Irish sink to all-time low

Weis gropes for answers after ninth loss, most in 119-year history

November 11, 2007

BY NEIL HAYES nhayes@suntimes.com

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- It wasn't unlike the scene that played out on the same field the week before. Notre Dame players towered over their victorious opponents as they lined up to shake hands after another devastating defeat. Men in military uniforms embraced to celebrate a rare victory. Green-clad Irish fans stared at the field in disbelief.

Notre Dame's loss to Navy last week was unexpected. Saturday's 41-24 loss to Air Force was not. The other difference? Navy hadn't defeated Notre Dame in 44 years. The history that unfolded Saturday stretches well past that.

Snowflakes that measured 15 inches wide and 8 inches thick were reported in Montana in 1887. Doc Holliday died. Ann Sullivan taught ''water'' to Helen Keller. And Notre Dame played the first football game in its rich history.

Not once during the ensuing 119 years had an Irish team lost nine games in a season -- until now.

''I've never been part of anything that's really gone like this,'' defensive end Trevor Laws said. ''Something that you put your full effort into, and it just goes so terribly wrong. It's frustrating. We need to find a way to just get through the rest of the season.''

This one might have felt worse than the rest because the losing, painful as it is for players, coaches and fans, has become routine, expected and seemingly inevitable. Nobody is surprised anymore when a Notre Dame team gets manhandled by a smaller, slower and less-athletic opponent.

The most troubling aspect of this season is that this young team is not and has not been a work in progress. It would take a microscope to measure improvement, if there's been any. Notre Dame performed better in many facets during a 33-3 loss to Georgia Tech in the opener than it has in consecutive losses to service academies.

''When you have intelligent young men and you're teaching, you would like to think as the year goes on that you would see more consistency that progresses from the beginning to the end,'' Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis said. ''I'm still feeling that we're way too inconsistent in how we play. Therefore, you have to go back and evaluate the teacher and you have to evaluate the teaching and the people learning.''

Weis is no closer to turning things around than he was after his team fell to 0-1. There's a very real possibility he'll head into the offseason still searching for answers.

''To sit there and say on paper, you have a bunch of good players that are all going to play great next year, that's great,'' he said. ''That sounds good and everything, but you have to have some evidence.''

This one had all the ingredients we've come to expect from the Irish this season. They couldn't run the ball (Notre Dame had 38 rushing yards) and they couldn't stop the run (Air Force finished with 285). There were turnovers (Air Force returned a fumble by fullback Asaph Schwapp for a touchdown) and too many dropped passes to count.

Notre Dame couldn't protect its quarterback. The Falcons were averaging 2.1 sacks per game but bagged freshman Jimmy Clausen six times. On three of them Notre Dame failed to get so much as an elbow pad on the blitzing defender.

For the first time this season, Weis didn't point the finger solely at himself afterward. Maybe it's the fault of the teacher. Perhaps the students are the blame. Meanwhile, the drumbeat continues and the answers remain elusive.

''I'm in disbelief, still,'' linebacker Maurice Crum Jr. said. ''I just think it's a dream and I'm going to wake up one day.''

IRISH RECAP

Air Force 10 7 14 10--41

Notre Dame 0 10 0 14--24

First Quarter

AFA--FG Harrison 19, 8:31.

AFA--Rabold 19 fumble return (Harrison kick), :40.

Second Quarter

ND--FG Walker 28, 8:29.

ND--Carlson 2 pass from Clausen (Walker kick), 2:32.

AFA--Armstrong 8 run (Harrison kick), 1:09.

Third Quarter

AFA--Quintana 7 pass from Carney (Harrison kick), 12:49.

AFA--Madsen 10 pass from Carney (Harrison kick), 1:31.

Fourth Quarter

ND--Grimes 21 pass from Clausen (Walker kick), 13:31.

AFA--FG Harrison 37, 10:07.

ND--Allen 9 pass from Clausen (Walker kick), 7:56.

AFA--Carney 1 run (Harrison kick), 1:55.

A--80,795.

TEAM STATS AFA ND

First downs 23 19

Rushes-yards 63-285 38-58

Passing 120 246

Comp-Att-Int 10-16-0 22-40-0

Return Yards 0 2

Punts-Avg. 4-44.8 5-43.0

Fumbles-Lost 2-2 2-2

Penalties-Yards 3-40 2-30

Time of Possession 34:06 25:54

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING--Air Force, Hall 32-142, Ollis 7-53, Carney 9-41, Armstrong 2-20, Newell 4-16, R.Williams 6-14, C.Smith 2-1, Team 1-(minus 2). Notre Dame, Aldridge 14-62, Allen 9-27, Jabbie 1-4, Hughes 1-3, Schwapp 3-1, Clausen 10-(minus 39).

PASSING--Air Force, Carney 10-16-0-120. Notre Dame, Clausen 22-40-0-246.

RECEIVING--Air Force, Root 2-36, Hall 2-31, Madsen 2-20, Quintana 2-15, Armstrong 1-12, Newell 1-6. Notre Dame, Grimes 6-67, Parris 5-49, Carlson 4-57, Jabbie 4-51, Allen 2-17, West 1-5.

NOTRE DAME SCHEDULE

Sept. 1 Georgia Tech L, 33-3

Sept. 8 at Penn State L, 31-10

Sept. 15 at Michigan L, 38-0

Sept. 22 Michigan State L, 31-14

Sept. 29 at Purdue L, 33-19

Oct. 6 at UCLA W, 20-6

Oct. 13 Boston College L, 27-14

Oct. 20 USC L, 38-0

Nov. 3 Navy 3OT- L, 46-44

Nov. 10 Air Force L, 41-24

Nov. 17 Duke 1:30 p.m.

Nov. 24 at Stanford TBA

AIR FORCE 41, ND 24