ELItorial: The unraveling of a college dynasty

NIKE FIALA/GETTY IMAGES

In its home opener on Sat., Sept. 22, Notre Dame failed to convert on offense against Michigan State en route to a disappointing 17-10 loss. After falling to MSU for the fifth straight time, the Irish dropped out of the AP Top 25. Combined with an earlier loss to Nebraska, ND stands winless at 0-2 with a tough away game against a talented Texas A&M team just around the corner. Should this squad become 0-3, it will enter the record books as the first team to do so in school history. It's no surprise, then, that spectators uttered their disgust and distress towards the end of the MSU game; many of them, like college football fans across the nation, can't help but ponder the same question: what is happening to Notre Dame football?

The Irish's offense at the start of the 2001 season has been lackluster at best. In its first two games, the team has been outscored 44-20 and has yet to score in either the first or third quarters. So far, the longest touchdown drive of the season has been a meager six yards, stemming from a 53-yard punt return that came against MSU. Currently, ND maintains a rushing average of 99.5 yards per game and a passing average of 121.5 yards per game. As a result, the Fighting Irish rank 112th out of 115 teams in Division I-A in total offense. What ever happened to the unstoppable, aggressive attack of the blue and gold?

Last season's 9-3 campaign, which included a seven-game winning streak, a first-ever Bowl Championship Series berth, and a 15th-place ranking in the final 2000 AP Poll, certainly raised the bar for this year's team. The momentum from last season seemed likely to continue this year, as many of the talented players from the 2000 season returned to the squad. But because of the Irish's slow start, many sports enthusiasts now discredit the team, claiming that last year's success was simply a fluke and things will return to the way they were in 1999, when ND posted a dismal 5-7 record. In truth, ND's performance in 2000 was exaggerated; sure, the Irish staged an impressive winning streak, but their 41-9 spanking by Oregon State at the Fiesta Bowl suggests that they may have just been lucky on the field.

A variety of factors may contribute to Notre Dame's fall from grace. Many, including the booing fans at Saturday's game, point to Coach Bob Davie. In his five-year career, Davie has failed to lead his team back to the glory days of ND football. Others blame the school's athletic department for losing legendary coach Lou Holtz to South Carolina and for extending Davie's reign until 2005. But for now, the real problem that often gets lost in the shuffle is the Irish's inability to generate offense. On Mon., Sept. 24, the team took its first step toward addressing its troubles by announcing that sophomore Carlyle Holiday will replace quarterback Matt LoVecchio in the starting line-up come this Saturday. Whether or not the change will prove beneficial, this season's turn of events has already implied that even the mighty can fall over time. Perhaps the luck of the Irish is finally coming to an end.

Back to Sports...