Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM AUGUST 2023 15 35 Years Ago: Aug. 13, 1988 Media day prior to Lou Holtz's third season with the Fighting Irish remained guarded after the head coach debuted with a 5-6 record in 1986 and an 8-4 finish in 1987. "We have a chance to be better than a year ago, but we have to have so many good things happen to us," Holtz said. "This football team may be a year away." Although Notre Dame signed the No. 1-ranked recruiting classes in 1987 and 1988, the "year away" theme was prevalent because they were still sophomores and freshmen. Plus: • 1987 Heisman Trophy winner Tim Brown graduated. • Four of the five offensive line starters from 1987 had graduated and the fifth — guard Jeff Pearson — transferred to Michigan State. • The entire defensive front line was new with sophomores Chris Zorich (no playing time in 1987) and George Williams (8:16 playing time), junior Jeff Alm (31:23 playing time in 1987 with no starts), and rush end and fifth-year senior Frank Stams, a former fullback who had no career starts on defense. • The team finished 1987 with a three-game losing streak to Penn State (21-20), national champ Miami (24-0) and in the Cotton Bowl to Texas A&M (35-10). • Junior quarterback Tony Rice completed only 42.7 percent of his 82 passes the previous year, and two days before media day an erroneous report by local news station WSBT-TV indicated Rice would be academically ineligible. "People make mistakes and someone made a mistake about how I was doing in school this summer," Rice said. "After what's been said about me this summer, I'm just glad to be around my friends again." 30 Years Ago: Aug. 28, 1993 One week before the season opener versus Northwestern, freshman phenom quarterback Ron Powlus, the National High School Player of the Year, broke his clavicle in the team's final preseason scrimmage. Powlus unofficially had been penciled in as the starter to succeed Rick Mirer, the NFL's No. 2 overall pick that spring. "This is probably one of the worst days of my life in football," the ashen and crestfallen Holtz said after the scrimmage. "I've never seen anything like it — his peripheral vision, poise, quick release, throwing motion presence … I never thought a freshman could come in at Notre Dame, face the caliber of competition he does, pick up an intricate offense and then execute it flawlessly. "This isn't your average bird." In Powlus' absence, undistinguished senior Kevin McDougal, who had attempted only 21 passes his first three seasons, was named the starter. 10 Years Ago: Aug. 31, 2013 Coming off a 12-1 season, No. 14 Notre Dame opened the new campaign with a 28-6 victory versus Temple, with senior quarterback Tommy Rees passing for 346 yards and 3 touchdowns, the first two to DaVaris Daniels in the opening 4:41 on back-to-back 32-yard scoring tosses. The third came in the second half on a 66-yard catch- and-run by tight end Troy Niklas. After the game, director of athletics Jack Swarbrick announced a five-year contract extension for head coach Brian Kelly through the 2017 season. Anniversaries In Notre Dame Athletics History: April UNDER THE DOME Head coach Lou Holtz — who led the Irish to a 13-10 mark in his first two seasons in South Bend — tempered expectations in advance of the 1988 season. Ultimately, though, Notre Dame went on to win the national championship that year. PHOTO COURTESY NOTRE DAME ATHLETICS