SEATTLE (AP) -- New coaches, same result. Charlie Weis led Notre Dame to the same kind of lopsided romp over Washington on Saturday that Tyrone Willingham did a year ago when he was coaching Fighting Irish.<br>
<br>
The 16th-ranked Irish, clicking in the air and on the ground after a sluggish start, beat the Huskies 36-17 Saturday in a game that had little to do with coaches matching wits and everything to do with slick execution by Notre Dame (3-1) and huge blunders by Washington (1-3).<br>
<br>
A year after Notre Dame won 38-3 in South Bend, Ind., against Washington, they took their show on the road to do virtually the same thing against their former coach on a brilliant fall afternoon before 71,473 fans in Husky Stadium.<br>
<br>
Quarterback Brady Quinn, who threw four touchdown passes last year, threw only one this time but compiled 327 yards passing in a more balanced attack that saw sophomore halfback Darius Walker rush for a career-high 128 yards on 21 carries. Walker became the first running back in Notre Dame history to rush for more than 100 yards in each of his first four games. <br>
<br>
Quinn, who also ran for 29 yards, spread the wealth of passes around to his targets, with wide receiver Jeff Samardzija leading them all and gaining a career-high 164 yards.<br>
<br>
Notre Dame's dominating offense controlled the game, and the Irish never punted until 11 seconds were left. They held possession of the ball for 36:56, breaking open the game with 24 points in the second half. Rashon Powers-Neal had a 2-yard TD run, Samardzija scored on a 52-yard pass and Travis Thomas scored on an 11-yard run.<br>
<br>
Washington, down 29-3 in the fourth quarter, made the final score slightly more respectable with two late touchdowns, the first on a 1-yard run by Mark Palaita, and the second with 2:26 left on a 41-yard pass from reserve quarterback Johnny Durocher.<br>
<br>
Starting Husky quarterback Isaiah Stanback finished with 353 yards on 17-of-34 passing.<br>
<br>
A fumble near the goal line on Washington's game-opening, length-of-the-field drive cost the Huskies one touchdown, and an interception in the end zone, after Stanback's career-high 69-yard pass to Marion Wood, cost them another in the second quarter. Notre Dame's only costly turnover came on a botched field goal snap after driving to the Huskies' 24 on its first possession.<br>
<br>
Notre Dame led 12-3 at halftime, scoring on Walker's 17-yard touchdown run, blowing an extra point, making field goals from the 25 in the first quarter, the 39 in the second quarter and holding Washington to a 27-yard field goal early in the second quarter.<br>
<br>
Washington gained all but five of its 243 yards in the first half on passes, while Notre Dame had the more balanced attack - 146 yards in the air, 102 on the ground.<br>
<br>
© 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
