Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1509252
52 OCT. 14, 2023 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED IRISH ECHOES JIM LEFEBVRE BY JIM LEFEBVRE T here was a crisp overcast sky as the usual 59,075 filed into Notre Dame Stadium on Oct. 27, 1973. And an air of expectancy as No. 6 Southern Cal (5‑0‑1) took the field with its 23‑ game unbeaten streak that had begun two years earlier with a 28‑14 victory on the same field. The defending national champs had also defeated the Irish 45‑23 in Los Angeles in 1972, when Anthony Davis ran wild for 6 touchdowns (includ‑ ing kickoff returns of 96 and 97 yards). In the days leading up to the matchup, the atmosphere on campus became electric, culminating with a raucous pep rally Friday night. The eyes of the college football world settled on the in‑ tersectional matchup now nearly a half‑ century in the making. The Fighting Irish had compiled a 5‑0 record against a less‑than‑imposing slate comprised of Northwestern, Pur‑ due, Michigan State, Rice and Army, which at that moment had a composite record of 7‑21. Now it was time to prove themselves against a quality opponent. With Southern Cal leading 7‑6 late in the first half, Notre Dame quarter‑ back Tom Clements directed a drive that he finished with a 1‑yard run for a 13‑7 halftime lead. On Notre Dame's first offensive play of the second half, Eric Penick took a pitchout from Clements and swept outside behind pulling guard Frank Po‑ marico, found an opening and raced 85 yards for a touchdown that gave the Irish a 20‑7 lead. Notre Dame Stadium went berserk. Hea d coa c h A ra Pa rse g h i a n ex‑ plained it this way: "On Penick's run, we faked the fullback [Wayne Bullock] up the middle to freeze the lineback‑ ers, and Eric broke the surface tackles near the line of scrimmage and outran everybody." "All I remember is seeing a lot of daylight," Penick said. "Every play we run is designed to score depending on the offensive and defensive reactions. I knew I was being chased, but I didn't care where they were, all I wanted to do was score." Opined the Observer: "Saturday af‑ ternoon, one of the great moments in Notre Dame athletic history occurred. It's the kind of day that years from now our grandchildren will talk about. Per‑ haps Eric Penick's 85‑yard dash won't be remembered in the same hushed tones as the time that [Gus]Dorais stepped behind the center and threw the first forward pass, but nonetheless it will be remembered. Everyone who was there participated in a little bit of history." The Irish were quick to recognize the Eric Penick took a pitch on Notre Dame's first offensive play of the second half against USC in 1973 and raced 85 yards for a game-breaking touchdown that gave the Irish a 20-7 lead en route to a 23-14 victory. PHOTO COURTESY NOTRE DAME ATHLETICS A Special Run Catapulted The Irish Toward The National Title In 1973