Notre Dame Is Not Half Bad in a 48-13 Win : College football: After Kansas closes to 20-13 at halftime, No. 18 Irish turn it on in tuneup for showdown at Michigan.

This isn’t going to cut it against Michigan. It almost didn’t do the job against Kansas.

No. 18 Notre Dame turned in a dominating second half after squandering a 20-0 first-half lead, survived three interceptions of Jarious Jackson and defeated Kansas, 48-13, Saturday in the Eddie Robinson Classic.

“I don’t think we’ll be able to win anywhere else like that,” said Jackson, who was nine of 17 for 89 yards. “We definitely can’t go into Ann Arbor playing like this.”

In a game scheduled as a tuneup for Notre Dame’s matchup at Michigan on Saturday, the Irish seemed one play away from a world of hurt early in the second half.

Kansas cut Notre Dame’s lead to 20-13 after the first interception of Jackson, when Zac Wegner connected with Michael Chandler for a 30-yard touchdown with two seconds left in the first half.

Jackson’s next pass was intercepted and returned to the Notre Dame 33 on the third play of the second half. After the drive stalled, Jayhawk kicker Joe Garcia lined up for a 49-yard field goal that would have cut the lead to four.

But Clifford Jefferson blocked the kick and Rocky Boiman returned it to the Kansas 34. Tony Fisher ran in the last two yards for a touchdown to complete the drive and deflate Jayhawk hopes for an upset.

“You’re always one play away,” Irish Coach Bob Davie said. “I think we do have a lot of talent on this football team. I do think we have some explosiveness on this team. I also realize we have a long, long way to go. I think everyone sees that.”

Notre Dame began dominating Kansas after Anthony Denman picked up a fumble on the next Kansas possession and returned it 34 yards for a touchdown and a 34-13 lead.