Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com PRESEASON 2020 17 UNDER THE DOME 40 Years Ago: Sept. 6, 1980 Three weeks after announcing he will step down as Notre Dame's head coach at the end of the season, Dan Devine's No. 11-ranked Fighting Irish post an impressive 31-10 victory versus No. 9 Purdue. Senior quarterback Mike Courey completes 10 of 13 passes for 151 yards with a score, and adds 59 rushing yards with another touch- down. Making his starting debut, sophomore tailback Phil Carter romps for 142 yards on 29 carries. 20 Years Ago: Sept. 2-9, 2000 Following a 24-10 opening game victory at home versus No. 23 Texas A&M that moves unranked Notre Dame (5-7 the year prior) to No. 23, third-year head coach Bob Davie's Fighting Irish take No. 1 Nebraska into over- time before losing 27-24. However, the strong performance elevates Notre Dame two more spots to No. 21. Notre Dame falls behind 21-7 before a 100- yard kickoff return by Julius Jones and 83-yard punt return by Joey Getherall set up the extra session, where the Irish take a brief 24-21 lead before a touchdown run by Cornhuskers quarterback Eric Crouch. Notre Dame has a chance to win in regulation by taking possession at its 30-yard line with 1:07 remaining, but Davie opts to run out the clock, which leads to booing in the stands. Notre Dame quarterback Arnaz Battle had rushed for 107 yards, but was only 3-of-15 passing with an interception. Unbeknownst at the time was he had a broken wrist that would end his season. "I would do the same thing 10 out of 10 times again," Davie said of the boos. "We've got a quarter- back who's completed three passes on the day and had several others batted. I wanted to get that game into overtime and give our team a chance to win." 15 Years Ago: Sept. 3-10, 2005 First-year head coach Charlie Weis makes an instant splash when his unranked Fighting Irish open with a 42-21 win at No. 23 Pittsburgh, followed by a 17-10 upset of No. 3 Michigan, thereby vaulting all the way to No. 10. It is the first time ever a new Notre Dame head coach opens his career with two straight wins over ranked teams — and both coming on the opponent's home field. Weis is advertised as the first Notre Dame head coach since Knute Rockne in 1918 to open with back-to-back road wins, although Dan Devine did the same in 1975 versus Boston College and Purdue in a span of five days. Because the Boston College game was played in Foxboro, though, it was viewed more as a "neutral site." Regardless, the apprentice under NFL icons Bill Parcells and Bill Belichick already was being men- tioned in the same sentence as Rockne. "If I dignified that, Parcells and Belichick would humiliate me," Weis said. 5 Years Ago: Sept. 5-12 Quarterback Malik Zaire puts on a sizzling passing display in a 38-3 season-opening win at home versus Texas, completing 19 of 22 passes for 313 yards with three touchdowns, highlighted by 16- and 66-yard scores to Will Fuller. The defense limits the Longhorns to 163 yards of total offense, while the running attack, after losing starter Tarean Folston to a season-ending injury on the first series, sees C.J. Prosise rush for 98 yards and freshman Josh Adams score on 14- and 25-yard runs, the former on his first career carry. A week later at Virginia, Zaire suffers a season-ending ankle injury, but sophomore DeShone Kizer launches a dramatic 39-yard touchdown pass to Fuller with 12 seconds left after the Irish had fallen behind 27-26. The Kizer-to-Fuller touchdown is voted by BGI as Notre Dame's "Play of The Decade" from 2010-19. — Lou Somogyi Anniversaries In Notre Dame Football History: Sept. 1-13 Phil Carter helped Notre Dame to an impressive 31-10 win over No. 9 Purdue in 1980, carrying the ball 29 times for 142 yards in his first career start at tailback. 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. GRILL MAT $49.95 + FREE S&H Available in 2 Styles: ND or Leprechaun (Item #6622-ND or #6622-LEP) (Item #6621) CUSTOM GRILL COVERS Hand-made in USA using the finest com- mercial grade breathable vinyl featuring double-stitching, buckle clasps and mois- ture vent. Logo printed with UV-resistant ink in official school colors. AVAILABLE IN 2 SIZES & 3 LOGOS: Small: 60" wide x 36" tall x 21" deep $51.95 + $15.00 S&H Large: 72" wide x 36" tall x 21" deep $54.95 + $15.00 S&H Please allow up to 2 weeks for delivery.