Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/864798
www.BLUEANDGOLD.com PRESEASON 2017 17 UNDER THE DOME 50 Years Ago: Sept. 2, 1967 Despite graduating nine starters from the 1966 national champs who were selected in the first three rounds of the NFL-AFL Draft, Notre Dame is selected as the preseason No. 1 by Sports Illustrated in its college football preview edition. Fourth-year head coach Ara Parseghian's Fighting Irish are selected at the top even though the sched- ule includes No. 3 Miami, No. 6 Michigan State, No. 8 USC and No. 12 Purdue. Notre Dame's offense includes the passing combination of Terry Hanratty to Jim Seymour, plus team captain Rocky Bleier at running back. The defense is led by Kevin Hardy along the line, John Pergine at linebacker and Tom Schoen in the secondary. "One of our assets is that we have our entire coaching staff back," Bleier commented. The feature notes that Parseghian's 25-3-2 record with a consensus national title practically mirrors Frank Leahy's first three seasons at Notre Dame (1941-43) in which he was 24-3-3, also with a consen- sus national title his third season. 20 Years Ago: Sept. 6, 1997 In 42-year-old Bob Davie's head coaching debut and the inaugural game of the revamped and ex- panded Notre Dame Stadium — the new seating capacity is 80,225 instead of 59,075 — the Fighting Irish rally to a 17-13 victory versus George O'Leary's Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Notre Dame drives 70 yards for the game-winning touchdown by junior running back Autry Denson, who scores on a one-yard run with just under three minutes remaining. The Irish defense makes victory possible when all four Georgia Tech possessions in the fourth quarter are three-and-out. The 12 plays by the Yellow Jackets total minus-eight yards, and they also miss two field goals after Irish turnovers at their own 29- and 32-yard line with Tech ahead 13-10. "All I ask for our players to do is just take the lead of the coaches," Davie said afterwards. "When something negative happens, we're going to be very calm. We're going to get the situation rectified, and if our players see the confidence our coaches have in them, things will work out." 15 Years Ago: Sept. 7, 2002 Notre Dame improves to 2-0 under first-year head coach Tyrone Willingham despite still not scoring a touchdown on offense. The 24-17 Irish victory at home versus Purdue sees all three Irish touchdowns scored by defensive backs: safety Gerome Sapp on a 54-yard fumble return, reserve cornerback Lionel Bolen catching a fumble and tallying from four yards out on the ensuing kickoff for a 14-0 lead, and cornerback Vontez Duff breaking a 17-17 tie by intercepting a Kyle Orton pass and returning it for a 33-yard score with 5:09 left in the contest. A week earlier the Irish defeated Maryland 22-0 with five field goals and a punt return for a score by Duff. It is the first time Notre Dame is 2-0 without a TD on offense. 5 Years Ago: Sept. 1, 2012 For the third time in its history and the first time in an opener, Notre Dame plays overseas. Third-year head coach Brian Kelly's unranked Fighting Irish open with a 50-10 rout of Navy at Dublin's Aviva Stadium in Ireland. The Irish amass 293 rushing yards, with Theo Riddick netting 107 and George At- kinson Jr. 99. Defensively, Stephon Tuitt returns a fumble for a 77-yard score — the first Irish lineman in 16 years to do so — while senior linebacker Manti Te'o records both his first interception and fumble recovery in his career. — Lou Somogyi Anniversaries In Notre Dame Football History: Sept. 1‑7 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED PO Box 2331 • Durham, NC 27702 1-800-421-7751 www.BlueGoldOnline.com Please add sales tax if shipping to: NC (7.5%), MI (6%), or IN (7%) Not Dame Watch by BULOVA Item #6483 $ 229 95 FREE S&H • Rectangular grey dial with stick markers • Sweeping "seconds" hand • Silver-tone case • Steel bracelet • Water resistant to 100 feet • Large blue ND logo • 3-year Bulova limited warranty • Packaged in an elegant display box 2017 SCHOLARSHIP RAFFLE 1st Place Prize: $500 and 2 tickets to ND-USC football (October 21) Raffle tickets may be purchased online at www.ndlehighvalley.org or by mailing checks made payable to "Notre Dame Club of Lehigh Valley" to: Kathy Butz, Penn State Paper 323 Sumner Ave., Allentown, PA 18102 (610) 433-7468 x202 All payments must be received by noon on Sept. 1 Raffle ticket prices: 1 for $5; 3 for $10; 7 for $20; 21 for $50 Winning raffle tickets will be drawn during halftime of gamewatch for football season opener on Sept. 2. Proceeds benefit current Notre Dame students who had graduated from high school in the Lehigh Valley. Thank you for your support! Go Irish! Stephon Tuitt contributed a 77-yard fumble return touchdown — the first by an Irish lineman in 16 years — in Notre Dame's 50-10 win over Navy in the 2012 season opener that was played in Ireland. PHOTO BY MICHAEL BENNETT