They admitted the start had been ragged, an understandable problem for a football team that had gone far too long with no positive reinforcement. When the moment finally arrived for Notre Dame on Saturday afternoon, the Fighting Irish acknowledged that they had strayed from the script. But by the end, with the old feeling back, the Irish functioned in concert the way they knew they could.
They were talking about the song, not the game.
The rules are simple for the young people beneath those gold helmets. You’d better go to class, and you sing the Victory March only when you win. The Irish revived that tradition–for the first time since last October–with an imperfect but essential 24-10 victory over Texas A&M.
All the echoes may not have been reawakened, but at least they weren’t booing. After a season that disintegrated into a four-game losing streak and the shame of NCAA probation, a few forgotten lyrics could be tolerated.
“It’s been a long time since we sang that song in the locker room,” Irish coach Bob Davie said. “I had to pass out a sheet before the game.”
Davie’s workday had ended with a series of emotional embraces on the field, moments that said far more than his words. Davie hugged Brock Williams, the cornerback who had chosen to remain in school despite a season-long university suspension last year; R.C. Slocum, the Texas A&M coach and Davie’s best friend and former boss; and Kevin White, the new Irish athletic director whose evaluation could determine Davie’s future.
For one day, the Internet-driven list of prospective successors could be placed on hold. The victory over the 25th-ranked Aggies (0-1) created a plot line that has energized the program, the school and the town: the arrival next weekend of the No. 1-ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers, with thousands of red-clad fans invading the Indiana Toll Road, with or without tickets.
Suddenly the focus becomes the challenge rather than the future of the coach. Notre Dame, 1-0 after its fifth consecutive opening-game victory, the fourth under Davie and the 13th in 14 seasons, displayed improvement in several areas that posed serious problems last year.
The Irish survived the punishment of the Aggies without a significant injury. The Irish defense held the Aggies to 255 yards, 129 beneath the average allowed a year ago. Playing in searing heat, the Notre Dame defense held A&M to 24 rushing yards in the second half. The Aggies’ final four possessions ended with three punts and an interception by Tony Driver.
Nick Setta, the sophomore kicker from Lockport, improvised after a poor snap to kick a 32-yard field goal, the first of his college career. Joey Hildbold, the sophomore punter, averaged 44.3 yards, including a 69-yard kick that pinned the Aggies at their 4-yard line.
Notre Dame did not commit a turnover, the most significant improvement for a team that lost the ball 30 times in a 5-7 season. Arnaz Battle, the junior quarterback in his first game as a starter, maintained a difficult balance between patience and creativity with the help of a more confident offensive line.
Battle’s 46-yard touchdown pass to Javin Hunter gave the Irish a 14-10 lead with 3 minutes 24 seconds to play in the third quarter. That play forced the Aggies to abandon their plan of running the ball regularly. Battlecompleted 10-of-16 passes for 133 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 50 yards, perhaps in response to the message he had heard on the telephone from Jarious Jackson, his predecessor at quarterback.
“It was my opportunity,” Battle said, “to bring Notre Dame back to where it’s supposed to be.”
The most important step, if an intangible one, was the arrival of some desperately needed positive reinforcement. “That’s the biggest thing,” Davie said. “Let’s face it–when you work your rear end off like these kids have, you’d better get some rewards for it. And it’s no different for the coaches. You’d better get some rewards. It’s positive. It’s tremendously positive. And that’s probably what you feel the strongest about.”
Davie’s decisiveness was clear with 12:08 to play and the Irish ahead by four points at the A&M 23. On fourth-and-1, he chose to rely on an improved offensive line. Wide receiver David Givens lined up in the backfield and took a handoff for a 7-yard gain and a first down. Julius Jones then ran for a 17-yard score and an 11-point lead.
Finally, last year felt a long time ago. “A lot of guys were saying we didn’t have the talent,” Battle said. “We lacked experience at the quarterback position, and the secondary isn’t that good. It all came from the heart today.”
