Irish eyes smilin' at UT tears, 38-10
Turnovers trip Texas; pollsters in scramble
1/3/1978
The Texas Longhorns helped eliminate one team from the conglomeration now clamoring for the final No. 1 ranking in college football Monday afternoon in the 42nd Cotton Bowl Classic – itself.
Cinderella has a glass jaw.
Aided by six uncharacteristic turnovers – all but one of them attributable to UT quarterback Randy McEarchen – the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame made pumpkin pie out of the Longhorns with a 38-10 victory before a record Cotton Bowl crowd of 76,701.
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THE FIRST 31 Notre Dame points came after Texas turnovers. And the longest the Irish had to march for a touchdown was 50 yards – that in the fourth quarter after Texas failed to convert a fourth-and-three on a fake punt.
Lest one get the idea that this was storybook suicide, however, let it be noted that the Irish controlled the line of scrimmage offensively and that Texas' only touchdown came after a ND pass interference penalty gave the Longhorns an extra play after time had expired.
And that at the end of the game Notre Dame had a first-and-goal at the Texas two.
THOUGH THE GAME was definitely a flop as far as the Longhorns were concerned in their bid to hold onto the room at the top, it was not a fluke.
Two Notre Dame backs – Jerome Heavens (22 rushes for 101 yards) and Vagas Ferguson (21 for 100) hit the century mark, a lot of it into the middle of the UT defense where Lance Taylor was missing. But the offensive line – led by guard Ernie Hughes on Brad (missing text) offense, recovered three fumbles and picked off three McEachern passes that were gifts. Linebacker Bob Golic was voted defensive MVP.
Heisman Trophy winner Earl Campbell was held to 116 yards on 29 carries – his longest run was 18 yards.
The Longhorns can talk all they want about what might have been. The Irish no doubt will talk long and loud about what did happen.
This is one game film Texas will burn.
Things were hunky-dory as far as the Longhorns were concerned – for about two and one-half minutes.
HAVING TAKEN THE opening kickoff on its own 11, Texas was moving and had third-and-one at its own 44 when McEachern, who had risen to prominence on this very turf back in October, made his first mistake. On a sweep right, ND defensive end Ross Browner penetrated and McEachern, matching him, made an errant pitch to Campbell. Browner recovered on the Texas 32.
UT got out light on that one, holding the Irish to a trifling net of two yards on three plays and forcing a 47-yard field goal by Dave Reeve.
Texa then moved from its 20 to a second-and-six at the ND 14. But on successive downs, McEachern was dropped for losses of one and 11 yards trying to pass and Russell Erxleben tied the score from 42 yards out.
Later in the quarter, after an ND punt, Johnny Ham Jones fumbled after a five-yard gain with a screen pass, and the Irish strong safety Jim Browner recovered on the Texas 27.
Four plays later, sub fullback Terry Eurick went over from the six over the left side on the first play of the second quarter. It's 10-3.
ON THE NEXT UT series, McEachern was forced out of the pocket while trying to pass on second down at his 40 and simply dropped the ball. Willie Fry got it on the 35.
Five plays later, Eurick scored on exactly the same play as before and he wasn't touched this time either. It's 17-3 and a dangerous trend – which was to become a habit – began to emerge.
UT's Derrick Hatchett picked off a long Joe Montana pass at the Texas 23 next up, but McEachern gave it back three plays later with a bullet to ND linebacker Doug Becker at the UT 36, and he packed it back to the 20.
The time Montana, who was seldom pressured by a neutered Longhorn pass rush, went to the air, hitting Ferguson four yards deep in the end zone from the 17. Mark Martignoni, who replaced Taylor in the middle but also played weakside linebacker, was covering but had his back to the ball.
Middle of the second quarter and it's 24-3.
Texas then moved into ND territory at the 22, but McEachern threw low on the run on third and four and a 39-yard Erxleben field goal attempt was kicked low and blocked in the line.
TEXAS FORCED a punt – after four first downs – and got the ball at tis own 32 with 22 seconds left in the half.
After Campbell gained 10, McEachern hit Johnny Lam Jones open on the ND 30, but he pulled a hamstring in his left leg just after the catch and fell at the 25. On the next play, McEachern went for Alfred Jackson and it appeared he had made a superb ctach for a touchdown while falling backward – but he couldn't hold on.
There were now two seconds left.
Disdaining the field goal, Fred Akers called for the drop-back and McEachern tried to hit flanker Ronnie Miksch across the middle – but Jim Browner was caught holding him on the 13. Since a half cannot end on a defensive penalty, Texas got another chance and this time McEachern speared flanker Michael Lockett on the goal line, falling in to for the TD and giving Texas hope with Notre Dame holding a 24-10 halftime lead.
In the crucial third quarter, the Irish dominated the ball – opening with a 14-play drive that led to a missed field goal. On Texas' three possessions, McEachern threw an interception right to ND linebacker Steve Heimkreiter at the UT 35 and from the 28, the Irish scored in seven plays. Ferguson, the offensive MVP, scored from the three – again over the left side.
ND'S RANDY HARRISON thwarted another Texas attempt to get back in it with fine juggling interception in the end zone as McEachern overthrew Jackson (from the ND 45) at the three.
The Irish didn't march with that one – they merely bided their time and, when a fourth-and-three fake punt run by Johnnie Johnson failed at midfield, they got their chance for the last one.
Ferguson scored that from the 26 after breaking two half-hearted attempts at tackling him.
There was still 9:41 left.
"This is was not like us," Akers sighed. "We kept turning it over and a team like Notre Dame doesn't need any help.
"I'd like to play them tomorrow," he said, "but that's not the way it works. They played their best game of the year."
At least somebody did.
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