Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM NOV. 23, 2024 51 Club of Atlanta co-sponsored a special event at the College Football Hall of Fame, A Cen- tury Ago: Outlined Against a Blue-Gray October Sky … Among the speakers was Mike McCoy. He described the great respect he and other Notre Dame players have for their opponents from Army, who have a much more im- portant calling than football in their futures. Decades after his big afternoon at Yankee Sta- dium, McCoy was facing knee surgery when he got talking with the surgeon, who men- tioned he had gone up against McCoy in that Notre Dame-Army game in '69. McCoy was somewhat askance. "You were an offensive lineman for Army?" Came the reply, "No, I was one of the up men on the punt formation that you blew by two times." The surgery, McCoy was sure to point out, went on without any problems. Representing Army West Point at the Oct. 18 event was Major Zach Peterson, who works as Admissions Support Of- ficer for Black Knights athletics. Ma- jor Peterson happened to be the Black Knights' starting center in 2009 and 2010. As such, he participated in the teams' first meeting at the new Yankee Stadium on Nov. 20, 2010. He recalls making acquaintance with a young Irish linebacker named Manti Te'o. "I could tell this kid would become a great linebacker," Major Peterson recalled. Despite a 27-3 loss to Notre Dame, Army would recover to defeat SMU in the Armed Forces Bowl to conclude their season, while the Irish finished with wins at Southern Cal and over Miami in the Sun Bowl. The Irish, who lead the series 39-8-4, will be seeking to ex- tend their winning streak in the rivalry to 16 games. Army last won in 1958 at Notre Dame Sta- dium, 14-2. Irish victories in the streak have ranged from a 28-27 nail-biter in 1995 at Giants Sta- dium in East Rutherford, N.J., to a 62-3 shellacking administered by the eventual 1973 national champions at West Point's Michie Stadium. One constant through the series: Notre Dame's respect for the unceasing effort and fighting spirit of "the Long Gray Line." ✦ For more informa on, please visit: www.RockneSociety.org Throughout 2024, the Knute Rockne Memorial Society will remember and celebrate the centennial of the 1924 Notre Dame na onal champions, featuring Coach Rockne, The Four Horsemen and The Seven Mules. Watch for updates! Jim Lefebvre is an award-winning Notre Dame author and leads the Knute Rockne Memorial Society. He can be reached at: jim@ndfootballhistory.com The parade of Army's Corps of Cadets was a key part of the spectacle that was Army-Notre Dame at Yankee Stadium. IMAGE COURTESY KNUTE ROCKNE MEMORIAL SOCIETY