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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Unlike last year, No. 4 Tennessee needs
some help in the Bowl Championship Series rankings for a shot at
the national title.
|  | | Jamal Lewis leaps over a pile of players for a Tennessee first down. |
The Vols did their part to stay in contention for a second
straight title with a solid 38-14 victory over Notre Dame (Unranked ESPN/USA Today, No. 24 AP) on Saturday, the worst Irish loss since 1987.
"I have to believe if we continue to play as we have, we'll be
one of the teams that has an opportunity, and that's all you can
ask for," Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer said about the BCS
rankings, which determine which teams play for the national
championship. "But right now our focus is entirely on Arkansas
(next week's opponent)."
The Vols (7-1) won their sixth straight behind Tee Martin's
three touchdown passes and one TD run, and Travis Henry's 132 yards
rushing and touchdown.
The Vols knew before the game that No. 2 Penn State had lost
earlier in the day, and took advantage of the opportunity to move
up in the polls with big plays and a tenacious defense. The loss
ended a four-game winning streak for Notre Dame (5-4).
"They beat us," Irish coach Bob Davie said. "This game was
played at a different speed by the team in orange."
Martin's 43-yard heave to Leonard Scott in the back of the end
zone and Henry's 40-yard run up the middle in the third quarter
gave the Vols a 31-7 lead. That was too much even for the Irish,
who had come from behind to win three of their last four games.
Notre Dame tried by gambling in the kicking game. "We took our shots," Davie said.
The Irish faked a field goal to set up one touchdown and
recovered an onsides kick late in the third quarter, but couldn't
get any points out of it. Notre Dame also failed on a fake punt at
midfield midway through the third quarter.
The Irish's two rushing touchdowns were the first two scores the Vol defense has given up on the ground all season.
"When they got that last touchdown, that was it," Tennessee
defensive end Will Overstreet said. "We didn't care what it took,
or how we did it, we were going to keep them from getting to the
end zone again."
Martin completed 18 of 32 passes for 196 yards. His other
touchdown passes covered 2 yards to Eric Parker and 21 yards to
Donte' Stallworth.
The Vols rushed for 217 yards by three players -- Martin, Henry
and Jamal Lewis.
Martin ran 14 yards on a bootleg to score the Vols' last
touchdown with 2:14 left in the game, capping an 18-play, 91-yard
drive that took nearly 10 minutes off the clock and dashed any
hopes Notre Dame had of a comeback.
"That last drive to go ahead and seal the game was an
incredible effort," Fulmer said.
Jarious Jackson completed 11 of 18 passes for 127 yards, and was
intercepted once, for Notre Dame. Julius Jones led the Irish in
rushing with 46 yards.
Tennessee beat the halftime clock with an 81-yard drive in 12
plays, the score coming on the pass to Parker nine seconds before
intermission for a 17-7 lead. "That hurt us," Davie said.
Martin hit Burney Veazey for 14 yards on a third-and-10, and a
17-yard swing pass to Lewis moved it to the Notre Dame 11.
On third down Martin's pass for Deon Grant, normally a defensive
safety, was incomplete in the end zone. Notre Dame was flagged for
pass interference, giving the Vols a first and goal at the Irish
2-yard-line with 16 seconds left.
With no time outs, Tennessee decided to try one more play before
settling for a field goal attempt. Martin rolled right, buying
time, and rifled the TD pass to Parker.
The Irish had cut it to 10-7 on a 65-yard drive that took nearly
8½ minutes off the clock.
The first key play was a pass batted away from the intended
receiver by Grant that was caught at the Tennessee 16 by a diving
Joey Getherall, converting a third-and-7.
Four plays later Getherall, the holder, gained four yards on a
fake field goal on fourth-and-2, giving the Irish a first down at
the Tennessee 4. David Givens scored two plays later.
After Notre Dame missed a short field goal late in the first
quarter the Vols drove 80 yards in 12 plays to score on Martin's
21-yard pass to Stallworth.
Martin hit Wilson for 14 yards on a third-and-10 to keep the
drive going. Wilson, the Vols' top receiver, did not play in the
second half after aggravating a hamstring strain. He also hurt his
back.
The Vols scored first on Alex Walls' 24-yard field goal set up
by Raynoch Thompson's interception of a tipped pass on Notre Dame's
first possession.
Thompson was taken out of bounds at the Notre Dame 14 by Tony
Fisher, the last man with a shot at him.
The Irish defense stuffed Martin on a quarterback draw on third
down at their own 7, forcing the field goal.
Notre Dame blocked a second Tennessee field goal attempt later
in the first quarter to keep it at 3-0.
The Tennessee defense returned the favor later in the quarter,
holding the Irish without a point on a drive that reached the Vols
5 yard line. David Miller's field goal attempt sailed wide right.
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ALSO SEE
College Football Scoreboard
Notre Dame Clubhouse
Tennessee Clubhouse
College football Top 25 overview
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Travis Henry rumbles to the endzone.
avi: 738 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN
Leonard Scott catches the deep ball.
avi: 766 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN
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