Air Force Stops Notre Dame Again, 21-15

AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. —  It wasn’t as one-sided as the other Air Force victories over Notre Dame, just more rewarding.

The 17th-ranked Falcons (5-0) overcame Allen Pinkett’s 142 rushing yards Saturday when A.J. Scott returned a blocked field goal 77 yards for a touchdown and lifted Air Force to a 21-15 victory over the Irish.

Air Force has beaten the Irish four straight times.

“This team finds a way to win, they never give up,” Air Force Coach Fisher DeBerry said. “That was the biggest block I’ve ever seen in my coaching career.

“The defense did a great job on Pinkett. They gave him some yardage, but they never lost the faith.”

Notre Dame (1-3) is off to its worst start since 1962, when the Irish lost four of their first five.

Gerry Faust, who is in the final year of a five-year contract at Notre Dame, said the losses don’t come any tougher.

“The kids played their hearts out and we can’t ask any more of them than they gave,” he said. “You can’t chew them out, you can’t congratulate them. You just have to feel for them.”

The Irish led, 15-13, and were threatening to put the game away when they had a first and goal at the Air Force three-yard line with less than six minutes to play.

But Pinkett was thrown for successive losses of one and six yards, and quarterback Steve Beuerlein was called for intentional grounding. That set up a 37-yard field goal attempt by John Carney.

The kick was blocked by junior linebacker Terry Maki. Scott grabbed the ball out of the air and ran untouched down the right sideline for a touchdown. Weiss ran for a two-point conversion.

Weiss also threw a 24-yard touchdown pass to Kelly Pittman in the second quarter. Kicker Tom Ruby added field goals of 20 and 35 yards.

Notre Dame scored on a two-yard run by Pinkett and field goals of 28, 33 and 40 yards by Carney. A two-point conversion attempt after Pinkett’s touchdown failed when tight end Joel Williams, alone in the left corner of the end zone, dropped a pass from Beuerlein.