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Nov. 28, 1999 By Mark Soltau SportsLine Senior Writer |
STANFORD, Calif. -- Willie Howard didn't deserve it. Neither did ABC.
Stanford got the prime-time win, but it was costly.
Howard, the Cardinal's standout defensive tackle, injured his right knee
with 28 seconds left in the first quarter Saturday night against Notre Dame
and will likely miss the Rose Bowl against Wisconsin. He'll have an MRI
exam Sunday, but heard a pop and is believed to have torn his anterior
cruciate ligament.
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Game summary T O P N E W S
Never mind the exciting 40-37 victory, settled on the final play of the game by Mike Biselli's 22-yard field goal. Losing Howard was a major blow and could prove fatal in the team's attempt to stop Heisman Trophy-favorite Ron Dayne in Pasadena. Howard led the team in tackles for losses with 19 and had 10 sacks.
"If he's not in the Rose Bowl, it presents an opportunity for someone else to step up,'' said coach Tyrone Willingham. "Will it be big footsteps, big shoes? Yes, because he's been one of our premier players this year.''
Howard said he was "cut'' on the play by a Fighting Irish offensive tackle, which won't sit well with Willingham and his staff if the film confirms it.
"He got me,'' Howard said of the tackle.
Simply put, Howard, who wears a thick chain around his neck after wins, a reference to the "Trench Dogs,'' a nickname coined by defensive line coach Dave Tipton, is irreplaceable. "We obviously lose a big part of our defense,'' said safety Tim Smith. "He's a leader and makes big plays.''
The Cardinal almost lost leading rusher Brian Allen as well. Late in the second quarter, he was hog-tied to the Stanford Stadium turf after catching a short pass and fell awkwardly on an already sore ankle. He hobbled off and put a scare into Willingham, but played in the second half.
"There was a lot of pain,'' Allen said. "I just re-taped it. I heard it looked horrible on TV.''
Speaking of television, ABC lucked out, especially after Stanford jumped out to an early 17-0 lead. The teams combined for 77 points and 915 total yards.
A week ago, the network carried a meaningless UCLA-USC game instead of showing Cal-Stanford, the Rose Bowl at stake in the latter. The decision, based solely on the Los Angeles market, irked many, especially since the Cardinal hadn't made it to Pasadena on New Year's Day since 1972.
If there was any justice, Stanford should have routed the Fighting Irish and sent East Coast viewers to bed early. To most of 57,980 fans in attendance, it had all the makings of a slaughter.
On the game's second play, quarterback Todd Husak connected with wide receiver Troy Walters for a 62-yard touchdown. Eight seconds later, Notre Dame tight end Jabari Holloway was stripped of the ball after a short reception and Cardinal free safety Aaron Focht picked it up and ran 37 yards for another score. With 13:32 remaining, the Fighting Irish trailed, 14-0.
Notre Dame coach Bob Davie worked the bench, shouting encouragement to his shell-shocked defense. Little did he know it would be called back to the field moments later.
On the ensuing kickoff, Julius Jones fumbled and Stanford recovered at the Notre Dame 21. Staring a 21-zip deficit in the face, the Fighting Irish prevented further damage when cornerback Deveron Harper intercepted a deflected pass at his own 1.
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| Troy Walters jumps on teammate Emory Brock to celebrate a third-quarter touchdown.(AP) |
With starting quarterback Jarious Jackson off to a shaky start, Davie inserted backup Arnaz Battle and he jumped-started the Irish offense. With the middle of the line suddenly soft without Howard, Battle moved the offense down the field and tailback Tony Fisher capped the march with a 5-yard touchdown run.
Early in the second quarter, Notre Dame scored again on a 42-yard pass from Jackson to Fisher, the latter left uncovered down the sideline. Stanford extended its advantage to 20-14 on a 47-yard field goal by Biselli, but the Irish came back to take the lead on Fisher's 9-yard scamper. Prior to the TD, Jackson hit flanker Joey Getherall in stride for an easy touchdown but the receiver dropped the ball.
Not to be out-done, the Cardinal regained the lead on the last play of the half, 23-21, on Biselli's 34-yard field goal. Stanford alum Tiger Woods, who watched from the Cardinal sideline, was all smiles after 30 minutes of roller-coaster football. If nothing else, the sideline makes for great people watching. Last week, Jim Plunkett and John Elway were on hand
The second half produced more of the same. Jones put Notre Dame ahead with a 24-yard run and the Irish added a two-point conversion. It didn't last long, Husak burning them with a 38-yard TD pass to Walters. Earlier, Walters established a new Pac-10 Conference single-season record for receiving yardage with 1,466.
Stanford moved out to a 37-29 advantage with 8:13 remaining on Joe Borchard's 2-yard run, but the Irish answered again, Jackson hitting Holloway for a 5-yard score with 1:32 left and Getherall redeeming himself by running for a game-tying two-point conversion.
The 8-3 Cardinal have been resilient all season and proved it again Saturday. Husak coolly drove his team 68 yards, dissecting the Notre Dame secondary, and sent the locals home happy.
"We knew we were going to get it done,'' said wide receiver DeRonnie Pitts.
And once again, Notre Dame came up short, finishing 5-7. Six losses came by 10 or less points, four by four or less.
"I think this team is on the right track,'' Fisher said. "We just haven't had the luck of the Irish.''
Walters, a senior, finished his home career in style, catching eight passes for 183 yards and two touchdowns.
"I just think it shows you our heart and character,'' he said. "We could have easily thrown in the towel. To have momentum for the Rose Bowl, you can't ask for more.''
A healthy Willie Howard wouldn't hurt.