Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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52 NOV. 14, 2016 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED BY LOU SOMOGYI I n commemorating Notre Dame's 125 years of football history in 2012, Blue & Gold Illustrated's Foot- ball Preview that summer compiled a top 50 countdown of the most iconic moments in Fighting Irish football lore. The criteria to make the list in- cluded a phenomenal individual ef- fort, how clutch a play it was, and its impact in Irish football lore or nation- ally, especially if it meant winning a national title. For a younger audience, it might be impossible to fathom that the op- ponent represented the most was not USC (which was in the countdown six times), Michigan or Michigan State (four apiece), or even Purdue (three). Rather, it was … Army, which Notre Dame has played only 14 times since 1965. No single university that plays football has had a more pro- found impact in the Fighting Irish achieving prominence and a brand name in the sport. Furthermore, the Black Knights were in three of the top five all-time iconic moments, and five of the top 17. Here were those seven as they rated in our countdown: No. 41: Block Party — Dec. 2, 1933 All 9-0 Army needed to do to clinch the national title was defeat 2-5-1 Notre Dame, which had scored 19 points the entire season under maligned third- year head coach Hunk Anderson. The Black Knights led 12-0 when late in the third quarter, Irish senior lineman Ed "Moose" Krause — who earlier had blocked a point after try — blocked a quick kick that would set up an eight-play touchdown drive to close the gap to 12-7, after a drop kick by Buddy Bonar for the point af- ter. Minutes later, Army was forced to punt from the end zone. Notre Dame end Wayne Millner blocked it and fell on the ball past the goal line in a stunning 13-12 victory that would be Anderson's final game. As Knute Rockne used to say, "When in doubt, punt." No. 40: Ivory Towers — Oct. 14, 1995 With 39 seconds left, an Army touchdown cut its deficit to 28-27 versus No. 17 Notre Dame. Because the overtime rule wouldn't be en- acted until the following year in the NCAA, the Cadets lined up for the potential game winning two-pointer. Quarterback Ron McAda found 6-3, 240-pound tight end Ron Leshin- ski at the 1-yard line when 5-9, 159-pound cornerback Ivory Cov- ington executed perfect leverage and dropped Leshinski a couple of inches short of the goal line. Covington's stop was later known as "The $8-Million Tackle," referring to the payoff 9-2 Notre Dame received by going to the Orange Bowl. It was made possible with this textbook tackle. No. 17: And It Came To Pass — Nov. 1, 1913 In its 17 other football games in 1913-14, Army was 17-0 and out- scored its opponents 459-42, includ- ing a 20-7 victory over Notre Dame in 1914. In not one of those games did Army yield more than nine points — but on this day Notre Dame head coach Jesse Harper 's unit tallied 35. From 1894-1940, no team scored more points against the Cadets. Rough statistics from this contest had Irish quarterback Gus Dorais completing 14 of 17 passes for 243 yards, with a 25-yard TD pass to Rockne opening the scoring. The New York Times reported that the Army players "were hopelessly confused and chagrined" by the unique and newly unveiled passing attack. This game was the embryonic stage of Notre Dame becoming a na- tional team. No. 13: March(y) To A Title — Nov. 29, 1930 In front of 110,000 fans at Chicago's Soldier Field in horrid weather con- ditions versus 8-0-1 Army, which had become Notre Dame's archrival, a scoreless tie was broken on Irish half- MOMENTOUS OCCASIONS No Notre Dame series has had more timeless plays than the one against Army Diminutive cornerback Ivory Covington (14) made the game-saving "$8 Million Tackle" on a two-point conversion attempt in Notre Dame's 28-27 win over Army in 1995. PHOTO COURTESY NOTRE DAME MEDIA RELATIONS