Tate, No. 25 Notre Dame crush Washington State

Chicago Tribune

SAN ANTONIO — Before Notre Dame raced onto the dome-away-from-home turf, a Jumbotron montage announced an unofficial annexation: “Texas Is Our House,” the slogan declared, the place apparently recast as the Loan Star State after the Irish established temporary residency for the weekend.

A medium-to-medium-loud ovation followed as the Irish raced out for the first of their annual off-site home games. Flash bulbs popped throughout the stands like exploding fireflies. There were swaths of unoccupied seats in the Alamodome and the announced crowd number was 53,407, so not everything is bigger in Texas.

But for the most part, Notre Dame got pretty much everything it wanted out of the weekend’s proceedings, of most importance a 40-14 bashing of lowly Washington State that had its minor blemishes, but nothing that statistical dominance and a couple of eye-catching individual efforts couldn’t thrust well into the shadows.

If there was any skittishness at all before Saturday, it was because the bane of Notre Dame’s year has been playing to the level of its opponents. But as it turned out, realistically, getting to Washington State’s level would have required a backhoe and 100 coal miner’s helmets.

The Irish (6-2) amassed 597 yards of offense, while the Cougars (1-7) didn’t cross midfield until three minutes remained in the first half, managing just seven first downs through the first three quarters. About the only mystery involved the severity of leg injuries for starting guard Trevor Robinson and backup quarterback Dayne Crist.

Jimmy Clausen, before leaving the game late in the third quarter, completed 22 of 27 passes for 268 yards and two scores.

Golden Tate caught four passes for 80 yards and rushed four times for 61 yards, scoring once on the ground and once through the air.

Tailback Robert Hughes, starting for the injured Armando Allen, ably substituted with a 138-yard day.