Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1162458
38 SEPT. 16, 2019 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED BY LOU SOMOGYI TOP MOMENTS/LOWLIGHTS The return of Bob Davie to the school where he spent five years as the head coach (1997-2001), and the previous three as defensive coordina- tor (1994-96) under Lou Holtz, will be the dominant theme. Whether he can after suffering a health setback Aug. 31 is uncertain. Here are the top five moments of the Davie regime in his five seasons as the head coach, with Notre Dame producing a 35-25 record (.583). 1. Michigan 1998 — Coming off a disappointing 7-6 debut season and an ugly/embarrassing university court case in which former offensive line coach Joe Moore (1988-96) won his age discrimination lawsuit after Davie had fired him, the 1998 season now had to open against No. 5 and reigning co-national champ Michi- gan, with quarterback Tom Brady making his starting debut. A second-half explosion under first-time starting quarterback Jari- ous Jackson enabled Notre Dame to run away with a 36-20 triumph and move from No. 22 to No. 10 in the country. 2. LSU 1997 — Entering "Death Valley" with a 4-5 record to face No. 11 LSU — which earlier in the year had upset No. 1 Florida — the Fighting Irish were heavy under- dogs. By the end of the first quarter Notre Dame led 17-0, and by the start of the fourth quarter it was 24-0 and half the stadium had become empty in the 24-6 stunner. Furthermore, it remains Notre Dame's lone game ever in which it neither committed a penalty nor had a turnover. 3. USC 2000 — The 38-21 conquest in the regular-season finale at Los Angeles extended Notre Dame's winning streak to seven with fresh- man quarterback Matt LoVecchio at the helm, earned a bid to the Fiesta Bowl for the 9-2 Fighting Irish — and a couple of weeks later merited Davie a five-year contract extension through the 2005 season under new athletics director Kevin White. 4. Purdue 2000 — One week after a heartbreaking 27-24 overtime loss to No. 1 Nebraska, Notre Dame had to face eventual Big Ten champ and No. 13 Purdue, led by senior quarter- back Drew Brees. In addition, Fight- ing Irish starting quarterback Arnaz Battle was lost for the season to an injury in the previous week's game, and tight end recruit Gary Godsey was the emergency contingency plan. Godsey steered the game-winning drive that resulted in a 38-yard field goal by Nicholas Setta as time ex- pired in the 23-21 win. 5. LSU 1998 — In one of the wacki- est games ever played at Notre Dame Stadium, the Irish rallied from a 34-20 deficit for a 39-36 victory to im- prove to 9-1 and post what would be their longest winning streak (eight) and highest national ranking (No. 9) in the Davie era. Part of what made this game bizarre is when Notre Dame quarterback Jackson attempted to run out the clock with a safety in his own end zone, he injured his knee. Consequently, he was sidelined the following week at USC. Without him, the offense was helpless in a 10-0 defeat to the Trojans. It epitomized under Davie how just when one thought the program was on track, it derailed just as quickly. Or as predecessor Holtz would say: "Every time I could smell the flowers I would look for the coffin." Other examples included: • Following a 17-13 debut win in the expanded Notre Dame Stadium in 1997, Notre Dame saw its 11-year win- ning streak against Purdue end with a 28-17 loss to the Boilermakers, who the previous week had lost to Toledo. First-year Purdue head coach Joe Tiller took the job that Davie had an opportunity to as well. The loss was extra grating because former Purdue head coach Jim Colletto (1991-96) was now Davie's first-year offensive coordinator. • After the dramatic 36-20 victory versus No. 5 Michigan to open the 1998 season, Notre Dame found itself trailing 42-3 at halftime the next week at Michigan State before losing 45-23. • On a four-game winning streak in 1999 that included comeback wins over Oklahoma (34-30 from 30-14) and USC (25-24 from 24-3), Notre Dame finished on a four-game los- ing streak to finish 5-7, its first losing season in 13 years. GAME PREVIEW: NEW MEXICO Top STorylineS Head coach Bob Davie guided the Lobos to a 33-54 record in his first seven seasons in Albuquerque, with his best year a 9-4 campaign in 2016 that was capped by the program's first bowl victory since 1961. PHOTO COURTESY UNM COMMUNICATIONS