Trickery, Toughness Help Wolfpack Do In Irish

That was all No. 17 North Carolina State needed to dissolve theIrish mystique Wednesday in the Gator Bowl and state its case as aprogram on the rise.

Led by quarterback Philip Rivers and a defense that didn't giveup a touchdown for the second straight game, the Wolfpack (11-3)finished off the best season in school history with a 28-6 victoryover Notre Dame.

"We had a great season, then we put a stamp on it," coachChuck Amato said. "To have (victory) No. 11 be Notre Dame, to winback-to-back against Florida State and Notre Dame, two of the bestprograms in America ... It's hard to do."

While the trick plays were entertaining Wednesday, it waslinebacker Dantonio Burnette who set the tone.

The Irish had second-and-goal from the 1 on their secondpossession of the game when Carlyle Holiday ran right and washammered by Burnette, separating his shoulder.

"When I hit him, I heard him groan, and when I looked down, hewas still on the ground," Burnette said. "I was like: 'OK, thisis going to turn the game around now."'

The Irish had to settle for a field goal, and they never foundan answer for Rivers and a Wolfpack offense that made them look badfor the second game in a row.

Rivers completed 13 consecutive passes as N.C. State scoredthree touchdowns in the second quarter, one of them on afumblerooski and another set up by a flea-flicker.

Early in the third quarter, Wolfpack receiver Bryan Peterson hadmore passing yards on two trick players (27) than either of theIrish quarterbacks.

"Every game, they show you something you haven't seen," NotreDame safety Glenn Earl said. "They were able to get us offbalance. And they executed well."

The Irish (10-3) not only lost Holiday, they losttheir temper with three personal fouls and wound up losing theirsixth consecutive bowl game.

This one put a damper on an otherwise remarkable year.

Coming off a 5-6 season, Notre Dame won its first eight gamesand started thinking about a record ninth national championship.Instead, the Irish lost three of their last five games, and thelast two were embarrassing.

"It's still a very good season," coach Tyrone Willingham said."There are not that many 10-win teams in the country.

"At the sametime, we have to become accustomed to winning our last game,whether it's the regular season or a bowl game."

Notre Dame gave up a school-record 610 yards in a 44-13 loss toSouthern California, and a defense determined to show that game wasa fluke looked hapless against the Wolfpack.

N.C. State went 96 and 76 yards on consecutive drives, and therewas nothing the Irish could do about it. Notre Dame, which allowed145 points in its first 11 games, gave up 72 points in its lasttwo.

Rivers, bobbing and weaving through the pass rush, was 23-of-37for 228 yards and two touchdowns. Jerricho Cotchery caught 10passes for 127 yards.

The Wolfpack defense did its part, hitting harder and with morepurpose. It finished in style, denying a garbage score in the finalseconds when Notre Dame had first-and-goal from the 2.

Rod Johnson, a senior safety who came in with one careerinterception, had three off Notre Dame backup Pat Dillingham, allin double- and triple-coverage.

The Wolfpack had never won more than 10 games in a season intheir 111-year history, and saw this game - and this opponent - asa chance to start putting their program on the map.

"It seemed like we were the other team down here all week,"Burnette said.

In what looked like sandlot football at times, N.C. State ranthree trick plays during one drive.

On the fumblerooski, the linemen were upright and didn't moveeven after the ball was snapped to Rivers, who was in a short,shotgun formation.

Rivers quickly slipped the ball under the legsof T.A. McLendon in front of him, and the freshman plowed in for a3-yard score, his second touchdown.

N.C. State's defense never gave Dillingham much time to throw,or many options when he did manage to get the pass off. He threwinto double coverage and was intercepted by Johnson late in thesecond quarter.

That led to another Wolfpack touchdown - set up by another trickplay.

Rivers short-hopped a lateral to Bryan Peterson, who scooped itup and threw 24 yards to Joseph Gray. There was no one within 15yards of the 260-pound tight end, but he fell down catching theball.

Three plays later, Rivers found Cotchery for a 9-yard touchdown.

The Irish got inside the 25 three times in the second half, butmanaged only a field goal. Their last bowl victory was 24-21against Texas A&M in the 1994 Cotton Bowl.