Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM SEPT. 17, 2022 15 40 Years Ago: Sept. 18, 1982 The first-ever night game in Notre Dame Stadium produced an inspired performance by the Fighting Irish in the season opener with a 23-17 victory versus No. 10 Michigan. With the conquest, Notre Dame vaulted from No. 20 under second-year head coach Gerry Faust following his disappointing 5-6 debut in 1981 to the Wolverines' previous No. 10 slot. In a truly "electric" atmosphere supplied by Musco Portable Lighting, Notre Dame avenged a 25-7 loss at Michigan a year earlier by holding it to 41 rushing yards — the Wolverines' lowest total in 12 years — on the strength of 8 sacks, 3 by end Kevin Griffith. On offense, senior fullback Larry Moriarty rambled for 116 yards on 16 carries and scored on a 24-yard run, junior tailback Greg Bell added 95 yards on 20 carries and junior quarterback Blair Kiel completed 15 of 22 passes for 141 yards in a controlled passing attack. Kicker Mike Johnston was put on scholarship after converting all 3 field goals in his first start. The victory was secured when safety/captain Dave Duerson wrestled the ball away from Michigan's Vince Bean at the Irish 30 in the closing minutes. 35 Years Ago: Sept. 19, 1987 In the first quarter against what would be the 1987 Big Ten and Rose Bowl champion Michigan State Spartans, senior flanker Tim Brown notched 71- and 66-yard punt re- turns for touchdowns to give Notre Dame a 19-0 lead and spark a 31-8 victory by the No. 9 Irish versus No. 17 MSU. The game began with the quickest score in Notre Dame history — one never to be broken — when Michigan State's Blake Ezor fielded the opening kickoff at the 1-yard line, and then stepped back to the goal line to down the ball. It resulted in a safety and a 2-0 lead for the Irish with 15:00 still left on the clock. It was one of two first-half safeties for Notre Dame, which built a 24-0 halftime cushion. Brown accumulated 243 all-purpose yards in the first 30 minutes and finished with 275. Notre Dame had not returned a punt for a score in 14 years and 157 games, but Brown did it twice in a span of 2:01. "We were looking to get only one," Brown said after the game. "We knew that [future Pro Bowl punter Greg] Montgomery had a great average, over 52 yards, and figured he would over-kick his coverage — and he did." 20 Years Ago: Sept. 21, 2002 First-year Notre Dame head coach Tyrone Willingham's amazing debut season continued when the No. 12 Irish rallied to defeat Michigan State in East Lansing 21-17 to snap a five-game losing streak to the Spartans. After falling behind 17-14 with 1:45 remaining in the contest, walk-on quarterback Pat Dillingham, replacing injured starter Carlyle Holiday, connected on a short-sight adjustment route with Arnaz Battle, who used a down- field block of tight end Gary Godsey and turned it into a 60-yard touchdown with 1:15 left. Both Battle and Godsey had started at quarterback in 2000 victories against Texas A&M and Purdue, respectively. Anniversaries In Notre Dame Football History: Sept. 15-21 UNDER THE DOME Wide receiver Arnaz Battle's 60-yard touchdown reception with 1:15 left in the game gave the Fighting Irish a 21-17 win over Michigan State in East Lansing in 2002, snapping a five-game losing streak to the Spartans. PHOTO COURTESY NOTRE DAME ATHLETICS Text 574-386-6004 • Email tamrschneider@gmail.com Prime Commercial Location Prime Commercial Location For Sale For Sale 3 adjacent parcels totalling just under 2 acres Convenient location close to campus with 2 existing buildings and an empty lot for future expansion. 1628 & 1636 N Ironwood, South Bend CLOSE TO CAMPUS!