Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM OCT. 26, 2024 13 95 Years Ago: Oct. 26, 1929 Head coach Knute Rockne, while battling phlebitis and against the advice of medical personnel, made the trip to Pittsburgh to coach from the sidelines in a wheelchair versus Carnegie Tech. Three years earlier at Carnegie Tech, Rockne's 8-0 Fighting Irish had lost the national title when the Tartans pulled a stunning 19-0 upset. Rockne was not present, instead taking in the Army-Navy game in Chicago (Navy would be a first-time foe in 1927). Notre Dame had outscored Carnegie Tech 111-19 in the previous four meetings from 1922-25, and was expected to dominate again before the shocking loss. The two teams did not meet in 1927, but in 1928 the Tartans again whipped Rockne's Irish by a 27-7 count — ending Notre Dame's unbeaten streak at home in a span that covered 23 years. In 1929, a record audience (listed at the 66,000 capacity) for any game in Pittsburgh at the time saw the Irish prevail 7-0 in a hard-fought contest that featured only 11 first downs (eight by Notre Dame). The lone score was set up in the third quarter on a 33-yard run by Jack Elder to the Tech 17-yard line. Six plays later on fourth down, "Jumpin' Joe" Savoldi leapt over the pile for a 1-yard score. Two days later, the famous "Black Monday" crash saw the Dow Jones Industrial Average fall nearly 13 percent, the onset of The Great Depression. 60 Years Ago: Oct. 31, 1964 Following its 40-0 victory versus Navy — led by 1963 Heisman Trophy- winner Roger Staubach, whose Midshipmen whipped the Irish 35-14 the year prior — Notre Dame under first-year head coach Ara Parseghian was elevated to No. 1 in the Associated Press poll for the first time since Oct. 2, 1954. That 10-year drought from the top spot was the longest in school history until it was nearly doubled in the 19 years from Nov. 20, 1993, until Nov. 17, 2012. 45 Years Ago: Oct. 27, 1979 For the first time ever, Notre Dame won a game — 18-17 versus South Carolina at home — when it attempted more than 40 passes. Trailing 17-3 in the second half and then 17-10 with 1:36 remaining in the contest and first down at his 20-yard line, Irish signal-caller Rusty Lisch com- pleted 5 passes, the last to tight end Dean Masztak for a 14-yard touchdown with 42 seconds remaining. He then tossed the game-winning two-point con- version to flanker Pete Holohan (not officially recorded in passing stats) for the 18-17 win after the defense stopped the Gamecocks on their final series. Lisch finished the afternoon completing 24 of 43 throws for 336 yards. 40 Years Ago: Oct. 27, 1984 A 3-4 Notre Dame team under embattled fourth-year head coach Gerry Faust stunned the nation by defeating No. 6 and 5-0-1 LSU (the SEC champion that season) in "Death Valley." The Fighting Irish entered the contest on a three-game losing streak — all at home to Miami, Air Force and South Carolina — and even Faust's former hometown newspaper, The Cincinnati Enquirer, editorialized that it was time for the overmatched Faust to step down from his post with his 21-19-1 career record. "You could be looking at 4-7?" ABC-TV play-by-play man Keith Jackson told Faust before the game, noting the Irish still had to play Penn State and at USC. "Or 7-4," replied the always optimistic Faust. Indeed, while outscoring the Tigers 30-7 over a 53-minute span and al- lowing a late score in the closing seconds, Notre Dame pulled off the 30-22 upset. Running back Allen Pinkett tied a single-game school record with 40 carries for 162 yards, quarterback Steve Beuerlein efficiently completed 16 of 23 passes for 168 yards, and John Carney kicked 3 field goals. Following the victory, Faust was put on the cover of Sports Illustrated with his quote "I'm Gonna Make It!" The story inside included a two-page spread of him praying in front of Notre Dame's famed Grotto with the headline, "Somebody Up There May Be Listening." 35 Years Ago: Oct. 28, 1989 No. 1-ranked Notre Dame crushed unbeaten and No. 7 Pitt 45-7 for its 20th consecutive victory, one short of tying the school record. It also was the sev- enth straight win over a top-10 opponent, another school record. Headlining Notre Dame's 6 touchdowns were a 54-yard interception return by free safety Pat Terrell and a 50-yard run by Raghib "Rocket" Ismail. 25 Years Ago: Oct. 30, 1999 Quarterback Jarious Jackson salvaged a rough afternoon by finding Jay Johnson for a 16-yard touchdown with 36 seconds left to give Notre Dame a 28-24 victory over Navy that extended its NCAA-record winning streak over the Midshipmen to 36 games. "Jarious struggled today throwing the football," Notre Dame coach Bob Davie told the Associated Press. "Then he comes back late in the game and makes the throw to win. … He finds a way. He doesn't panic, and he keeps going." It marked the third time Jackson led the Irish back from a late deficit and the fifth time that season Notre Dame had a game decided on a last-minute drive. The Irish won despite racking up 130 yards on 13 penalties — the program's most in more than two decades — and allowing Navy to score a touchdown on a blocked punt and on a pick six. Jackson completed 15 of 33 throws for 200 yards with 2 touchdowns and ran for a career-long 57-yard score. But he also threw 2 interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown, and fumbled once. UNDER THE DOME Anniversaries In Notre Dame Football History: Oct. 26-Nov. 1 Head coach Gerry Faust made the cover of Sports Illustrated after guiding the Irish to a 30-22 upset of No. 6 LSU on Oct. 27, 1984. PHOTO COURTESY SPORTS ILLUSTRATED