Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM NOV. 30, 2024 13 95 Years Ago: Nov. 30, 1929 Notre Dame head coach Knute Rockne, bat- tling life-threatening phlebitis throughout the season, captured his second consensus na- tional title with a 7-0 victory versus Army in frigid conditions at Yankee Stadium. The capacity crowd of 79,408 witnessed what Blue & Gold Illustrated selected as the No. 5 most timeless play in Notre Dame foot- ball history. During the second quarter, Army faced third-and-eight from the Irish 11-yard line, and star halfback Chris Cagle scrambled with the ball to his right before throwing across the field to intended receiver Carl Carl- mark for what could be an apparent score — until Jack Elder cut in front of him, grabbed the toss, eluded several tacklers with his Olympic- caliber speed, and raced down the sideline for a record return. Last game, national title on the line, and a 100-yard interception return for a touchdown as the lone score. There are not many such plays in college football lore. 75 Years Ago: Dec. 3, 1949 The greatest four-year era in college football history was capped when Notre Dame held on to defeat valiant SMU, 27-20, to clinch its third consensus national title in four seasons and raise its record to 36-0-2 from 1946-49. The game was held in the Cotton Bowl in Dallas with 75,457 in attendance. Led by a magnificent ef- fort by Mustangs sophomore Kyle Rote — replacing injured 1948 Heisman Trophy winner Doak Walker — SMU tied the game at 20 on Rote's third touchdown (he rushed for 115 yards and passed for 146), but Notre Dame linebacker Jerry Groom blocked the extra point. The Irish then embarked on a 54-yard drive in 10 plays capped by Bill Barrett's 5-yard touchdown run with 8:37 remaining for a 27-20 lead. Rote answered by driving SMU 66 yards to the Irish 5-yard line. On fourth down, though, Groom picked off Rote's pass into the end zone, with an assist from Bob Lally, to help secure another national title. "I never saw more excitement in a game in my life," Notre Dame head coach Frank Leahy said after- wards. 20 Years Ago: Nov. 30, 2004 Three days after Notre Dame's third consecutive 31-point loss to USC (41-10), the school announced the firing of head coach Tyrone Willingham. A seven-man committee, including top Board of Trustee members, overruled outgoing school president Rev. Edward A. "Monk" Malloy and athletics director Kevin White to fire Willingham. The decision to oust the African-American Willingham elicited charges of racism nationally because previous white Irish head coaches Terry Brennan (1954-58), Gerry Faust (1981-85) and Bob Davie (1997-2001) all were given five years prior to their termination. After a 10-3 debut in 2002, Willingham's Irish were 11-14 in their last 25 games, losing six of those games by at least 25 points and also floundering on the recruiting trail. "From Sunday through Friday, our football program has exceeded all expectations in every way," White said. "Tyrone has done some wonderful things, but on Saturday we struggled." "I understand that I did not meet the expectations or standards that I set for myself," a disappointed Willingham said. "When you don't meet the expectations of yourself, you leave yourself vulnerable to the will of others." The Notre Dame brass immediately targeted 11-0 Utah head coach Urban Meyer, an Irish assistant from 1996-2000, as its "Messiah Coach," a term derisively used by Malloy. More than a week later, Malloy bared his soul in a public meeting. "In my 18 years [as president], there has been only two days that I've been embarrassed to be presi- dent of Notre Dame," said Malloy, referring to the firing of Willingham and the day after. "I thought we were going to abide by our precedent, which was a five-year window for a coach to display a capacity to be successful within our system to fit." UNDER THE DOME Anniversaries In Notre Dame Football History: Nov. 30-Dec. 5 FOOTBALL SEASON DIGITAL NEWSLETTERS Exclusively For Subscribers Of Blue & Gold Illustrated Our digital football-season newsletter is emailed every pre-game Wednesday. They include printable team rosters and depth charts for both teams. Be sure to get your email on the list!* *For your convenience, we'll send you a direct link to each newsletter via email as soon as each edition is published. Please send your EMAIL ADDRESS to BGIsupport@BlueandGold.com For more information, visit BlueGoldOnline.com Jack Elder's 100-yard interception return for a touchdown gave Notre Dame a 7-0 win over Army and clinched the 1929 national title. PHOTO COURTESY NOTRE DAME ATHLETICS