Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/605097
THE FIFTH QUARTER LOU SOMOGYI T here is something about a 10‑1 re‑ cord heading into Thanksgiving weekend that has inspired both glee and leeriness among Notre Dame football faithful. The glee comes from appreciating it's a feat not to be taken for granted. Since 1974, when Notre Dame first added an 11th game to its regular season, getting to 10‑1 has been accomplished only eight times, or about once per five sea‑ sons. However, that in itself doesn't necessarily make it a fulfilling cam‑ paign, which is where the leery aspect emerges. The higher one climbs, the steeper the fall can become at the end, which comes with the risk of "daring to be great." Finishing the mission is the most difficult part in any sport, and Notre Dame especially has learned it over the last half century when Thanksgiving weekend arrives in California, versus Stanford this year. Under head coach Ara Parseghian (1964‑74), the Fighting Irish traveled to California — specifically USC — three times over the holiday with national title implications on the line. Both of his 9‑0 teams in 1964 and 1970 were upset by 6‑3 and 5‑4‑1 USC teams, thereby just falling short in the final Associated Press rankings. In 1974, another trip to USC had the Irish 9‑1, set to face 11‑0 Alabama in the Orange Bowl for the national title, and all seemed well when the Irish jumped to a 24‑0 lead. But … finishing is the toughest part, and USC scored the next 55 points within 17 minutes to end yet another title aspiration. In Dan Devine's final season as head coach in 1980, the Irish were 9‑0‑1 and No. 2, and already matched up to play No. 1 Georgia in the Sugar Bowl for the national title. Unfortunately, there was still that detail of playing at 7‑2‑1 USC. Finishing The Home Stretch A chance to compete for the national title for the second time in four years would be a boon to Brian Kelly's program. PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA