Irish Awake, Avoid Upset, Beat Vandy Powlus Relays Holtz’s Message, Engineers Game-Winning Drive

Ron Powlus was having a bad game and so was sixth-ranked Notre Dame.

Vanderbilt had just taken a 7-6 lead, and the Irish were in danger of losing another season opener to a big underdog Thursday night.

But somehow, coach Lou Holtz finally reached his players and the Irish escaped with a 14-7 victory over the Commodores.

“When we were trailing, we really felt a sense of urgency,” said Powlus, who directed a 14-play, 75-yard march that ended with Marc Edwards’ 3-yard touchdown run with 4:59 left. “Before the last drive, coach Holtz told me, ‘All right now, we’re going to find out about ourselves.’ I went out and told the line what he said and I think we showed him.”

Unlike last season, when Northwestern shocked the Irish 17-15 in the opener, Notre Dame was able to compose itself after Vanderbilt took the lead on a dramatic 50-yard touchdown pass from Damian Allen to Todd Yoder with 11:16 to go.

“They took it up a notch and we just didn’t match it,” Vanderbilt coach Rod Dowhower said. “Trying hard isn’t enough. You’ve got to make the plays.”

Edwards nearly fumbled away the game when he lost the ball at the Irish 23 to set the stage for Allen’s TD pass, which came on a third-and-38 play. Edwards had three fumbles and lost two of them.

“I’m not real proud of how I played,” said the 237-pound fullback, who ran for 84 yards on 22 carries and caught four passes for 50 yards.

“I haven’t had three fumbles in my whole career. I’m just embarrassed. I tried to lose this game for us.”

But his teammates wouldn’t let him, especially the defense. In the 1,000th game played by Notre Dame, the Irish held Vanderbilt to 2 yards rushing and just 126 total yards. Vandy ran only 40 plays to 89 by the Irish. Left end Renaldo Wynn had two of the five sacks for Notre Dame.

Powlus, meanwhile, started off what will probably be his last season by completing a career-best 19 passes for 216 yards. He finished strong, but overthrew several open receivers in the first half.

The Commodores recovered four of seven Irish fumbles, two each by Edwards and Robert Farmer. But they were unable to cash in any other chances. In their final possession, Jason Dunnavant fumbled after catching a pass from Allen, and cornerback Ivory Covington recovered at the Vandy 49.

The Irish, favored by 22 points, led 6-0 after three quarters on field goals of 33 and 32 yards by freshman Jim Sanson.

But Vanderbilt, winners of only two games last season, took the lead after a wild series that began with Edwards’ second fumble. A 16-yard holding penalty against the Commodores put the ball back at the 39, and then Allen was sacked by linebacker Bert Berry for a big loss.

After Dunnavant ran for 3 yards, Allen heaved the ball to the goal line. Yoder, a 6-foot-5, 180-pounder, leaped and caught the ball with a defender on him.

Powlus answered by completing three straight passes for 31 yards and the Irish were at the Vanderbilt 40. Three plays later, he hit split end Emmett Mosley with a 9-yard completion to the 20. Edwards scored four plays later.