Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1176276
www.BLUEANDGOLD.com OCT. 26, 2019 53 Chronologically since the series re- newal in 1978, here are the numerous examples on each side: NOTRE DAME: DAN DEVINE THROUGH BRIAN KELLY • In 1980, Dan Devine announced his resignation three weeks before the opener. The Fighting Irish were coming off a 7-4 season — their worst in 16 years — weren't expected to fare better in '80 and Devine was instantly labeled a "lame duck." Voila! The Irish posted a 29-27 upset of Michigan — which would go on to win the Big Ten title and the Rose Bowl — on Harry Oliver 's 51-yard field goal as time elapsed, leading to a No. 1 ranking by November. • In 1982, Notre Dame's Gerry Faust was fresh off a horrendous 5‑6 debut, and Schembechler purportedly remarked that he would never lose to a "high school coach" like Faust. Surprise! One year after getting thrashed 25-7 at Michigan, Notre Dame in its first night home game pulls off a 23-17 victory versus the Wolverines in the opener. • The late 1980s and early 1990s were halcyon times for both programs — and then the infamous book, Under The Tarnished Dome, was published prior to the 1993 season, eviscerating Notre Dame head coach Lou Holtz. The Irish entered Michigan as a nine-point underdog, but a 27-23 win led to a victory ride for Holtz from the team and a No. 1 ranking in No- vember. • In 1998, Notre Dame's belea- guered Bob Davie, coming off a 7-6 debut campaign and a summer court case with former Irish offensive line coach Joe Moore that Notre Dame lost, had to open with the defending co-national champions — with Tom Brady serving as the new Wolverines' quarterback. Surprise! After falling behind 13-6, Notre Dame scored 30 consecutive points in its 36‑20 rout. • In 2004, Notre Dame's Tyrone Willingham had just come off a 5-7 season (including a 38-0 loss at Michi- gan) and opened the new year with a 20-17 defeat at BYU … so naturally his Irish vanquished the No. 8 Wolverines (28-20). • In 2012, Brian Kelly was 0-2 ver- sus Michigan while yielding 948 yards of total offense to quarterback Denard Robinson alone, and back-to-back 8-5 seasons were leaving a restlessness again within the program. So naturally, Robinson was forced into six turnovers during a 13-6 Irish win that propelled the team to a 12-0 regular season. MICHIGAN: SCHEMBECHLER THROUGH JIM HARBAUGH Battling back against Notre Dame to quell the critics, at least temporar- ily, has occurred quite frequently with Michigan's head coaches as well. • In 1985, Schembechler was com- ing off his worst season ever with the Wolverines (6‑6) and whispers began that the game had "passed him by." Not only did the Wolverines defeat Notre Dame in the opener (20-12), but their No. 2 finish in the Associated Press poll would be their highest in his 21 seasons. • In 1994, head coach Gary Moeller was coming off a 7-4 regular season after the program had five straight top-10 finishes — but his Wolverines upset Notre Dame 26-24 on Remy Hamilton's 42-yard field goal with two seconds left, virtually a repeat of "Oliver 's Story" for Notre Dame in 1980. • Prior to the 1997 campaign, Mich- igan was mocked in an extensive feature by Sporting News as the na- tion's most underachieving program after four straight four-loss campaigns from 1993-96. Third-year head coach Lloyd Carr and Co. then survived a 21-14 scare versus Notre Dame before the Wol- verines won a national title for the first time in 49 years. • In 2006, Michigan's Carr was coming off a 7-5 finish, while Notre Dame's Charlie Weis was exalted as the program's savior and had his No. 2 Irish soaring … so the Wolver- ines crushed the Irish 47-21 in Notre Dame Stadium and started 11-0. • In 2008, after a 3-9 season, the ma- ligned Weis' Irish whipped Michigan 35-17. The next year, after a 3-9 debut by Michigan's Rich Rodriguez, the Wol- verines rallied for an 11th-hour win versus Notre Dame, 38-34. The trend of timely upsets didn't pan out for Michigan's Brady Hoke in 2014, as the 31-0 defeat to the Irish set the wheels in motion to hire Jim Harbaugh in 2015. Despite a decent first four seasons, Harbaugh is 1-10 with the Wolverines versus top-10-ranked foes at the time of the game, not even including the defeat to No. 12 Notre Dame last year. That could make Harbaugh some- what beleaguered now … which isn't the worst news for either team's coach in this series. ✦ PRAYER TO THE BLESSED MOTHER- (Never known to fail) Oh, most beautiful flower of Mount Carmel, fruitful vine, splendor of Heaven. Blessed Mother of the Son of God; Immaculate Virgin, as- sist me in this necessity. Oh, Star of the Sea, help me and show me you are my Mother. Oh, Holy Mary, Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and Earth, I humbly beseech you from the bottom of my heart to succour me in my neces- sity. There are none that can withstand your power. Oh, Mary, conceived with- out sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee. (3 times). Holy Mary, I place this prayer in your hands. (3 times). Sweet Mother I place this cause in your hands. (3 times). Thank you for your mercy to me and mine. Amen. This prayer must be said for 3 days and after 3 days your request will be granted and the prayer must be published. Thank you. D.H. 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