UNDER THE DOME
20 Years Ago: Sept. 9, 1995
One week after the stunning loss at home versus 27-point underdog Northwestern (17-15) in the
opener, 10th-year Notre Dame head coach Lou Holtz records his 200th career victory in the collegiate
ranks with a 35-28 triumph at Purdue.
Junior quarterback Ron Powlus ties a Fighting Irish single-game record with four touchdown passes, all
to different targets: 30 yards to Randy Kinder, 12 yards to Derrick Mayes, 15 yards to Scott Sollmann and
51 yards to Emmett Mosley. Kinder also rushes for 142 yards on only 14 carries, highlighted by a 52-yard
scamper with 9:12 left in the game to break the 28-28 tie. Freshman Autry Denson, a reserve cornerback
a week earlier, also makes his debut at running back and totals 72 yards on nine carries.
Two days later, Holtz is at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., preparing to undergo surgery to cor-
rect "a serious compression of the spinal cord in his neck." The four-and-a-half hour surgery on Sept. 12
sidelines Holtz from coaching activities the next few weeks. First-year athletics director Mike Wadsworth
promotes defensive coordinator Bob Davie to temporary head coach. Assistant head coach/receivers
coach Tom Clements is placed in charge of handling administrative duties.
15 Years Ago: Sept. 9, 2000
No. 1 Nebraska prevails with a 27-24 overtime victory at No. 23 Notre Dame, but Sports Illustrated
lauds the Fighting Irish effort as evidence that the program has turned the corner under fourth-year head
coach Bob Davie, who finished 5-7 a year earlier.
Anniversaries In Notre Dame
Athletics History: Sept. 8‑14
