By Staff
NEW ORLEANS – For a record ninth straight time, Notre Dame came away from a bowl game with a loss.
The Fighting Irish were outgained 577-291 by LSU Wednesday night in a 41-14 loss to the Tigers in the Allstate Sugar Bowl.
LSU quarterback JaMarcus Russell threw for 332 yards and a pair of touchdowns to lead the Tigers to the victory. Russell, 6-foot-6 and 257-pounds, also ran for a score.
The Tigers jumped out to a 14-0 lead only to have the Irish come storming back to tie the game just before halftime.
LSU then drove the length of the field to take a 21-14 lead into the locker room at halftime. Russell completed the five play, 82-yard drive with a 5-yard quarterback draw.
It was all Tigers from there.
LSU (11-2) outscored Notre Dame 20-0 in the second half to turn the game into a rout.
Notre Dame (10-3) couldn't get a thing going in the second half against an LSU defense that seemed to improve with each play.
Wednesday night's game had a storybook feel to it as the Sugar Bowl returned to the Superdome after a year's absence due to Hurricane Katrina. The No. 4 ranked Tigers put the finishing touches on the tale with the lopsided victory.
Keiland Williams, who scored the first LSU touchdown on a 3-yard run, finished with 108 yards on 14 carries.
Early Doucet caught eight passes from Russell for 115 yards.
Brady Quinn, who many expect to be the first pick in the upcoming National Football League draft, looked ordinary.
Quinn was just 15-of-35 for 148 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.
Darius Walker provided most of the offensive punch for the Irish as he shredded the vaunted LSU defense for 127 yards on 22 carries.
Jeff Samardzija caught eight of Quinn's passes for 59 yards and a touchdown.
Notre Dame dominated the time of possession in the opening half, but that was reversed in the second half.
Notre Dame had six drives in the second half, of which, the Irish punted the ball four times and was intercepted once.
Notre Dame 7 7 0 0 – 14
LSU 14 7 13 7 – 41
LSU – Keiland Williams 3 yd run (Colt David kick)
LSU – Dwayne Bowe 11 yd pass from JaMarcus Russell (Colt kick)
ND – David Grimes 24 yd pass from Brady Quinn (Carl Gioia kick)
ND – Jeff Samardzija 10 yd pass from Quinn (Gioia kick)
LSU – Russell 5 yd run (Colt kick)
LSU – Colt 25 yd field goal
LSU – Colt 37 yd field goal
LSU – Brandon LaFell 58 yd pass from Russell (Colt kick)
LSU – Williams 20 yd run (Ryan Gaudet kick)