Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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the fifth quarter lou somogyi T 1988: The Standard To Keep Believing he 2012 Notre Dame football season, at least until Jan. 7, 2013, made perhaps even the most skeptical believe that the Fighting Irish can reach championship-level status again. However, the standard of making oneself delusional that anything can happen is Notre Dame's most recent Head coach Lou Holtz's 1988 Irish team, which held its Silver national champion, which Anniversary reunion the weekend of this year's USC game, overheld its Silver Anniversary came numerous obstacles en route to winning the national chamreunion the weekend of pionship. photo courtesy notre dame media relations this year's USC game. marquee figure for the future, 1986 USA It might eternally be remembered as the most unlikely Notre Dame team Today Defensive Player of the Year John to win a national title. In 1988, there Foley. The defensive end suffered an inwas way too much reconstruction that jury that ended his football career in the had to take place — even though the 35-10 loss to Texas A&M in the Cotton program hadn't been good enough the Bowl on Jan. 1, 1988. The replacements were junior Jeff previous seven years (43-36-1, with at least four losses each season) to have to Alm, whose 31 minutes and 23 seconds of playing time the year prior dwarfed rebuild. • Gone was 1987 Heisman Trophy the other two starters, sophomores winner Tim Brown. Potential replace- George Williams (8:16) and converted ment, junior Pat Terrell, had such un- linebacker Chris Zorich (0). • Gone was star outside linebacker reliable hands, head coach Lou Holtz Cedric Figaro, drafted by the NFL. His decided to move him to defense. • Gone was the starting offensive line replacement would be journeyman from the previous year, including four fifth-year senior Frank Stams, who had fifth-year seniors and a transfer. Tight never started on defense and had 14 end Andy Heck would have to move to career tackles. • Gone were the kicker and punter. left offensive tackle as a senior. • Gone was the entire starting de- One replacement candidate was, egads, fensive line from 1987, plus the lone 5-5, 135-pound walk-on and senior pre-