Air Force Falcons @ Notre Dame Fighting Irish Football Recap

Notre Dame 59, Air Force 33

In early September, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish were the ones racking up gobs of yards while moving up and down the field. A loaded offense proved again and again that it could move the ball, only to suffer the supreme frustration of failing to finish its drives. Other opponents scored more points and maximized their opportunities, leaving a team and a coaching staff consumed by anger and dissatisfaction.

Now, the shoe’s on the other foot. Notre Dame is learning to become a more effective football team while its opponents spin their wheels and rue lost opportunities.

It was a valiant fight from the United States Air Force Academy football team this past weekend. The Falcons from Colorado Springs outgained Notre Dame in South Bend, 565 yards to 560. However, Notre Dame capitalized in all the right places, including on Air Force’s two turnovers, to claim a commanding 26-point win over the Falcons on Saturday afternoon. The 92 combined points were the most scored in the 81-year history of Notre Dame Stadium as the Fighting Irish moved to 4-2 on the season, regrouping from their 0-2 start that had the natives restless in the Catholic portion of the state of Indiana. Just as playoff baseball games are measured in runs and not hits, football games are measured in points and not yards. In a delicious bit of role reversal, Notre Dame discovered the joy of working smarter and more efficiently, delighting Coach Brian Kelly with an airtight performance on the offensive side of the ball.

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The Irish got it going in the early stages, as quarterback Tommy Rees displayed precision and polish from the beginning of this intersectional encounter. Rees finished a drive in which he went 5-of-7 for 79 yards with a 34-yard touchdown strike to playmaker Michael Floyd. Air Force looked like it was going to join the shootout when running back Asher Clark ran 33 yards on the Falcons’ first offensive play, but he was stripped while fighting for yards and Notre Dame recovered. The Irish took a little more than three minutes to score again, and Air Force was in a deep hole that only grew in size over the course of the day. After an Air Force field goal, George Atkinson returned the kickoff to midfield, and Notre Dame needed four plays to score again. Up 21-3, the Irish would ride that cushion the rest of the game for the victory. Midway through the fourth quarter, Notre Dame led 59-19 before Air Force punched in two late scores to close the final margin to 59-33.

Rees ended the day going 23-32 for 261 yards and three touchdowns for Notre Dame, with Andrew Hendrix pitching in 111 rushing yards. Asher Clark ran for 102 yards on 11 carries for Air Force in the loss. Quarterback Tim Jefferson was 12-24 for 137 yards through the air for the Falcons, who now sit at 3-2.

By: Matt Zemek
DFN Sports Senior Staff Writer