Notre Dame Fighting Irish - Official Athletics Website

Gold Defeats Blue, 3-0, in 73rd Annual Blue-Gold Game

April 27, 2002

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NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Senior kicker Nicholas Setta booted a 37-yard field goal midway through the third quarter to lift the Gold team to a 3-0 win over the Blue squad in the 73rd annual Blue-Gold scrimmage Saturday afternoon at Notre Dame Stadium. The game was played under soggy conditions, with rain falling on the crowd of 17,025 moments after kickoff and continuing throughout the afternoon.

Sophomore running back Ryan Grant led all players on the ground, rushing seven times for 45 yards for the Blue team. Senior flanker Arnaz Battle also benefitted from Notre Dame’s new diversified offense, catching five passes for 73 yards, including a 26-yard strike from sophomore quarterback Pat Dillingham in the fourth quarter.

Senior quarterback Matt LoVecchio completed six of 14 passes for 58 yards with three interceptions for the Blue side. His counterpart, junior quarterback Carlyle Holiday, connected on three of seven passes for 27 yards, but also lost 14 yards on four carries in the contest.

On the defensive side of the ball, senior strong safety Gerome Sapp collected five solo tackles and picked off a LoVecchio pass for the Gold team to earn Defensive Player-of-the-Game honors. Senior nose guard Cedric Hilliard contributed five tackles to pace the Blue squad.

Playing four 12-minute quarters with a running clock, the Blue team had the most success of either side in the opening half. Twice, LoVecchio piloted his unit into Gold territory, but senior strong safety Matthew Sarb stifled the first foray with a first-quarter interception at the Gold nine-yard line. The Blues returned to the Gold end late in the second period, going 53 yards in 12 plays, but senior kicker David Miller pulled his 23-yard field goal attempt wide left and the teams went to the dressing room scoreless.

The Gold side took advantage of a Blue mistake to score the only points of the game midway through the second half. Sapp stepped in front of a LoVecchio pass intended for junior flanker Lorenzo Crawford at the Blue 32-yard line. After moving 10 yards in seven plays, Setta came on to bang his 37-yard attempt through the uprights.

The Blue team put together a final drive in an attempt to tie or win the game, moving 43 yards in seven plays to the Gold 20-yard line. But, Miller again hooked his field goal try wide left and the Golds held on for the victory.

The Blue-Gold scrimmage capped off the spring season for Notre Dame. The Irish will open their 2002 regular season Saturday, Aug. 31, when they face Maryland in Kickoff Classic XX at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. That game is set to kick off at 8:00 p.m. EDT (7:00 p.m. EST in South Bend).

— ND —