Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM OCT. 22, 2022 15 60 Years Ago: Oct. 27, 1962 For the fourth consecutive year, No. 3 North- western defeated Notre Dame, 35-6, behind the leadership of dynamic Wildcats' head coach Ara Parseghian, the first coach in the 20th century to go 4-0 versus the Fighting Irish (Nick Saban would be the next in January 2013). A week earlier, Northwestern had toppled Woody Hayes' No. 6 Ohio State Buckeyes in Co- lumbus (18-14), and the 29-point thrashing of Notre Dame — the highest margin of victory for either school in the 32 games played — elevated Northwestern to No. 1 in the Associated Press poll. For Parseghian and the United States, it was a harrowing week because of the Cuban Missile Crisis and threat of nuclear war that saw Cuba de- ploy 72 nuclear-armed ballistic missiles capable of wiping out the United States. "We've generated all this enthusiasm and inter- est in the football season, and off a sudden it is replaced by what was happening with the risk of potential atomic war," Parseghian recalled in a 1997 interview with Blue & Gold Illustrated. "… That was a very significant point in history. We had just come off a great win at Ohio State, now we're preparing for Notre Dame, and all of a sud- den you're saying, 'Hey, we might not even have a field to play on.'" Having served in World War II, Parseghian dis- cussed with his players the gravity of the situa- tion while trying to maintain a calm influence. "Sometimes you kids will put glamour to it, but there's no glamour in war if you've actually been in it," he said. On the day of the game, Soviet Union prime minister Nikita Khruschev and United States President John F. Kennedy agreed that the Soviet Union would withdraw its missiles, while Ken- nedy pledged not to invade Cuba and also to remove 15 Jupiter missiles in Turkey. 45 Years Ago: Oct. 22, 1977 In one of the most epic moments in Notre Dame Stadium history, the No. 11 Irish surprised everyone by wearing green jerseys for their clash with No. 5 USC. It marked the first time they had done so since 1963. Notre Dame proceeded to end a three-game losing streak to the Trojans with a stunning 49-19 blowout that would help propel them to the national title. Through the first 27 and a half minutes, it was a 7-7 contest. But two late turnovers right before halftime by the Trojans set up two touchdowns. Montana scored on quarterback sneak and threw a 13-yard scoring pass to a diving Ken MacAfee in the end zone for a 22-7 halftime cushion. After the first of those 2 touchdowns, corner- back/holder Ted Burgmeier threw a 2-point con- version pass to Tom Domin off a bad snap on the point after try. On the next touchdown drive, Burg- meier ran 21 yards off a fake field goal attempt. The second half began with Bob Golic blocking a USC punt that Jay Case returned for a 30-yard touchdown, followed by Montana directing a drive that culminated with his second scoring toss to MacAfee for a 35-7 lead. The pummeling of the Trojans remains one of the most dazzling and spectacular days in Notre Dame Stadium annals. The green jerseys were given to the players as souvenirs and taken home by many parents. 20 Years Ago: Oct. 26, 2002 Labeled "The Savior of South Bend," first-year head coach Tyrone Willingham's Cinderella first season continued when his double-digit under- dog Fighting Irish defeated No. 11 Florida State in Tallahassee, 34-24. The victory improved Notre Dame to 8-0 and elevated it to No. 4 in the country. Quarterback Carlyle Holiday connected with Arnaz Battle for a 65-yard touchdown on the game's first play, and a 10-10 tie in the third quarter was broken open when 3 straight FSU turnovers set up 17 Notre Dame points in a span of 4:23. A 31-yard touchdown scamper by running back Ryan Grant built the lead to 34-10 early in the fourth quarter. "It means an eighth victory and one more step. That's all," the low-key Willingham said. "If you don't get the next one, what does it mean?" 10 Years Ago: Oct. 27, 2012 No. 5 Notre Dame outscored No. 8 Oklahoma 17-0 in the final 5:05 to pull off a 30-13 victory in Norman, where the Sooners had been a remark- able 79-4 in head coach Bob Stoops' 14 seasons. Sophomore quarterback Everett Golson com- pleted 13 of 25 passes for 177 yards and added 64 yards on 11 rushing attempts, and Cierre Wood's 62-yard touchdown run in the first half propelled a 215-yard rushing effort. On defense, linebacker Manti Te'o continued his bid for the Heisman Trophy with his late fourth-quarter in- terception, his fifth of the season. The 8-0 Irish improved their all-time record ver- sus Oklahoma to an amazing 9-1 — and started gaining more believers after going through a school record five straight seasons (2007-11) with a minimum of five defeats and compiling a 32-31 mark overall. Anniversaries In Notre Dame Football History: Oct. 21-27 UNDER THE DOME For the first time in 14 years, Notre Dame sported green jerseys for their showdown with No. 5 USC in 1977. The No. 11 Fighting Irish responded by snapping a three-game losing streak to the Trojans with a 49-19 victory. PHOTO COURTESY NOTRE DAME MEDIA RELATIONS