Oregon State Routs Notre Dame

Derek Anderson and Oregon State finished off Notre Dame’s dreary season with a 38-21 beating of the Irish on Tuesday night in the Insight Bowl.

Anderson, in his final game for the Beavers, tied an Insight record with four touchdown passes, two to tight end Joe Newton.

The 6-foot-6 quarterback completed 28 of 45 passes for 358 yards with no interceptions.

The Irish (6-6) had vowed to win for coach Tyrone Willingham, fired at the end of the regular season. But Sammie Stroughter’s 52-yard punt return and Derrick Doggett’s blocked punt helped Oregon State to an early 21-0 lead.

Brady Quinn threw two touchdown passes as Notre Dame twice cut the lead to 10 points, the last on an 18-yard throw to Rhema McKnight that made it 31-21 with 4 minutes 52 seconds left.

The Irish on-side kick try backfired and left Oregon State at the Notre Dame 28. Dwight Wright’s three-yard touchdown run with 3:19 left sealed the victory.

After starting 1-4, Oregon State (7-5) won six of its last seven games.

The Irish, meanwhile, lost their seventh consecutive bowl game. Notre Dame’s last postseason victory was in the Cotton Bowl at the end of the 1993 season.

Oregon State improved to 2-0 against Notre Dame. Five seasons ago, the Beavers pounded the Irish, 41-9, at the Fiesta Bowl.

The Irish pass defense crumbled in three consecutive season-ending losses, giving up 14 touchdown passes against Pittsburgh, USC and Oregon State.

The Beavers had touchdown drives of only 26, four and 45 yards to take their early lead, then went 90 yards in 12 plays midway in the second half after Notre Dame had cut the lead to 24-14.

Anderson’s one-yard toss to Newton capped the long drive and it was 31-14 with 12:17 to play.

With Willingham ousted, the Irish played under interim Coach Kent Baer, Notre Dame’s defensive coordinator.

New Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis, offensive coordinator for the New England Patriots, takes over when his NFL season ends.

The capacity crowd of 45,917 was the largest since the Insight Bowl moved to Bank One Ballpark six years ago.

The roof was open at kickoff, but was closed in the first quarter as a light rain fell.

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No Luck for the Irish

Notre Dame’s last bowl victory came in 1993, a 24-21 victory over Texas A&M; in the Cotton Bowl. A look at their bowl record since:

*--* YEAR BOWL SCORE RECORD RANK 2004 Insight Oregon State 38, Notre Dame 21 6-5 NR 2003 5-7 NR 2002 Gator North Carolina State 28, 10-3 No. 17 Notre Dame 6 10-3 No. 17 2001 5-6 NR 2000 Fiesta Oregon State 41, Notre Dame 9 9-3 No. 16 1999 5-7 NR 1998 Gator Georgia Tech 35, Notre Dame 28 9-3 No. 22 1997 Independence Louisiana State 27, Notre Dame 9 7-6 NR 1996 8-3 No. 21 1995 Orange Florida State 31, 9-3 No. 13 Notre Dame 26 1994 Fiesta Colorado 41, 6-5-1 NR Notre Dame 21

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