Blue and Gold Illustrated

Oct. 17, 2016

Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football

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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com OCT. 17, 2016 15 UNDER THE DOME 90 Years Ago: Oct. 16, 1926 In what is believed to be a first, the Notre Dame varsity football team dons green jerseys at home — albeit involuntarily. To Notre Dame's surprise, Penn State arrives to South Bend with its blue jerseys, the same color as Notre Dame's. For the purpose of distinction in the uniforms, the Notre Dame team has to resort to wearing the freshman team's green, which didn't have any numerals on the back. Unaware of why Notre Dame was dressed in green, one out-of-town newspaper account criticized the Irish athletic hierarchy for "being too cheap to have numbers on the new jerseys." One year after playing to a scoreless tie at Penn State, Notre Dame ends up winning easily, 28-0, while outgaining the Nittany Lions 506-85 in total yards to improve to 3-0. 55 Years Ago: Oct. 14, 1961 One year after a 2-8 debacle, third-year Notre Dame head coach Joe Kuharich's Fighting Irish rocket up to No. 6 in the Associated Press poll with a 30-0 slaughter of USC while improving to 3-0. All three victories came against teams coached by future College Football Hall of Fame inductees: Oklahoma's Bud Wilkinson in the opener (19-6); Purdue's Jack Mollenkopf (22-20) on the road one year after getting trounced 51-19 at home by the Boilermakers; and USC's second-year boss John McKay, who would win the first of his four national titles a year later. Despite Notre Dame recording 15 penalties for 167 yards, California native and junior quarterback Daryle Lamonica quickly guides the Irish to a 14-0 lead over the Trojans by running for a 12-yard touch- down and passing to Jim Kelly on a 19-yard tally. Linebacker Nick Buoniconti headlines the defense, which records 77 yards in lost yardage with sacks of quarterback Bill Nelson. "Notre Dame is the best team we've seen this year," said USC athletics director Jesse Hill, including the No. 1 Iowa team his Trojans lost to 35-34 earlier in the year. 45 Years Ago: Oct. 16, 1971 For the first time in its history, No. 7-ranked Notre Dame starts a black quarterback — sophomore Cliff Brown — when the Irish host North Carolina, which would win the ACC that season with a 6-0 record. Pat Steenberge started the first two games but is slowed by a hamstring injury, while Bill Etter started the next two but suffered a torn knee in the first half at Miami in the game preceding the Tar Heels. Black players remain sparse in this era of Notre Dame football, with its lone starter on defense being All-America cornerback Clarence Ellis. On offense, the Irish have two black starters: its co-captain and All- American receiver Thom Gatewood — the football team's first African-American cap- tain — and running back Bob Minnix. Sophomore walk-on Bob Thomas con- verts three field goals inside the 30-yard line in the first half to become the first player at Notre Dame to tally three in a game since Gus Dorais at Texas in 1913. Notre Dame records a 16-0 victory while the defense pitches its third straight game without allowing a touchdown (it won 14-2 and 17-0 the two previous weeks against Michigan State and Miami, respectively) thanks to a goal-line stand in the third quar- ter on first-and-goal from the 4-yard line. Brown completes 5 of 14 passes for 82 yards, with a four-yard touchdown to Gate- wood in the fourth quarter completing the scoring. 20 Years Ago: Oct. 12, 1996 No. 11 Notre Dame romps 54-20 over No. 16 Washington while amassing 650 yards of total offense, tying the highest output in head coach Lou Holtz's 11 seasons. Running back Autry Denson leads the 397-yard rushing onslaught with 137, while quarterback Ron Powlus completes 8 of 12 passes for 194 yards with three touchdowns, two to tight end Pete Chryplewicz. — Lou Somogyi Anniversaries In Notre Dame Football History: Oct. 12‑18 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED PO Box 2331 • Durham, NC 27702 1-800-421-7751 Visit our online store! www.BlueGoldOnline.com Blue & Gold Magazine Binders Item #6099 $24.95 + $6.50 S&H (Item #6585-Blue) LifeTile Necklace $15 (Free S&H) Delivery limited to continental U.S. Please Add Sales Tax For Items Shipping To: (NC 7.5%, IN 7%, MI 6%) Notre Dame CLEARANCE LIMITED QUANTITIES Offer Good While Supply Lasts Chrome Hitches $31.95 (Free S&H) Choice of Chrome or Black Background Leprechaun Logo Item #6601 Fits 2" Receiver Item #6602-LEP Chrome Emblem $13.95 (Free S&H) Sophomore Cliff Brown became the first black player to start at quarterback for the Irish in a 16‑0 victory versus North Carolina in 1971. PHOTO COURTESY NOTRE DAME MEDIA RELATIONS

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