Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1165986
54 SEPT. 23, 2019 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED A re we there yet? Like the 5-year-old incessantly making this inquiry every five minutes in the back seat of a car dur- ing a 200-mile journey, many a Notre Dame football follower has wistfully wondered this as well for the better part of the last 20-plus years. "There" is returning to the upper echelon of the sport, where during a 75-year period from 1919 (9-0 and first NCAA recognized national title) through 1993 (11-1 and No. 2 finish despite defeating No. 1) Notre Dame had set the standard in the sport. Several times during that span there were temporary pitfalls and setbacks, but each time the Fighting Irish returned "there." Throughout the 21st century in particular, there has been no there. To this day, maybe the three most "impressive" performances from 2000-18 that temporarily might have made the masses believe Notre Dame was creeping back toward potential championship timber were the 27- 24 overtime loss at home to No. 1 Nebraska in 2000, the gut-wrenching 11th-hour 34-31 defeat to No. 1 USC in 2005, and the controversial final seconds setback at No. 2 and reign- ing national champion Florida State in 2014 (31-27). There was some solace in coming close against those top teams, but then … • That 2000 promise versus Ne- braska that eventually landed head coach Bob Dave a new five-year ex- tended contract ended with a 41-9 de- molition in the Fiesta Bowl. Exposed. • The near conquest of the mighty Trojans in 2005 that won first-year head coach Charlie Weis a 10-year ex- tension resulted in BCS bowl bids the next two years —where the Fighting Irish were outscored 75-34. Exposed. • Shortly after the terrific perfor- mance at FSU in 2014, Notre Dame finished the regular season with four consecutive defeats, two of them back-to-back at home versus a 3-6 Northwestern outfit that had lost four straight, and to a Louis- ville team that was starting a reserve quarterback. Exposed. On each occasion, just when you thought it was safe again to believe Notre Dame's prominence was not another false alarm, sobering en- counters, mostly against the upper echelon, renewed cynicism that the Fighting Irish are not there. Over the last 25 years, probably the greatest "what tho' the odds" Notre Dame victory was the 30-13 result at No. 8 Oklahoma in 2012 (even though the Irish were ranked ahead of OU at the time). However, the Sooners al- ready had lost once at home that year (to Kansas State), and when they were also thrashed 41-13 by Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl, that Irish conquest was mitigated by it "not being a vin- tage Sooners team." For now, a victory at No. 3 Georgia would qualify as Notre Dame's best since toppling No. 1 Florida State (31-24) on Nov. 13, 1993 to temporar- ily move into the No. 1 spot. It would have a ripple effect nationally that maybe, just maybe, this is the year Lucy doesn't pull away the football from gullible Charlie Brown. There are at least three stages to get "there." One is demonstrating some consistency, which Notre Dame has the past two-plus years as a bona fide top-10 operation. Two is pull off an upset — prefer- ably on the road — that catches the nation's attention. The game in Ath- ens provides that opportunity. Finally, there is the dragon-slaying moment. In my lifetime of following Notre Dame since 1971, there have been three such victories: 1973 and 1977 versus USC, and 1988 against No. 1 Miami. Understand that in the 16 years from 1967-82, the Irish defeated USC (which won four national titles dur- ing that time and came close numer- ous other times) twice. Both resulted in national titles, including snapping the Trojans' 23-game unbeaten streak in '73. Talking with Irish players from that team, the universal feeling amongst them was "if we can beat USC, then we'll beat anybody." Same in 1988. In 1987, Notre Dame had won at Michigan, defeated Rose Bowl champ Michigan State, toppled No. 10 Alabama and vanquished Pac-10 champ USC for a fifth straight season. Yet it wasn't going to be taken seri- ously until slaying college football's most feared dragon, Miami, which had outscored Notre Dame 133-20 in the last four meetings, won 36 straight in the regular season and was the reigning champ/dynasty. That is why '93 FSU doesn't qualify to me as a dragon-slaying moment. At the time, the Irish were every bit the equal of the Seminoles. In '88, there was still residual terror about Miami. Today's dragons are Alabama and Clemson, which outscored Notre Dame's 12-0 teams in 2012 and 2018 by a 72-17 count. Brian Kelly and Co., have restored much more credibility and top-10 stature to Notre Dame football in this decade. Step two is winning — not coming close or "competing" — when not expected to at Georgia. Step three is slaying the dragon(s) in a championship setting. Only then will Notre Dame be there. ✦ Georgia Game Is Another Chance Toward Getting 'There' THE FIFTH QUARTER LOU SOMOGYI Senior Editor Lou Somogyi has been at Blue & Gold Illustrated since July 1985. He can be reached at lsomogyi@blueandgold.com A victory at No. 3 Georgia would qualify as Notre Dame's best win since toppling No. 1 Florida State (31-24) on Nov. 13, 1993. PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA