Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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WHERE HAVE YOU GONE? expectations on the outside that it could be worse in 1980. All-time leading rusher Vagas Fergu- son had graduated from the 1979 team (similar to all-time receiving king Mi- chael Floyd last spring), and there was minimal experience at quarterback, with freshman Blair Kiel (the late uncle of current freshman Gunner Kiel) having to take over by the second half of the third game. Other than Crable — the Manti Te'o of Gibbons finished his Notre Dame career with 140 tackles, nine interceptions and 10 passes broken up. PHOTO COURTESY NOTRE DAME MEDIA RELATIONS of Luther Bradley and Ted Burgmeier. After the graduation of future dentist Joe Restic at free safety, Gibbons shifted to the center field position of the defense in 1979. His consistency and leadership earned him the captaincy for his senior year in 1980 with two future consensus All-Americans in center John Scully — a piano virtuoso who has penned famous Notre Dame CDs — and linebacker Bob Crable, the school's all-time tackles leader (521). Worth area, Gibbons drove up to watch the Oct. 27 game at Norman, Okla. This 2012 Irish team brings back a flood of memories of his senior season and many parallels. Entering the 1980 campaign, the Irish REKINDLING 1980 MEMORIES Now residing in the Dallas-Fort were coming off their worst season in 16 years with a 7-4 record, and there were his time — the young defense was a cast of no names and even included a true freshman and 10-game starter at corner in Stacey Toran, a la KeiVarae Russell this season. The schedule was deemed a killer, including road trips to Michigan State, two-time defending national champ Alabama, Arizona and USC, plus host- ing Big Ten favorite Purdue, eventual Rose Bowl champ Michigan and rising power Miami. Oh, and to add to the drama, head coach Dan Devine announced he was resigning on Aug. 15, effective at the end of the season. Just when it seemed like the Irish foot- ball empire was crumbling … voila, by November, Notre Dame was 7-0 and No. 1 in the country. Headlining the ef- fort was a defense that set a school re- cord with 23 consecutive quarters of not permitting a touchdown, highlighted by the epic 7-0 defensive slugfest win at Alabama in which the Irish touchdown drive covered four yards. Crimson Tide head coach Bear Bryant's record dropped to 0-4 versus Notre Dame. The 2012 defense went 17 straight quarters without permitting a touch-