Notre Dame Prevails in Tokyo Japan and Spartan Nation was There

TOKYO DOME

Tokyo Japan

 

RB Jay Vickers rushed for a game high 139 yards on 16 carries and scored one of the games only two touchdowns and lifted the Notre

Dame Irish Legends to a 18 -3 victory over Team Japan. Vickers broke open a 3 – 3 game with 06:53 to play in the first half when he ran

to the left and cut back down the right side line for 77 yards to the Team Japan 1 yard line. Two plays later QB Tony Rice

ran behind center scoring the game’s first touchdown which gave the Notre Dame Legends a 10 - 3 half-time lead.  The 31 year old

Vickers who was named MVP of the game said “I wanted to do this for Notre Dame and for my kids and I’ am glad they got to see this.”

 

Notre Dame head coach Lou Holtz praised his defense who did not allow a touchdown and due to heavy pressure on the Japan

quarterbacks made three interceptions. Safety Ron Israel had two picks and LB Michael Goolsby had a big third quarter interception

returning the ball 32 yards to the Japan eight yard line. “I expected us to win but I knew it would be a tough game. We were bigger

but they were quicker and I give Team Japan a lot of credit.”   Holtz said “we had good players some who won a National Championship

for me (1988).  We didn’t have any passing game but we adjusted and did what we had to do to win the game.”

 

QB Tony Rice who led the Irish to the 1988 National Championship and who finished fourth in 1989 Heisman voting as a senior played in

the first-half and rushed for 34 yards on seven attempts. Bothered by a sore leg Rice did not play in the second half and (DB) Ambrose

Wooden who started at QB for the Irish played the whole second half. For the game the two Irish QB’s attempted only six passes, and the

only completion was a Wooden screen pass to Jay Vickers who ran for seven yards.

 

72 year old Lou Holtz brought a quiet Tokyo Dome crowd to life when he stormed on to the field late in the third quarter when Irish

holder Geoff Price was flagged for not having his mouthpiece in on an extra point attempt following a Vickers 1 yard TD run. Holtz who

was angrily pointing his finger and barking at Price said “I wanted to make a statement to my team” and the crowd loved it giving Holtz a

big applause.  Lou Holtz who has been to Japan six times over his career said “this was my 250th win as a head coach, and I am proud of

my team.” 

 

Holtz told the clearly dejected Team Japan players after the game, “that you have made great improvement and you are a good team. 

You can play U.S. Division 1 college football, you are not a BCS team but you can play with any MAC or Conference USA level team.”      

 

The Notre Dame Japan Bowl game will be broadcast on Monday, August 10th at 9:00 PM ET on the CBS Sports College Network as part of

their “Countdown To Kickoff Week” programming.