Jan. 1, 2001
By LANDON HALL
AP Sports Writer
TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) - Jonathan Smith passed for 246 yards and a
disputed
74-yard touchdown to Chad Johnson as No. 5 Oregon State dominated No. 10
Notre
Dame for a 12-3 halftime lead in the Fiesta Bowl on Monday night.
Smith threw to Johnson, who got open near the sideline when
cornerback
Clifford Jefferson reached for the ball and missed. Johnson had a clear path
to
the end zone, but he tossed the ball away before he crossed the goal line.
Notre Dame coach Bob Davie complained, but the play stood.
The Irish managed just 33 yards until the final possession of the
half, when
they drove 65 yards on 15 plays, with help from a personal foul on Calvin
Carlyle.
Nick Setta kicked a 29-yard field goal as time ran out to cut the
lead to
12-3. A 40-yard catch and run by Javin Hunter set up the score.
Oregon State moved inside the Notre Dame 15 three times but came
away with
just two field goals. The Beavers had a first and goal from the 5, but
couldn't
score, as Patrick McCall was stuffed by Ron Israel on fourth down.
Oregon State blew a chance to get the ball back late in the half
when
Carlyle was hit with a penalty after the Irish had failed on third-and-31
from
their own 2. That gave Notre Dame an automatic first down, and led to their
only score.
The Beavers (10-1), playing their first major postseason game since
the 1965
Rose Bowl, outgained Notre Dame 278-98. Smith completed 12 of 17 passes,
with
T.J. Houshmandzadeh catching five for 51 yards and Marty Maurer catching
three
for 82 yards.
Matt LoVecchio was just 5-of-13 for 79 yards for the Irish (9-2),
who had
won seven straight and were trying for their first bowl victory since the
1994
Cotton Bowl.
