honest appeal for all player not use any drug that makes them inmune to pain. They are taking so many drugs that makes numb all the muscles and for the detriment of their health there is no pain right now but there will be later an untold suffering for those players that use to much of that chemical.

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