Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com NOV. 30, 2019 13 UNDER THE DOME 90 Years Ago: Nov. 30, 1929 Coming off his worst season (5-4) in 11 years as Notre Dame's head coach, and not playing a single home game while a new stadium is under construction, Knute Rockne and his Fighting Irish cap a 9-0 campaign with a 7-0 victory against Army in front of a capacity audience of 79,408 in New York's Yankee Stadium. The win clinches Rockne's third national title and is made possible by a 100-yard interception return for a touchdown by speedster Jack Elder in the second quarter. Facing a third-and-eight from the Notre Dame 11-yard line, Army star halfback Chris Cagle scrambles to his right with the ball and, while under duress from a rush, forces a pass to his left to receiver Carl Carlmark. Elder cuts in front of Carlmark, grabs the toss and races past his pursuers for what has been listed as anywhere from 95 to 100 yards (the current Irish record book has it as 100). Earlier that spring, Elder finished fifth in the 100-yard dash at the NCAA Championships held at Stagg Field in Chicago. Elder's speed serves him well on the return when it appears at least two Army defend- ers had an angle to catch him along the sideline. During the 125th year anniversary of Notre Dame football in 2012, Blue & Gold Illustrated ranked Elder's interception and touchdown as the fifth-most iconic/difference-making play in the program's history. 70 Years Ago: Dec. 3, 1949 No. 1 Notre Dame defeats a valiant SMU team, 27-20, in the Cotton Bowl in Dallas to finish 10-0 and wrap up a never-again matched string of four consecutive unbeaten seasons while also clinching a third national title in four years. (See pages 52-53 for more.) 55 Years Ago: Dec. 1, 1964 Three days after No. 1-ranked Notre Dame suffers a gut-wrenching and controversial 11th-hour de- feat at USC, 20-17, the Fighting Irish are still awarded the MacArthur Bowl, emblematic of the national title from the National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame. The NFF, formed in 1959, is one of four outlets recognized by the NCAA when it comes to national titles. The others are the AP and UPI wire-service polls, and the Grantland Rice Trophy, awarded from 1954-2013 by the Football Writers Association of America. 15 Years Ago: Nov. 30, 2004 Three days after Notre Dame's third consecutive 31-point loss to USC (41-10) to finish the regular sea- son 6-5, and two days after accepting a bid to the Insight Bowl versus Oregon State, the university announces the firing of third-year head coach Tyrone Willingham. A seven-man committee, including top Board of Trustee members, overrule outgoing school president Rev. Edward A "Monk" Malloy C.S.C. and director of athletics Kevin White to fire Willingham. Willingham's Irish were 11-14 in their last 25 games, losing six by at least 25 points and then also badly floundering on the recruiting trail. The Notre Dame brass immediately targets 11-0 Utah head coach Urban Meyer, an Irish assistant from 1996-2000, as its "Messiah Coach" — a term derisively used by Malloy. More than a week later, Malloy bares his soul in a public forum. "In my 18 years [as school president], there have been only two days that I've been embarrassed to be president of Notre Dame," said Malloy, referring to the firing of Willingham and the day after. "I thought we were going to abide by our precedent, which was a five-year window for a coach to display a capacity to be successful within our system to fit." 10 Years Ago: Nov. 30, 2009 Following a 45-38 defeat two days earlier at Stanford to end the season 6-6 and on a four-game losing streak, Notre Dame director of athletics Jack Swarbrick announces the firing of fifth-year head coach Charlie Weis. After posting 9-3 and 10-3 marks his first two years, Weis and the Fighting Irish flounder to 16-21 the ensuing three seasons. Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops is rumored to be the top target as the replacement, but Stoops releases a statement that he will remain with the Sooners. Also purportedly reported as top candidates are Cincinnati's Brian Kelly, TCU's Gary Patterson and Stanford's Jim Harbaugh. "It is critical to this program and to its place in the university and college football that we compete at the highest level, that we compete for national championships," Swarbrick said. — Lou Somogyi Anniversaries In Notre Dame Football History: Nov. 28-Dec. 4 Outgoing school president Rev. Edward A "Monk" Malloy C.S.C. and director of athletics Kevin White were overruled by a Board of Trustees committee and forced to fire head coach Tyrone Willingham (above) at the conclusion of the 2004 regular sea- son after only three years. PHOTO COURTESY NOTRE DAME MEDIA RELATIONS BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED PO Box 2331 Durham, NC 27702 www.BlueGoldOnline.com 1-800-421-7751 DELIVERY LIMITED TO CONTINENTAL U.S. PLEASE ADD SALES TAX FOR ITEMS SHIPPING TO: (NC 7.5%, IN 7%, MI 6%) Made to order & shipped direct from manufacturer, returns not related to damage may incur fee. 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