Irish Eyes Can’t Bear This Scene Too Much Longer

If Bob Davie is cringing, what must it be like for Notre Dame faithful?

Davie and the Irish had a landmark day, but for all the wrong reasons. A 24-3 loss to unranked Texas A&M; on Saturday left Notre Dame with its first 0-3 start in school history--a span of 113 seasons since 1887.

“You cringe when you hear that,” said Davie, the Irish coach. “It stings to hear that, but all that matters is how it ends.”

That’s part of the problem.

The way things ended last season--an embarrassing 41-9 loss to Oregon State in the Fiesta Bowl--was one reason Irish fans were so eager to erase the memories.

And worst of all is that Davie has yet to win since signing a five-year contract extension last Dec. 5.

“Where are we right now? I don’t know ....” Davie said. “I don’t know what we’re good at right now.”

Some are ready to cut their losses.

“I can’t wait until the season is over and he is gone,” said overly optimistic Notre Dame student Pete Montenaro. “I think it’s obvious Bob Davie doesn’t belong at Notre Dame.”

Even Gerry Faust lasted five seasons.

Long and Winding Road

OK, so it’s only the last weekend in September, but things are reaching the critical stage in Joe Paterno’s chase for Bear Bryant’s record of all-time coaching victories.

After losing to Iowa on Saturday, Penn State is 0-3 and the schedule doesn’t appear to be sympathetic to Paterno’s quest, needing only one victory to tie Bryant’s mark of 323.

Paterno might be lucky to tie Bryant by the time Thanksgiving arrives because the Nittany Lions are looking at playing Michigan, Northwestern, Ohio State, Southern Mississippi and Illinois from now until Nov. 10.

A Happy Valley visit by Indiana on Nov. 17 might be the best bet for Paterno to tie. That leaves a Nov. 24 at Michigan State and a Dec. 1 game at Virginia to break the record--neither of which are guarantees by any stretch.

Being a legend just isn’t what it used to be.

Woebegone Wishbone

Oklahoma proved last season it could win a national championship without running the wishbone attack that once was the foundation of its legacy.

But rushing for only nine yards--as the Sooners did in a 38-37 victory against Kansas State--surely must have had even Barry Switzer scratching his head.

Certainly the Sooners of old--a team that as recently as 1988 rushed for 768 yards in one game against Kansas State--never had such a porous performance on the ground with players like Joe Washington, Greg Pruitt and Billy Sims roaming the backfield.

Perhaps it’s Kansas State that brings out the worst in the Sooners’ ground game. In the Big 12 championship game last season, Oklahoma was held to 11 yards rushing by the Wildcats.

Ironically, what turned that game into an eventual Sooner victory was a crucial fourth-and-inches play as running back Quentin Griffin took a surprise option pitch 22 yards for a first down that set up the go-ahead touchdown.

“That was just some Oklahoma football of old,” Coach Bob Stoops said at the time. “We haven’t forgotten totally about the option.”

No, it only seems that way.

Score One for Spurrier

Steve Spurrier, never one in need of incentive to run up a score, received some anyway in the Gators’ 52-0 victory against Mississippi State.

It just wasn’t expected that it would come from the equipment manager.

“That was for Clay,” Spurrier said of Florida student Clay Carter after the Gators scored with 1:45 left on a 23-yard pass play. “And we wanted to try to score 50. We were too close to 50 not to.”

Last season when Mississippi State upset Florida, 47-35, at Starkville, Clay was knocked silly by Bulldog fans who stormed the field in celebration.

Spurrier can take off his humanitarian hat now.

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Compiled by Jim Barrero