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Syracuse stuns Notre Dame on late TD pass

Nov 23, 2008 - 5:46 AM SOUTH BEND, Indiana (Ticker) -- The final home game in Charlie Weis' fourth season at Notre Dame ended with a humiliating defeat.

Cameron Dantley, the son of former Notre Dame basketball great Adrian Dantley, tossed an 11-yard touchdown pass to Donte Davis with 42 seconds remaining as lowly Syracuse shocked the Fighting Irish, 24-23, on Saturday.

"I'm sure I'm going to get calls from him," Dantley said. "My dad had such a great career and everyone likes him a lot here.

"It just so happened that he played for Notre Dame, too, so that makes it all the better."

Syracuse (3-8), which had scored just one fourth-quarter touchdown in its previous six games, erased a 23-10 deficit in the final 12 1/2 minutes.

Notre Dame (6-5) had a final chance, but its hopes ended when Brandon Walker's 53-yard field attempt fell short on the final play of the game.

The stunning loss - Notre Dame was nearly a three-touchdown favorite - will intensify the growing chorus of Fighting Irish fans calling for the ouster of the embattled Weis.

"I feel sick to my stomach," Weis said. "Everyone at Notre Dame takes these losses personally, just like they feel good when they win. But right now I feel absolutely miserable for the seniors."

Notre Dame was defeated by an eight-loss team for the first time in the program's storied history. The 14 losses in 2007 and 2008 are the most in any two-year span for the Fighting Irish.

"Each loss is tough any way it goes," Notre Dame linebacker Toryan Smith said. "This one was tough because it's senior night and we wanted to get the seniors a win on their last night, and we fell short."

Syracuse appeared to be merely playing out the string under fourth-year coach Greg Robinson, who was fired last week, effective at the end of the season.

Yet the Orange played with more emotion and more poise down the stretch, giving Robinson just his 10th win in 46 games at Syracuse.

"Greg Robinson has been through a lot with Syracuse," Orange center Jim McKenzie said. "I wish the best for him wherever he goes, and we have one more game with him and we're going to try to go out on top."

"We were rallying around him all the time," Dantley added. "We always had confidence in coach, and he always had confidence in us. To send him off on a positive note would be great for him and great for our football team."

Notre Dame closes its season next week at No. 6 Southern California. Based on Saturday's result, that game could be ugly.

"If you don't go with the mind-set (to beat USC), then you're just asking for a massacre," Weis said.

Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen, who committed seven turnovers in his previous two games, tossed a 35-yard touchdown pass to Golden Tate with two seconds left in the first half to give the Fighting Irish a 13-10 halftime lead.

Clausen had no turnovers in this one, but was frequently off the mark with his throws, finishing 22-of-39 for 291 yards and two touchdowns.

However, Notre Dame had trouble finishing drives against the Orange, who entered ranked 104th in the Football Bowl Subdivision in total defense.

The Fighting Irish still seemed to be control after Walker kicked a 23-yard field goal to make it 23-10 with 1:34 remaining in the third quarter.

But Notre Dame collapsed in the final period, allowing a pair of 68-yard touchdown drives.

The Fighting Irish hurt themselves with sloppy play throughout, failing to take advantage of Syracuse's mistakes.

Notre Dame began its first second-half possession on Syracuse's 25-yard line following a short punt and penalty.

But a holding penalty and 15-yard sack of Clausen left Notre Dame with a 2nd-and-47 which it could not convert.

The Fighting Irish missed another golden opportunity on their next possession, and Walker pulled a 26-yard goal wide to the left.

Notre Dame appeared to put away the game late in the third quarter, returning a fumble to Syracuse's 5-yard line.

Again, the Fighting Irish could not punch the ball into the end zone, settling for Walker's 23-yard field goal.

After Syracuse closed within 23-17 on Antwon Bailey's 26-yard TD run with 12:30 remaining, Walker missed another field goal, a 48-yarder with 4:58 remaining.

"We had our chances to make plays and we didn't," Notre Dame wide receiver David Grimes said. "Not to take anything away from Syracuse, but we had our chances to put this game away."

Syracuse hammered the ball on the ground behind Bailey, who carried on six straight plays for 43 of his 126 yards.

A holding penalty left Syracuse with a 2nd-and-17 from the 20, but Dantley found Tony Fiammetta for nine yards, then hit a wide-open Davis in the middle of the end zone, leaving the crowd at Notre Dame Stadium in stunned silence.

Dantley finished just 13-of-25 for 122 yards.