Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1496419
46 MAY 2023 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED T he most uttered sentence you will likely hear in the coming months regarding the outlook of the 2013 Fighting Irish football team is one we have already frequently heard: "Notre Dame's 2013 team will probably be better than last year's — but the record won't be as good." That always has been one of the paradoxes in athletics. That's be- cause it's not always about the physical talent but also dozens of in- tangibles: time and place in history, internal leadership, momentum, the mental framework of the opposi- tion, consistency in attitude toward competition, sense of entitlement, a fortuitous bounce here and there … A year ago at this time, USC was the popular preseason pick to win the national title based purely on physical prowess, while Notre Dame's Oct. 27 trip to Oklahoma also was penciled into the "L" column by a good majority of Irish faithful. The schedule was " brutal," a new quarterback had to be broken in, Mi- chael Floyd was gone, defensive "sav- iors" Aaron Lynch and Tee Shepard had left school, and yet another 8-4 or 7-5 type of campaign loomed on the ho- rizon. The optimism centered mainly on perhaps the program being "a year away" from competing for a BCS bid. Lo and behold, during the course of a 12-0 regular season we couldn't have guessed that Troy would burn amidst a six-loss campaign while Oklahoma's mojo would be shaken. Michigan's mag- ical run in 2011 while winning the Sugar Bowl suddenly turned to a Notre Dame- like 8-5 campaign in 2012. Conversely, with each passing week Notre Dame's momentum and esprit de corps after years of frustration was palpable. There was a powerful sense of destiny that comes along about once per generation, or in this case 24 years (1964, 1988 and 2012). Now comes the much tougher part. As joyous as 1964 was, longtime Notre Dame backfield coach Tom Pagna often told me the main frustration ex- perienced in 1965 was the fact that, "When you go from 2-7 [in 1963] to 9-1 [in 1964], most people think going from 9-1 to 10-0 will be the simple part. No, it's 10 times harder." Likewise, 8-5 to 12-1 was the fun part; 12-1 to 13-0 will be 10 times more chal- lenging. All-America linebacker Ned Bolcar was a captain for both the 1988 national champs (12-0) and 1989 runners-up (12-1), but he noted the 1989 team was better not only because it defeated seven teams that finished in the Asso- ciated Press top 18 but had to contend with much more immense expectations while ranked No. 1 and not coming out of nowhere. Following the 1989 cam- paign, he had people telling him, "Too bad, isn't it?" "Too bad? You've got to be kidding me!" Bolcar would reply. "This year was probably more successful than '88." Notre Dame women's basketball coach Muffet McGraw probably shares that sentiment of her 35-2 team this year being just as good — if not better — than the 34-2 national champs of 2001. Timing, timing, timing. Head coach Lou Holtz's most talented teams at Notre Dame actually were the ones in 1990 and 1992. The 1990 group had four straight No. 1 recruiting classes from 1987- 90, but it finished 9-3. Talking to many players from that era, the overwhelming reason given was "a sense of entitlement" — despite the presence of a powerful motivator such as Holtz. The 1992 team was maybe the best of all, including a backfield with first-round quarterback Rick Mirer, first-round fullback Jerome Bettis, tailback Reggie Brooks (who finished fifth in the Heisman Trophy ballot- ing) and even first-round tight end Irv Smith. They were all gone in 1993, but that team had a better overall season — even with undrafted quarterback Kevin McDougal, undrafted tailback Lee Becton and undrafted tight end Oscar McBride. It's not always about pure talent. Some bounces have to fall your way, and there might not be as many in 2013 as in 2012. The one bounce that didn't fall Notre Dame's way was Kansas State didn't go unbeaten, setting up a No. 1 (KSU) versus No. 2 (Notre Dame) that would have been more favorable for the Irish. That was the "bounce" that fell Alabama's way, not just talent. Oklahoma this year might be at the same place mentally Notre Dame was in 2012. USC and Michigan might regain an "edge" in their attitude. Fortunately, Notre Dame leaders such as fifth-year senior left tackle Zack Martin are also attempting to instill the right framework in 2013. "For people to think that we've ar- rived is a bit ridiculous," Martin said at the tail end of this spring. "We know af- ter that [national championship] game we were far from it." That's always the best way to get bet- ter … regardless of what the final record says. ✦ All-America linebacker Ned Bolcar, who was a captain for both Notre Dame's 1988 national champs (12-0) and 1989 runners- up (12-1), said he believed the '89 season was more successful because that team overcame a tough schedule and immense expectations to finish where it did. PHOTO COURTESY NOTRE DAME ATHLETICS BEST OF THE FIFTH QUARTER ✦ LOU SOMOGYI ✦ MAY 2013 Good, Better … But Not Always Best EDITOR'S NOTE: The late, great Lou Somogyi possessed an unmatched knowledge of Notre Dame football, and it was his mission in life to share it with others. Those of us at Blue & Gold Illustrated would like to continue to provide his wis- dom and unique perspective from his more than 37 years covering the Fighting Irish for this publication.