Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com SEPT. 11, 2017 5 FAN FORUM SEC SUCCESS I have been a Blue & Gold Illustrated subscriber since 1983, but this is the first time I have written a letter to your publication. With the upcoming game against Georgia, I would like to make a point about Notre Dame's all-time record against Southeastern Conference teams. Although the record is usually given as 19-13, it seems more logical to also count those games against former members Tulane and Georgia Tech at the time the game was played when both were in the league. Notre Dame was 6-0 against Tulane and 8-2 versus Georgia Tech, so this would raise the record to 33-15. An example would be 1949 when Notre Dame beat Tulane, 46-7. This can't be considered a win over an AAC champion — Tulane's cur- rent league — as that conference did not exist in 1949. Tulane did win the SEC in 1949. Rusty George Shreveport, La. Mr. George, what a good and informa‑ tive first letter — even if it took 34 years to send it. Thank you for your support and patronage through the decades in Bayou country. It is greatly valued. You are spot on with the history. The SEC was formed in December 1932 with 13 charter members. Ten of them are still with the conference: Ala‑ bama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Ken‑ tucky, LSU, Mississippi, Mississippi State, Tennessee and Vanderbilt. Three other members from 1932 even‑ tually left the conference: The University of the South (Sewanee) in 1940, Georgia Tech in 1964 and Tulane in 1966. I think most people look at the afore‑ mentioned 10 as the "real SEC" because they have been with the league since its formation in 1932. The 19‑13 breakdown you speak of is as follows: • 6‑5 versus LSU, the most recent the 31‑28 victory in the 2014 Music City Bowl • 5‑2 versus Alabama, most recently the 42‑14 defeat in the BCS National Championship Game in January 2013 • 4‑4 versus Tennessee, including win‑ ning the last two in 2004‑05 • 2‑0 versus Vanderbilt in 1995‑96 • 1‑1 versus Ole Miss (loss in 1977, win in 1985) • 1‑0 versus Florida (1992 Sugar Bowl) • 0‑1 versus Georgia (1981 Sugar Bowl) Interestingly, the Notre Dame foot‑ ball media guide has the all‑time record against the SEC as 27‑18. That's because it also has the Irish 3‑1 against South Carolina, 3‑2 against Texas A&M and 2‑2 against Missouri. However, all of those games versus that trio came prior to when they became members of the SEC, so they really shouldn't count. Meanwhile, in our preseason edition of Blue & Gold Illustrated recounting the late Ara Parseghian's greatest victories or moments at Notre Dame, we listed the 1970 LSU game as the "first meeting" against an SEC opponent. It was the "first" among the current configuration — but not if you include Tulane and Georgia Tech, as you did, when they were SEC members. Yours is the most accurate and logical take. BE HEARD! Send your letters to: Letters Blue & Gold Illustrated P. O. Box 1007, Notre Dame, IN 46556 or e-mail to: lsomogyi@blueandgold.com FROM THE WEBSITE The news about 2015-16 Notre Dame start- ing quarterback DeShone Kizer, who turned pro after his junior year, being announced as the Cleveland Browns starter for the opener led to many different reactions on BlueandGold.com. Here's a sample: Groggygrizzly: Kizer is cashing checks, well hopefully depositing them … Not sure what was there to be had by hanging around South Bend for another year. Grizz23: I hope he does well and represents ND in his usual positive way. Love seeing ex- Irish players do well in the league. ZZnd1: We had a QB on the team last year capable of winning the starting job on an NFL team. And, 50% of the fan base wanted him benched, in favor of a QB who transferred to another college and now finds himself a backup. How could so many be so obtuse? VandyPete: Lots of opinions that he should sit and watch a more experienced QB play, etc. Would agree except how much would he really learn from sitting and watching Brock Osweiler, Cody Kessler or Kevin Hogan play? Just hope he continues to improve. He has the arm, attitude and body frame to make it. YSUbest: As a Browns fan I'm excited be- cause we finally have a QB that can make more than a five-yard pass and is a red zone run weapon. Is he ready to play in the NFL? Heck no. It's going to be ugly at times, but if the Browns can run the ball he will look pretty good and make plays Browns fans haven't seen on offense since maybe the '80s. Tross282003: The QB competition split the team and caused a big psychological blow to Kizer's confidence. We would have most likely gone 8-4 to 9-3 last year even with a bad de- fense if it wasn't for the fake QB competition. Kizer would have gone in the top 10 in the draft last year. Mgormal1: Kizer was really bad last year in the 4th. Prior year he was really good. Truth is probably somewhere in between. Notre Dame's most recent meeting versus an SEC team came against LSU in the 2014 Music City Bowl, when the Irish edged the Tigers 31-28. PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA