Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM NOV. 14, 2026 13 85 Years Ago: Nov. 8, 1941 For the second year in a row in front of a capac- ity crowd at Baltimore's Municipal Stadium, No. 7 Notre Dame defeated No. 6 Navy on a fourth-quar- ter touchdown drive to break a tie. Sophomore left halfback Angelo Bertelli, who shifted to quarterback the next season in the revo- lutionary T-formation offense, gave Notre Dame a 13-7 halftime lead with an 18-yard scoring toss to Steve Juzwik, but Navy tied the game at 13 in the third quarter with a 65-yard interception return of a Bertelli pass (both teams missed their second extra-point kick). Bertelli's passing then set up Dippy Evans' second scoring run, from 6 yards out, for a 20-13 victory to keep first-year head coach Frank Leahy unbeaten (6-0-1) in his first season. 80 Years Ago: Nov. 9, 1946 For the sixth time since the advent of the Associ- ated Press poll in 1936, the No. 1 and No. 2 teams met — and for the fourth time it involved Notre Dame. No. 1 Army, the two-time reigning national cham- pion, and No. 2 Notre Dame, welcoming back nu- merous servicemen from World War II, engaged in a slugfest that resulted in a scoreless tie, prompting one headline story to read "Much Ado About Nothing-Nothing." The game's most memorable moment occurred in the third quarter. With the ball at the Army 44, the Cadets' Heisman Trophy winner, Felix "Doc" Blanchard, found a gap and raced toward the left sideline in Yankee Stadium (with a capacity audience of 74,121 in attendance) before safety John Lujack, the final line of defense, came across the field to make a diving shoestring tackle at Notre Dame's 36. The drive ended with Terry Brennan intercepting a Cadet pass deep in Notre Dame territory. Earlier in the game, Notre Dame had driven to the Army 4-yard line, but eschewed the field-goal attempt — Irish head coach Frank Leahy believed it would be an affront to the team imposing its will on Army — and failed to convert on fourth down. 50 Years Ago: Nov. 13, 1976 In the first regular-season meeting ever between these two traditional superpowers, No. 18 Notre Dame defeated No. 10 Alabama 21-18 at Notre Dame Stadium. Entering the game 6-2, the Irish were stunned 23-14 in an upset at Geor- gia Tech the previous week. Second-year head coach Dan Devine's team responded by defeating a Crimson Tide juggernaut that finished as the national runner-up to Notre Dame a year later before winning titles in 1978 and 1979. Senior quarterback Rick Slager completed 15 of 23 passes for 235 yards before getting injured in the fourth quarter, while freshman running back Vagas Ferguson made his first career start and romped for 107 yards, highlighted by a 17-yard touchdown dash to give Notre Dame a 21-7 halftime advantage. Junior Jim Browner's interception of a Jeff Rut- ledge pass in the Irish end zone late in the contest helped preserve the win. Notre Dame improved to 3-0 against Alabama icon and head coach Paul "Bear" Bryant after also having defeated his 11-0 Crimson Tide teams in the 1973 Sugar Bowl (24-23) and 1975 Orange Bowl (13-11). The former won the consensus national title for the Irish. The two would meet again in Birmingham in 1980. "It's getting worse with age," the 63-year-old Bryant said after the 1976 defeat. "One, two and three points. I doubt very seriously I'll make it to the four-pointer." 40 Years Ago: Nov. 8, 1986 With the NCAA's first and still only football "death penalty" looming — resulting in the cancellation of its 1987 season and SMU's subsequent decision to cancel 1988 — 5-3 SMU visited 3-4 Notre Dame and suffered a 61-29 defeat to an emerging Irish team under first-year head coach Lou Holtz. Dallas native Tim Brown, recruited illegally by SMU in 1984, notched 4 receptions for 176 yards, highlighted by an 84-yard touchdown toss from quarterback Steve Beuerlein (11-of-20 passing for 269 yards), and had 7 rushing attempts for 37 yards, including a 15-yard score. The 615 yards of total offense were the most by Notre Dame in nine years, and senior John Carney's 4 field goals tied a school record. 35 Years Ago: Nov. 9, 1991 The No. 5-ranked Fighting Irish built a 31-7 first-half lead against Tennessee and drove to the shadow of the Volunteers' goal line … only to lose 35-34. The blown 24-point lead tied the 55-24 loss at Southern Cal in 1974 for the biggest lead ever squandered by Notre Dame in a game. "This is the most difficult loss I've ever been associated with," said Notre Dame's Lou Holtz, in his 23rd season as a head coach. "It's the most disap- pointed I've ever been in my life … I really don't know how we'll come back from this. It's a crazy game." UNDER THE DOME Anniversaries In Notre Dame Football History: Nov. 8-14 ✦ Your home address will be automatically changed to the mailing address on file with the US Postal Service? ALL addresses are cross-referenced with the USPS National Change of Address database. ✦ Your postal forwarding order expires in 60 days or less? Most forwarding requests expire in 60 days and DO NOT include periodical mail. Issues are discarded at their discretion. ✦ It can take up to 7 days for the USPS to update your address in their database? Don't assume the post office knows your vacation or moving schedule! To prevent missed issues, please notify the US Postal Service ASAP and verify your delivery address with your local post office. DID YOU KNOW... AVOID COSTLY DELAYS & REPLACEMENTS! Blue & Gold Illustrated Customer Service: 1–800–421–7751 (Monday – Friday, 10 am to 4 pm) We are happy to assist, but due to privacy laws all postal address changes must be completed by you. Senior quarterback Rick Slager completed 15 of 23 passes for 235 yards to help Notre Dame defeat Alabama 21-18 on Nov. 13, 1976, in the schools' first regular-season meeting. PHOTO COURTESY NOTRE DAME ATHLETICS