Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1541184
BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM NOV. 15, 2025 13 55 Years Ago: Nov. 14, 1970 For the first time in head coach Ara Parseghian's seven seasons at Notre Dame, the No. 1-ranked Irish won a game by having to rally from a fourth- quarter deficit. Trailing Georgia Tech 7-3, quarterback Joe Theismann com- pleted a 46-yard toss to diving halfback Ed Gulyas to set up a short Denny Allan touchdown run with 6:28 left to record the 10-7 victory. However, the hard-earned win dropped Notre Dame to No. 2 a couple of days later because defending national champion Texas extended its winning streak to 28 with a 58-0 slaughter of TCU on the road. 45 Years Ago: Nov. 15, 1980 With a bid to play No. 1 Georgia in the Sugar Bowl on the line, No. 6 Notre Dame defeated two-time defending national champ and No. 5 Alabama 7-0 at Legion Field in Birmingham. The lone touchdown came on a 4-yard drive after an Alabama fumble, with sophomore tailback Phil Carter scoring from the 2-yard line in the second quarter. End Scott Zettek and linebacker Bob Crable spearheaded the Notre Dame de- fense as the Irish, who were elevated to No. 2 in the rankings by their next game, improved their record against head coach Paul "Bear" Bryant's Crimson Tide to 4-0. Two 11-0 Alabama teams lost to Notre Dame in the 1973 Sugar Bowl (24- 23) and 1975 Orange Bowl (13-11), and also fell 21-18 at Notre Dame in 1976. "I am kind of numb," Bryant said after the game. "I wasted an afternoon. I wasted four years. That's how long I have known about this game." 35 Years Ago: Nov. 10, 1990 No. 1 Notre Dame put on a dazzling display of "SEC speed" during a 34-29 vic- tory at No. 9 Tennessee, which would go on to win the SEC title and Sugar Bowl. The festivities for the Irish began with a 41-yard touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Rick Mirer to junior running back Rodney Culver in a game that saw six lead changes. Trailing 13-10 in the third quarter, senior Ricky Watters, who had seen limited action because of fumbling problems, romped through the middle for a 66-yard touchdown to put Notre Dame ahead. Watters, who rushed for 174 yards on 17 carries, added another 10-yard score, and then junior Raghib "Rocket" Ismail displayed an electrifying burst down the sideline for a 44-yard touchdown and a seemingly insurmountable 34-23 cushion with 3:33 left. However, Tennessee — which racked up 516 yards of total offense (399 passing) — scored on a 23-yard pass from Andy Kelly to Alvin Harper, recov- ered the onside kick and with just less than a minute remaining had first- and-10 at the Irish 20. A pass into the end zone, though, was intercepted by converted running back Rod Smith. The Irish improved to 32-2 in their last 34 games — highlighted by an ex- traordinary 11-1 against teams ranked in the top 10. 15 Years Ago: Nov. 13, 2010 After a bye week following stunning losses to Navy (35-17) and Tulsa (28- 27) to drop to 4-5, Notre Dame — with freshman quarterback Tommy Rees making his first career start — easily defeated No. 15 Utah, 28-3. Junior cornerback Robert Blanton began the scoring by blocking a punt he then scooped up for a touchdown. Rees (13 of 20 for 129 yards with 3 touch- downs) then found senior wideout Duval Kamara on 26- and 12-yard scores after also connecting with Michael Floyd on a 3-yard tally. First-year head coach Brian Kelly saw the Irish snap an 11-game losing streak to ranked teams (the longest in school history), with the last previous such win occurring in 2006 against No. 19 Penn State. UNDER THE DOME Anniversaries In Notre Dame Football History: Nov. 9-15 The Fighting Irish notched a 7-0 win over two-time defending national champ and No. 5 Alabama on Nov. 15, 1980, improving their record against head coach Paul "Bear" Bryant's Crimson Tide to 4-0. FILE PHOTO Notre Dame has played two opponents this season it had never previously appeared on the football field against in Arkansas and Boise State. The Fighting Irish get to check another box on the never played 'em before list in 2027. And it's a big box at that. According to a report from ESPN's Pete Thamel, confirmed by On3's Brett McMurphy, Notre Dame and Auburn have agreed to a home-and-home series for the 2027 and 2028 seasons. The Tigers trek to South Bend to play at Notre Dame Stadium in 2027, and the Irish will return the favor and play at Jordan-Hare Stadium in 2028. Notre Dame later announced actual dates for the games in an official release. The game in South Bend will be on Sept. 25, 2027, and the game in Auburn takes place on Oct. 28, 2028. Auburn is the ninth team to be added to Notre Dame's 2027 schedule, joining Purdue, Michigan State, Georgia Tech, Wake Forest, Virginia Tech, Clemson, Navy and Duke. As for 2028, Notre Dame is now set to play Au- burn in addition to Texas, Arkansas, Purdue, Virginia Tech, Clemson, Navy, Boston College, Miami and Pitt. That's 10 teams, meaning the Irish only need two more to round out that season's schedule. Notre Dame also has 10 teams on the schedule for 2026 so far; Wisconsin, Rice, Michigan State, Purdue, North Carolina, Navy, Miami, SMU, Florida State and Syracuse. Notre Dame hasn't had any issues scheduling big-time opponents for future seasons even in the name, image and likeness (NIL) and super conference era. The Irish have long been a major nonconference draw for programs from premier conferences, and that has not changed. The Texas game mentioned above, for instance, is a part of a home-and-home series. The 2028 game is set to be played in South Bend. The Irish will then travel to Texas to face the Longhorns in Austin in 2029. Also in 2029, Notre Dame is scheduled to host Alabama with a return trip to Tuscaloosa to play at the home venue of the Crimson Tide in 2030. Also of note, Notre Dame is scheduled to play Florida in "The Swamp" in 2032 to repay the Ga- tors for coming to South Bend in 2031. In 2033, the Irish head to The Big House to face Michigan in Ann Arbor. The Wolverines head to South Bend the following year. All of those schedule tidbits serve to hammer home the point, Notre Dame is not at any risk of not having marquee matchups on future schedules. Notre Dame director of athletics Pete Bevacqua is making them happen, even if a lot in the landscape of the sport can change between now and then. — Tyler Horka Notre Dame To Play Auburn In Home-And-Home Football Series