Pub GuideNotre Dame Legends defeat Japan National team in Tokyo
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Posted by BrianBoru at 7/27/2009 3:20 AM EDT
Over the weekend, the Irish Legends of Notre Dame defeated the Japan National team by a score of 19-3.
I did not watch the game, and it will not be telecast until August 10th, but apparently Notre Dame Legends dominated the smaller Japanese squad along the line of scrimmage.
Former Notre Dame backup running back Jay Vickers was named the game's MVP.
He led the ground attack with 139 yards rushing.
Head coach Lou Holtz, much like he did during his coaching regime at Notre Dame, successfully switched players from one position to the next.
Recent Notre Dame cornerback Ambrose Wooden started at quarterback for the Irish Legends.
Linebacker Brandon Hoyte, the fiery defensive captain from the 2005 Notre Dame club, was shifted to offense, contributing 46 yards rushing while playing fullback.
Ah. Fullback. Those were the days. I remember when Notre Dame used to have them...
No longer does Notre Dame have fullbacks like Anthony Johnson or Rodney Culver or Marc Edwards or Ray Zellers — not under its current offensive stewardship.
One statistic that appeared especially conspicuous: Notre Dame completed only one pass.
One pass.
What they could not do through the air they managed to churn out on the ground, running for 271 yards by game's end.
Typical of Holtz's best teams, the Irish held the ball much longer than their opponent, and by a wide margin — possessing the ball nearly 13 minutes longer than the underdog Japanese team.
After the game, Holtz added, "It was great to be back out here. We won this game like we won a lot of games when I was at Notre Dame - we just beat the heck out of them."
Though the stakes in Tokyo were not as high as Notre Dame vs. Miami circa 1988, I suspect that Lou Holtz and his band of aging Notre Dame warriors did not approach this international exhibition contest with anything less than their best effort.
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