By DAVID WOODS
The Indianapolis Star

Notre Dame defenders chase a fumble by Florida State quarterback Chris Rix. (AP photo) | ZOOM |

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - This wasn't the Florida State of old. This was the Notre Dame of old.

The Fighting Irish haven't been this close to a 12th national championship since 1993, the only other year in which they beat Florida State. They reached this milestone using football's ancient virtues of defense and discipline.

But the Irish have also created a new template for success, one they followed faithfully in beating Florida State, 34-24 Saturday. Notre Dame stonewalled the run and turned three turnovers into 17 points in a 2 1/2-minute span of the third quarter.

The outcome might be enough to lift Notre Dame (8-0) from its No. 6 ranking in the polls and No. 3 spot in Bowl Championship Series standings. The top two BCS teams will meet Jan. 3 for the national title at the Fiesta Bowl in Tempe, Ariz.

The Irish led by 24 points until allowing two touchdowns in the closing 72 seconds. They were denied a probable score when a Florida State fumble was ruled an incomplete pass. They silenced a record Doak Campbell Stadium crowd of 84,106 and a few more skeptics.

The Seminoles (5-3) are still among the disbelieving. Not their coach, though.

"Just count us in the club," Florida State coach Bobby Bowden said. "They beat everybody the same way."

Not totally the same.

Notre Dame strayed a bit from convention, scoring on its very first play. Carlyle Holiday teamed with Arnaz Battle on a 65-yard touchdown to make it 7-0 less than three minutes into the game.

Battle, who had 18 receptions in the previous two games, wasn't the only one to catch a pass. Holiday spread it around to seven receivers, completing 13-of-21 for 185 yards and two TDs.

"They kept us (off balance) all day with their alignments and things," Bowden said.

On the flight to Tallahassee, the Irish watched film of the 1993 victory over top-ranked Florida State that temporarily elevated Notre Dame to No. 1. The Irish inevitably will be reminded that a loss to Boston College - their opponent next Saturday - cost them the national title that year.

"You have to take it for what it is. It is an eighth victory. It is a great step," Notre Dame coach Tyrone Willingham said.

"But if you don't get the next one, what does it mean?"

This one means the Irish are back, according to Notre Dame center Jeff Faine of Sanford, Fla., a onetime Seminoles fan.

Holiday agreed.

"It proves that we can go into a hostile environment and come out with a win," the quarterback said. "And we've done that the past two weeks."

The victories over then-No. 18 Air Force and No. 11 Florida State marked the first time in Notre Dame's storied history it had beaten two ranked teams in their home stadiums in succession.

Florida State is 84-5-1 in the past 90 games here. Three of those losses have come in the past two years.

Florida State achieved a 10-10 halftime tie with a 20-play, 93-yard drive that consumed nearly nine minutes.

The Seminoles kept possession after end Robert Morgan was stripped of the ball by Notre Dame cornerback Shane Walton. Television replays indicated Morgan took three steps before he lost the ball, which was recovered by the Irish's Vontez Duff in the open field. Officials ruled the pass incomplete.

"Hopefully, they had a better angle than we had, and we live with that," Willingham said.

Florida State's hopes began to die under a third-quarter torrent of turnovers. Notre Dame has turned 24 takeaways this season into 95 points.

Linebacker Courtney Watson intercepted a pass by Chris Rix and returned the ball 21 yards to the Florida State 22. Nicholas Setta, who had missed six of his previous seven attempts, kicked his second field goal from 35 yards as Notre Dame reclaimed a 13-10 lead.

On the Seminoles' next play, Rix was clobbered by safety Glenn Earl at his own 16 and fumbled. Duff recovered at the 2. Ryan Grant took an option pitch from Holiday, cut back and scored to make it 20-10.

After Florida State's Leon Washington fumbled on the kickoff, Holiday tossed a 16-yard TD pass to Omar Jenkins on a third-and-nine play. In a matter of 2 minutes, 21 seconds, the lead had grown to 27-10.

Grant's 31-yard run in the fourth quarter made it 34-10. The Seminoles couldn't believe it.

"There's no way in the world you can tell me they're better than us," defensive tackle Tony Benford said.

"We were a much better team than Notre Dame athletically, but they just performed better," linebacker Kendyll Pope added.

The Irish are accustomed to criticism. They'll hear it from Willingham, who said they have some "things to clean up," and from defensive coordinator Kent Baer, who grumbled about the two inconsequential touchdowns at the end.

The Irish will also hear about the national championship. That is to be expected at a place like Notre Dame, Willingham said.

"But it's gratifying to have a shot at it, to have a chance at it, to be willing to work for it and hopefully pay the right price to get there," he said.