Finally, a little fun for Irish
SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Tom Zbikowski didn't spark a quarterback controversy.
Leading the Irish to 2 penalties and 1 first down was no way to unseat starter Jimmy Clausen during Notre Dame's 28-7 rout of Duke, but Zbikowski did provide a moment of levity in the most grim of Irish seasons.
Notre Dame (2-9) needed the levity like it ached for a locker room fight song rendition, a genuine victory lap around the field and a sliver of hope that the worst season in Irish history won't be repeated. Turns out Zbikowski and Notre Dame got all three of those by pounding the hapless Blue Devils (1-10).
"It was one of the loudest I've heard that stadium, cheering us as the time wound down," Zbikowski said. "It was a special moment."
And it capped a unique college career.
Zbikowski arrived here five years ago from Buffalo Grove High School without a serious snap of defensive experience. He turned down a chance to be the next Eric Crouch at Nebraska for the promise of playing safety for Tyrone Willingham. But Zbikowski sat out his freshman season then briefly left the team.
"You start questioning whether I made the right decision," Zbikowski said. "I was thinking that's what I wanted to do, that I wasn't cut out for playing defense and thank God that I came back and finished the way I did."
Zbikowski received dozens of calls from teammates during that brief sabbatical, then returned to kick off a four-year career as a starter at safety. The irony that his final collegiate snaps came on offense wasn't lost on Zbikowski, who'd been taking reps on offense for the past month.
Only a privileged few knew Zbikowski's moment would come, although his 100-person cheering section in the north end zone was wise to the switch.
"I told my pops that I might play so that means half of Chicago knew," Zbikowski said.
Zbikowski found that family support after a seniors' victory lap, a moment that briefly melted away a season's worth of frustration. It was exactly what Charlie Weis wanted to see.
"I really like to have a vision and have a purpose, and the whole purpose this week was to win a game for the seniors," Weis said. "I feel good for that."
Believe it or not, the future doesn't look bad either.
Clausen threw 3 touchdowns for the second straight week, hitting David Grimes for a 25-yard score late in the second quarter. The quarterback found freshman Duval Kamara from the same distance 58 seconds later after a Duke turnover.
Freshman running back Robert Hughes sparkled too, bowling over Blue Devils for 110 yards, his first triple-digit rushing day. Hughes' 13-yard touchdown run midway through the third quarter staked the Irish to a 21-0 lead.
Hughes, whose brother Earl "Tony" Hughes was shot and killed in Chicago late last month, led Notre Dame's locker room in the fight song but blanked on the opening words.
"The problem is we haven't won enough games to practice," said tight end John Carlson. "That's not his fault."
Carlson finished off Duke with 9-yard touchdown catch midway through the fourth quarter. While Saturday was meant to feature the departing tight end and his classmates, never mind give Zbikowski a quarterback reprise, Notre Dame's future couldn't be ignored.
"It's obvious that we have young guys on this team that are capable of making big plays," Carlson said. "I like their chances of being successful."
As long as Zbikowski doesn't play any more quarterback.