Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com NOV. 14, 2020 15 UNDER THE DOME 50 Years Ago: Nov. 14, 1970 For the first time in head coach Ara Parseghian's seven seasons at Notre Dame, the No. 1-ranked Fighting Irish win a game by having to rally from a fourth-quarter deficit. Trailing 7-3 at home against Georgia Tech, quarterback Joe Theismann completes a 46-yard pass to diving halfback Ed Gulyas that would set up a short Denny Allan touchdown run with 6:28 left to record the victory. However, the win drops Notre Dame to No. 2 a couple of days later because reigning national champ Texas extends its winning streak to 28 with a 58-0 demolition of TCU on the road. 40 Years Ago: Nov. 15, 1980 With an invitation to play No. 1-ranked Georgia in the Sugar Bowl on the line, No. 6 Notre Dame defeats two-time reigning national champ and No. 5 Alabama 7-0 at Legion Field in Birmingham. The lone touchdown comes on a four-yard drive after an Alabama fumble, with sophomore tailback Phil Carter diving over from the 2-yard line in the second quarter. All-Americans Scott Zettek at end and Bob Crable at linebacker spearhead the Fighting Irish defense that elevates 8-0-1 Notre Dame to No. 2 in the country, behind Georgia. It also gives Notre Dame a remarkable 4-0 record against head coach Paul "Bear" Bryant's Crimson Tide. Two 11-0 Alabama teams lost to Notre Dame in the 1973 Sugar Bowl (24-23) and 1975 Orange Bowl (13-11), and also fell 21-18 at Notre Dame in 1976. "I am kind of numb," Bryant said after the game. "I wasted an afternoon. I wasted four years. That's how long I have known about this game." 30 Years Ago: Nov. 10, 1990 No. 1-ranked Notre Dame puts on a dazzling display of "SEC speed" dur- ing a 34-29 victory at No. 9 Tennes- see, which would go on to win the SEC title and Sugar Bowl. In a game that would have six lead changes, the Irish begin with a 41- yard touchdown pass from Rick Mirer to running back Rodney Culver. With the Irish trailing 13-10 in the third quarter, running back Ricky Watters romps through the middle for a 66- yard touchdown. Watters, who would rush for 174 yards on 17 carries, adds another 10-yard score, and then Raghib "Rocket" Ismail displays an electri- fying burst down the sideline for a 44-yard touchdown for a 34-23 lead with 3:33 left. However, Tennessee — which racks up 516 yards total offense (399 passing) — scores on a 23-yard pass from Andy Kelly to Alvin Harper, recovers the onside kick and with less than a minute remaining has first-and-10 at the Irish 20. A pass into the end zone is intercepted by cornerback Rod Smith. The Irish improve to 32-2 in their last 34 games — and an extraordinary 11-1 versus teams ranked in the top 10. 10 Years Ago: Nov. 13, 2010 After a bye week following stunning losses to Navy (35-17) and Tulsa (28-27) to drop to 4-5, Notre Dame easily defeats No. 15 Utah with freshman quarterback Tommy Rees making his first career start. Cornerback Robert Blanton begins the scoring by blocking a punt and scooping it up for a touchdown. Rees, who completes 13 of 20 passes for 129 yards and three touchdowns, then finds wideout Duval Kamara — playing his final home game — on 26- and 12-yard scores after also connecting with Michael Floyd on a three-yard tally. First-year head coach Brian Kelly sees the Irish snap a school-record 11-game losing streak to ranked teams. The previous such win occurred in 2006 against No. 19 Penn State. — Lou Somogyi Anniversaries In Notre Dame Football History: Nov. 9‑15 In a game that featured six lead changes, Notre Dame topped eventual SEC champion Tennessee 34-29 in Knoxville in 1990. PHOTO COURTESY NOTRE DAME ATHLETICS YOU DON'T WAIT FOR MAIL DELIVERY! HAVE TO The digital edition of Blue & Gold Illustrated is available Sundays at BlueGoldOnline.com The Blue & Gold Illustrated digital edition includes all the great content you find in your print edition, plus: ✦ Searchable archive ✦ Downloadable PDFs ✦ Available on computers and tablets Visit BlueGoldOnline.com for the latest issue every Sunday! It's already part of your subscription! PLUS: The Blue Gold Report Midweek Update! • Emailed Every Pre-Game Wednesday • Depth Charts And Rosters For Both Teams • Updated Statistics • Columns and Much More! • Can be viewed on your computer, phone or tablet, or printed out to read later. To receive notifications, please send your email address to: newsletter@blueandgold.com. Customer Service: 1-800-421-7751