Sanson Fights Back With Low Blow

Notre Dame kicker Jim Sanson heard the groans from the crowd as he stepped onto the field for the potential game-winning 48-yard field goal.

He also knew the Irish faithful had good reason to doubt him--like the three field goals he missed last year in a 20-17 loss to USC, or the two misses earlier in this game.

Even so, he said there was never a doubt that his low, wobbly, wind-aided kick would go through the uprights with 1:06 left to give No. 18 Notre Dame a 20-17 victory over Army on Saturday.

“I’ve always thought I’m a mentally tough person,” Sanson said. “My dad taught me when I was really young when your back’s up against the wall, a true man comes out fighting.”

Notre Dame Coach Bob Davie said that despite Sanson’s spotty past and an earlier miss on a 48-yard attempt into the wind, he made up his mind on the third down before the kick to send in Sanson for what would turn out to be the longest field goal he’s made in his career.

“You have to give Jim Sanson a lot of credit,” Davie said. “He’s come a long way, and so has this team. A year ago, we were 2-5 and he had just missed three field goals. I think it has to be mental toughness for him to survive what he had to go through.”

Army (2-5), which had attempted just one pass before Sanson’s winning kick, had to abandon its running game on its next possession, and Johnny Sanders intercepted Johnny Goff’s pass at the Irish 37 with eight seconds left.

Notre Dame (5-1) needed Sanson’s field goal after Army tied the score at 17-17 with 10 minutes left on a 74-yard, 12-play drive in the fourth quarter that was capped by Craig Stucker’s 19-yard touchdown run.

The teams traded punts and the Irish got the ball back at their own 24-yard line with 4:56 left. Jarious Jackson, who had a career-high 270 yards passing, then drove the Irish to the Army 30. But on third-and-three, fullback Jamie Spencer dropped Jackson’s pass in the right flat, forcing Davie to call on Sanson.

“I knew that there were probably a lot of people in that stadium doubting me, but I did not let it bother me,” Sanson said.

Notre Dame, which was averaging 230 yards rushing a game, was held to 36 yards in the first half and 123 for the game.