Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1476446
8 PRESEASON 2022 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED FAN FORUM BE HEARD! Send your letters to: Letters Blue & Gold Illustrated P. O. Box 1007, Notre Dame, IN 46556 or e-mail to: sdowney@comanpub.com WHO ARE THEY They come here from the North, South, East and West They come here to compete with the best of the best They come here for four, where they call this their home They come here to play for the Lady on the Dome These boys are proud to wear the hat of gold And to be a part of the history of that they were told From Rockne and the Gipper, told through Grandpa's and Dads To the Lore of the Four Horsemen And those fine Leahy Lads Then came the Golden Boy and the era of Ara Which led to Devine and the magic of Montana And last but not least, there came a man named Lou Who would win one, but should have won two I know of those who are tired of hearing this story Of all their wonderful tradition and glory You scream, 'Overrated! We can beat you by seven!' To hell with that man with his arms raised to heaven I say to you, 'Wake up the Echoes and Shake Down the Thunder' If they come wearin' the green, Bet the over and not the under Now it's the time to play, you got your wish Good luck to you, here come the Irish They slap the sign wearing their shirts with no name But by the end of the day, you will know — These men of NOTRE DAME P. Voyes Massapequa, N.Y. DEFENDING THE 1966 IRISH DEFENSE I wonder if you know whether Bill Connelly's article on the 50 best de- fenses in college football history on ESPN.com in late July was about the number of total points a team allowed in a year, or how many points the DE- FENSE allowed. The 1966 ND team allowed 38 points in 10 games, but there was one fumble return (by Purdue) and one TD from a blocked punt (Navy). So the defense al- lowed 24 points. That is 2.4 points per game, better than the 1946 and 1929 teams (which were ranked No. 20 and No. 35, respectively, on Connelly's list), and perhaps better than some of the teams ranked in the top 10. Andre Papantonio '67 Via the internet Mr. Papantonio, the omission of Notre Dame's 1966 unit — which helped the Irish win the national championship with a 9-0-1 record — was certainly a curious decision, though comparing dif- ferent eras can be a very difficult task. However, Connelly — who is known for his SP+ ratings, which are tempo- and opponent-adjusted measures of college football efficiency based on play-by- play and drive data designed to be pre- dictive and forward-facing — did note that his list was based on a combination of statistical analysis and his "own per- sonal whims." There is no doubt, though , that the 1966 Irish defense deserves some recogni- tion. Notre Dame was the lone team in the final Associated Press top 10 in 1966 that played four teams ranked in the top 10 at the time of the game (No. 7 Purdue, at No. 10 Oklahoma, at No. 2 Michigan State and at No. 10 USC). The Irish went 3-0-1 in those four contests, thanks in large part to their dominant defense that was led by a pair of future College Football Hall of Famers, linebacker Jim Lynch and defensive end Alan Page. After falling behind 7-0 against the Boilermakers on a 94-yard fumble return by Leroy Keyes, Notre Dame outscored the Rose Bowl champs, led by quarter- back Bob Griese, 26-7. The Irish also fell behind the defending national cham- pion Spartans 10-0, before the defense stiffened and allowed them to rally for a 10-10 tie in a contest that was dubbed "The Game of the Century." Meanwhile, Notre Dame crushed both the Sooners (38-0) in Norman and the Trojans (51-0) in Los Angeles. After the season , five Irish defend- ers received All-America recognition: Lynch (who was a unanimous selection), Page, defensive tackles Pete Duranko and Kevin Hardy, and safety Tom Schoen. Defensive end Alan Page was among five Irish defenders who earned All-America accolades in 1966. PHOTO COURTESY NOTRE DAME MEDIA RELATIONS