Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com APRIL 2020 17 UNDER THE DOME 30 Years Ago: April 21, 1990 Nine Notre Dame players are selected in the NFL Draft, the most for the program in 11 years. It comes on the heels of a 24-1 record, with No. 1 and No. 2 finishes, in the previous two seasons. Four players from Lou Holtz's first recruiting class in 1986 are chosen in the second round: fullback Anthony Johnson (No. 36 overall); guard Tim Grunhard (No. 40), who would play center; defensive lineman Jeff Alm (No. 41); and safety Pat Terrell (No. 49). Quarterback Tony Rice, who finished fourth in the 1989 Heisman balloting, was not among the 331 picks in the 12 rounds back then for two reasons. One, as an option quarterback he was not deemed a fit in a pro-style offense. Second, he was timed at 4.79 in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, which diminished his value as someone who could move to receiver, running back or defensive back. 15 Years Ago: April 23, 2005 Alumnus Charlie Weis' initial spring as the Notre Dame head coach becomes a celebrity affair at the annual Blue-Gold Game — the coldest ever on record with a 23-degree wind chill. Joe Montana and Chris Zorich serve as honorary coaches for the Blue team, comprised of the first unit, while Joe Theismann and Tim Brown serve in that capacity for the Gold. As expected, the Blue rolls to a 28-6 victory, with quarterback Brady Quinn completing 8 of 12 passes for 120 yards with a 19-yard score to tight end Anthony Fasano. April 24, 2010 Head coach Brian Kelly's first spring as Notre Dame's head coach draws an attendance of 27,241 and sparks a surprising theme of "The Son Also Rises." Junior walk-on quarterback Nate Montana steals the show as his Gold team wins a 27-19 outcome versus the Blue, which features newly anointed starting quarterback Dayne Crist replacing Jimmy Clausen, who opted to turn pro after his junior year. The son of Notre Dame quarterback legend Joe Montana, and a backup at Pasadena City College the previous season, Montana finishes 18-of-30 passing for 223 yards, with first-half touchdown passes to tight end Mike Ragone (four yards), wideout Duval Kamara (37 yards) and slot man Theo Riddick (14 yards). Listed ahead of early enrollee freshman Tommy Rees, Montana is put on scholarship by Kelly. 5 Years Ago: April 7, 2015 Although the Notre Dame women's basketball program loses 63-53 to the Connecticut dynasty in the NCAA championship game, it advanced to the Final Four for a fifth consecutive season. Two days prior to the title game, Notre Dame won its 22nd consecutive game with a 66-65 conquest of No. 3 South Carolina on a short jumper by Madison Cable with 20 seconds remaining. Junior guard Jewell Loyd scores a game high 22 points while freshman center Brianna Turner adds 17. Shortly thereafter, Loyd opts to forego her senior season and becomes the No. 1 pick in the WNBA Draft April 16. Notre Dame becomes known as "Basketball U." for the remarkable seasons posted by both the women and men — who won the ACC championship and lost a 69-67 heartbreaker to unbeaten and No. 1 Kentucky in the Elite Eight. The two Fighting Irish basketball teams combine for a 68-9 record — 32-6 by the men and 36-3 by the women — for an extraordinary .883 winning percentage that is the best in the land, ahead of No. 2 Maryland at 62-10 (.861). The Irish men finished 8-2 against the Sweet 16 field, highlighted by a 2-1 mark versus eventual na- tional champ Duke. The women were 11-0 against the teams that finished Nos. 3-14. — Lou Somogyi Anniversaries In Notre Dame Athletics History: April Offensive guard Tim Grunhard helped the Irish to the 1988 national championship and was selected in the 1990 NFL Draft (second round) along with eight of his Notre Dame teammates. Here he is with his son Colin, a center who walked on to the Irish team in 2017 and earned a scholarship last fall as a junior. PHOTO COURTESY TIM GRUNHARD Notre Dame Game Football Weekend Available 2 Nights ON Campus! PRICE INCLUDES: • Game Ticket • Parking for the weekend • Bed at Sacred Heart Parish Hall on campus • Lunch at Legend's Tent prior to game. Clemson – $525 each November 6, 7, 8, 2020 Proceeds benefit the Student Scholarship Fund, South Jersey Notre Dame Club E-mail bill.burns.68@alumni.nd.edu Or call Bill Burns 609-368-1962 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED PO Box 2331 • Durham, NC 27702 1-800-421-7751 www.BlueGoldOnline.com Please add sales tax if shipping to: NC (7.5%), MI (6%), or IN (7%) Not Dame Watch by BULOVA Item #6130 $ 219 95 FREE S&H • Rectangular grey dial with stick markers • Sweeping "seconds" hand • Silver-tone case • Steel bracelet • Water resistant to 100 feet • Large color ND logo • 3-year Bulova limited warranty • Packaged in an elegant display box