Notre Dame win their first, defeat UCLA 20-6

10.06.2007 by Stephen Rhodes in College Football

UCLA quarterback Ben Olson, right, is sacked by Notre Dame’s Trevor Laws, center, and Tom Zbikowski during the first quarter of the Notre Dame-UCLA game, won by the Irish, 20-6.

When you’re Notre Dame, expectations are usually high. When you’re 0-5, a bowl bid is next to impossible to obtain even if you win out the rest of the season. The Fighting Irish, fighting through one of their worst seasons ever, won for the first time this season defeating the UCLA Bruins 20-6. The win was their first in eight games, dating back to last season; the last time Notre Dame lost 8 straight was 1960 when they won their opener then lost 8 consecutive games.

Turnovers proved to be key to the Fighting Irish victory; they knocked UCLA starting quarterback Ben Olsen out of the game with a knee injury late in the first quarter, then pressured reserve QB McLeod Bethel-Thompson into multiple miscues the rest of the game. UCLA QB’s were intercepted 4 times.

Notre Dame QB Jimmy Clausen put the Irish ahead 13-6 when he QB-sneaked inot the end zone with 1:53 left in the 3rd quarter. Irish linebacker Maurice Crum made the score 20-6 when he scooped a Bethel-Thompson fumble and ran to the end zone for a score whicxh sealed the victory for Notre Dame. Neither team stood out offensively as previously mentioned, turnovers dictated the scoring. The Irish (1-5) go back to South Bend, IN and face #7 Boston College, while UCLA (4-2, 3-0) next face the #3 California Golden Bears at home.