By By SCOTT NOVAK / Dowagiac Daily News
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Defense was the name of the game most of the second half at the 79th annual Blue-Gold Game, but a big play by sophomore quarterback Jimmy Clausen in the closing minute changed everything.
An 8-yard touchdown pass from Clausen to Duval Kamara with 24 seconds remaining lifted the Blue team to a 47-46 come-from-behind victory over the Gold squad Saturday afternoon.
A 57-yard pass reception from Clausen to Golden Tate on fourth and long, resulted in the Blue team setting up shop at the 8-yard line with 48 seconds remaining in the contest.
With the modified scoring system used in the game, the Blue cut the Gold's lead to 46-40.
After three consecutive incomplete passes, Clausen heaved up a pass to Kamara, who appeared to catch the ball out of bounds, which quickly prompted an announcement from the press box announcer that "there is no instant replay in the Blue-Gold Game."
The touchdown pass gave the Blue team a 47-46 lead.
Clausen took a knee on the next play to run out the clock.
Clausen finished the game 10-of-27 for 183 yards, a touchdown and an interception.
Robert Hughes led a solid running game with 100 yards on 22 carries. For his efforts, Hughes was named the offensive Most Valuable Player.
"There were a lot of good things that came out of the game," Irish coach Charlie Weis said following the game. "Obviously, we've been running the ball better. The offensive line is more physical. Jimmy's got good zip on the ball. Wish we would have caught a few more of them."
In the second half, the Notre Dame offense seemed to struggle up until its final drive.
Clausen had to call two time outs in the opening five minutes of the final 30 period and was inconsistent throwing the football.
In all, Clausen was sacked four times by the Gold defense, which was led in tackles by Morrice Richardson.
Harrison Smith, who picked off a Clausen pass and returned it for a touchdown, gave the Gold squad a 40-34 lead late in the half.
Following the touchdown a fight broke out between the offense and the defense.
"I think probably the only real disappointment out of this game right here was you're trying to coach emotion, and you saw a lack of composure at the same time, and it was a few times," Weis said. "You know, one you didn't notice as much in the first half, but they would have called an unsportsmanlike on Robert Hughes on that touchdown when he flipped the ball in the air. So now when you score a touchdown, you're kicking from the 15, because they would have called an unsportsmanlike conduct. They didn't call it at the time, but they would have called it in the game.
"I went over to the official, and said, 'Would you have called an unsportsmanlike?' And he said, 'Yeah, I would have called it there.' Early in the third quarter, you have three guys involved. As usual, the first guy involved, his name isn't even involved in the penalty, so you've got three guys involved."
Weis continued, "So the first guy pushes one guy. Okay, he doesn't get anything. The next guy throws a punch, and another guy defends him, and both of those guys would have gotten thrown out of the game.
So let's go over that sequence for a second. The offensive guy starts it, he doesn't get caught. The defensive guy throws the punch, so now, you've just scored a touchdown, which is a game-changing momentum play, but now you're kicking off on the 15-yard line. Okay, let's flip it again. Now the offensive guys even things out. So now you're going to get the ball with good field position, now you're letting them kick the ball back off the 30-yard line again," he said.
"So I think in the game, probably, the things that annoyed me a little bit were probably the most were little slow start to the second half offensively, obviously. But just as importantly, you know, you're trying to play with emotion, but you also have to have composure."
With 2:23 remaining, the Gold team still held a 46-37 advantage.
But Clausen and the offensive made just enough plays down the stretch to come away with the victory. The big play was of course the long pass, which cut the Gold's advantage to 46-40.
After the passing game faltered early in the contest, the Blue team hit the ground running.
Hughes, Armando Allen and James Aldridge cut through the Gold team and helped stake the Blue squad to a 32-13 advantage at halftime.
The Blue squad scored a touchdown and kicked a field goal, while missing on a 46-yard field goal attempt at the end of the half.
Clausen finished the first half with 99 yards through the air, while the Notre Dame ground game had 101 yards, led by Robert Hughes' 71 yards on 16 carries and a touchdown.
Hughes scored the only touchdown of the opening 30 minutes on a 1-yard run. Brandon Walker tacked on the extra point.
Walker's 31-yard field goal helped put the Blue team on top of the Gold squad at halftime 32-13.
Blue-Gold Notes
The Gold team defeated the Blue 12-6 in the alumni flag football game.
Lee Beckton was named the game's most valuable player.
Maurice Crum Jr. David Grimes and David Bruton were named captains of the 2008 Fighting Irish football team.
The trio was announced as captains prior to the start of the Blue-Gold Game. Crum, the 17th Notre Dame player to be selected a two-time captain, will head the defense. Grimes is the captain of the offense and Bruton the special teams captain.
With half of Notre Dame Stadium under construction to replace seating, the announced crowd was 30,286, the fifth largest crowd in Blue-Gold Game history.
The honorary coaches for the Blue team (offense) were Jim Morse, Terry Hanratty, Allen Pinkett and Ryan Grant. The Gold team's (defense) honorary coaches were Greg Marx and Bryant Young.
The game started under cloudy skies and a temperature of 63 degrees.
Head coach Charlie Weis watched the game from the sidelines, not from the press box.
On the third play from scrimmage, Clausen was sacked. Notre Dame quarterbacks were sacked 54 times in 2007. In all, Clausen was sacked four times for minus 33 yards.
Clausen misfired on his first two passing attempts. Notre Dame's running game showed promise early. His first completion was for 25-yards to Kamara.
Clausen was the only scholarship quarterback who took part in Saturday's game. Former Marshall quarterback Evan Sharpley was playing baseball for the Fighting Irish in Morgantown, West Va.
The teams pulled no punches, especially on defense where Terrail Lambert leveled running back Armando Allen near the goal like and put him out of the game temporarily.
Weis' "nastier" team showed up early in the second half as after Clausen was picked off for a touchdown, a fight broke out on the field.
Notre Dame punter Eric Maust was impressive. The walk-on averaged 41 yards in the first half, which included a 50-yard effort. His first punt of the second half was 48 yards and pinned the Blue team back at its own 9-yard line.