Choice victory for Georgia Tech

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Tashard Choice helped Georgia Tech fans forget about the loss of Calvin Johnson. Notre Dame’s three quarterbacks had Fighting Irish fans longing for Brady Quinn.

Choice rushed for a career-high 196 yards and two touchdowns, and the Georgia Tech defense had little trouble with Notre Dame’s new passers, forcing two fumbles by Demetrius Jones, sacking Evan Sharpley seven times and keeping Jimmy Clausen from doing any damage in a 33-3 victory Saturday.

“I did not see this coming,” Georgia Tech Coach Chan Gailey said. “I thought we would play pretty well defensively. I did not know we would run the ball as well as we ran it today.”

Notre Dame Coach Charlie Weis didn’t see it coming either. He said one of the biggest problems was the Irish weren’t ready for the speed of the game, and blamed himself for not having the team prepared.

“Who else are you going to blame but yourself? I’m the head coach,” he said. “It’s my responsibility.”

It was only the 15th season-opening loss in Notre Dame history and the most lopsided, surpassing the 31-10 loss to Pittsburgh to start the 1976 season. It’s also the first time the Irish failed to score a touchdown in a season opener since a 20-12 loss at Michigan in 1985.

The three points are the fewest points scored by the Irish in Weis’ three seasons.

Weis said after the game he couldn’t remember the last time an offense he coached had failed to score a touchdown.

“We’ve had some rough games in the past, but it’s been a while,” he said.

Weis kept his choice of starting quarterback secret until game time, hoping that preparing for three quarterbacks would make it tough on Georgia Tech’s defense. It didn’t work. In fact, it almost looked as if Georgia Tech knew what was coming.

Choice, the leading rusher in the Atlantic Coast Conference last season with 1,473 yards, rushed for more than 100 yards for an eighth straight game, breaking the school record set by Eddie Lee Ivery in 1978.

Georgia Tech had 386 yards total offense and held the Irish to 122 yards -- the fewest yards for Notre Dame since it had 109 yards in a 44-13 loss at USC in 2002. Jones, Sharpley and Clausen were a combined 15 for 22 for 122 yards. Clausen was four for six for 34 yards.