Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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Anniversaries In Notre Dame Athletics History: Sept. 19-25 40 Years Ago: Sept. 23, 1972 In the first season since 1951 that the NCAA permits freshman eligibility, Notre Dame’s 6‑4, 265-pound defensive tackle Steve Niehaus earns the starting nod in the opener at Northwestern two days before his 18th birthday. The Irish sign 32 freshmen that year, but Niehaus is the only one who would earn a monogram. The man-child from head coach Gerry Faust’s Cincinnati Moeller powerhouse records a team-high 13 stops in a 37-0 whitewash of Northwestern, which finished second in the Big Ten a year earlier. It is also the first start at quarterback for sophomore Tom Clements (4-of-11 passing for 42 yards with two interceptions), who did not play the previous season because of the freshman ineligibility rule. Junior kicker Bob Thomas converts all three of his field goal attempts to tie his single-game Irish record from the previous year and set originally by Gus Dorais in 1913. 25 Years Ago: Sept. 19, 1987 In the previous 14 years and 157 games, no Notre Dame player had returned a punt for a touchdown. In a span of 2:01 in the first quarter against what would be the 1987 Big Ten champions, Michigan State, senior flanker Tim Brown returns two to propel the No. 9-ranked Irish to a 19-0 lead en route to a 31-8 victory versus the No. 17 Spartans. Notre Dame had the quickest score in its history — one never to be broken — when Michigan State’s Blake Ezor fielded the opening kickoff at his 1-yard line, and then stepped back to the goal line to down the ball. It was a safety for the Irish before a second even ticked away. Following a Ted Gradel field goal, Brown then fielded consecutive punts from future Pro Bowl performer Greg Montgomery that resulted in 71- and 66-yard touchdown returns. Notre Dame recorded two safeties in the first half (also a single-game record) for a 24-0 halftime lead. By then, Brown had accumulated 243 all-purpose yards before finishing with 275. “We didn’t expect to get two punt returns; we were looking to get only one,” Brown said after the victory. “We knew that Montgomery had a great average, over 52 yards, and figured he would over-kick his coverage — and he did.” 10 Years Ago: Sept. 21, 2002 The amazing first season of head coach Tyrone Willingham continues when the No. 12 Irish rally to defeat Michigan State in East Lansing, 21-17. After falling behind 17-14 with 1:45 remaining, walk-on Irish quarterback Pat Dillingham, in place of the injured Carlyle Holiday, connects on a short sight adjustment route with Arnaz Battle. The former quarterback then uses a downfield block of another ex-quarterback, tight end Gary Godsey, and turns it into a 60-yard touchdown with 1:15 remaining. A year after a 5-6 finish that leads to the ouster of head coach Bob Davie, the 4-0 Irish move up to No. 9, and Willingham’s debut elicits comparison to Ara Parseghian’s Camelot-like first-year campaign at Notre Dame in 1964. Sports Illustrated features Notre Dame freshman receiver Maurice Stovall on the cover catching a touchdown pass from Holiday. Included on the front cover is the headline, “What A Difference A Coach Makes!” Gimme Five When sophomore Kyle Brindza booted the game-winning 27-yard field goal against Purdue on Sept. 8 with only seven seconds remaining, it was the sixth time in Notre Dame Stadium history that an Irish game-winning field goal was made with less than 10 seconds remaining. All the other five occurred on the final play of the game, four of them in regulation and one in overtime. What made Brindza’s situation unique was it was his first career start as the placekicker, the result of an injury to senior kicker Nick Tausch. Here are the other five winning Notre Dame field goals at home as time expired: Name (Year), OpponentDistance (Score) 1. Joe Perkowski (1961), Syracuse41 (17-15) 2. Harry Oliver (1980), Michigan51 (29-27) 3. Nicholas Setta (2000), Purdue38 (23-21) 4. Nicholas Setta (2003), Wash. St.40 (29-26, OT) 5. D.J. Fitzpatrick (2003), Navy40 (27-24) Getting To Know … Sophomore WR DaVaris Daniels Nickname: “‘Toot.’ My uncle gave it to me when I was 3 and it just stuck. All my friends and coaches [here] are starting to call me that now.” Major: “Sociology.” Dorm: “O’Neill.” Favorite Class: “Ethics.” Favorite Off-Campus Spot: “Chipotle.” Dream Vacation: “The Bahamas.” Best Movie You’ve Seen Lately: “Batman [‘The Dark Knight Rises’].” TV Show You Hate To Miss: “Fresh Prince.” Song or Artist You’re Listening To Most Right Now: “Drake.” Role Model: “[Indianapolis Colts wide receiver] Reggie Wayne. That’s always someone I wanted to be like.” Favorite Pro Athlete: “Reggie Wayne.” Best Player You’ve Gone Up Against: “Dang … that’s hard. Best player? I’ll go with Robert Blanton.” Dream Job If Football Didn’t Exist: “I would be a music producer.” You Have One Last Meal, What Is It? “A Big Mac. Keep it simple.”