Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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UNDER THE DOME versus Pittsburgh Nov. 3 allowed third-year Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly to enter some exclu- sive company. He became the fifth Fighting Irish head coach The hard-fought 29-26 triple-overtime victory ✦ GIMME FIVE to have a 9-0 start, joining Knute Rockne, Frank Leahy, Ara Parseghian and Lou Holtz. Each of the other four also either finished unbeaten or won a national title in his third season — if not both. Par- seghian did not have a 9-0 start in his third season (1966, when a 10-10 tie at No. 2 Michigan State ruined it), but he still won the consensus national title that season. started 9-0, nine saw the Irish finish unbeaten, eight resulted in consensus national titles — and Notre Dame also recorded a 6-0 bowl record in the years it opted to accept bowl invitations. Here are the five Notre Dame coaches listed with their number of 9-0 starts: Of the 15 previous times that Notre Dame Coach (Number) 1. Knute Rockne (5) 1919, 1920, 1924, 1929, 1930 Years 2. Frank Leahy (4) 3t. Ara Parseghian (3) 1964, 1970, 1973 3t. Lou Holtz (3) 5. Brian Kelly (1) 2012 Anniversaries In Notre Dame Athletics History: Nov. 13-19 Notre Dame annals occurs when the Fighting Irish upset No. 2 Oklahoma, 7-0, in Norman. The victory snaps the two-time defending national champion Sooners' 47-game winning streak, which remains an NCAA record. Unranked Notre Dame enters 55 Years Ago: Nov. 16, 1957 The greatest upset victory in sion, capped by halfback Jim Lynch's four-yard run on fourth down. Fighting Irish head coach Terry Brennan eschews the field goal attempt. "We felt it would take a touch- down to win," Brennan said af- terwards. Junior quarterback Bob Wil- the game as a 19- to 21-point underdog after losing 34-6 to Michigan State the previous week. A year earlier, it had been trounced 40-0 by the Sooners. But on the day Oklahoma is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its statehood, Notre Dame puts together perhaps its most famous drive ever in the fourth quarter: 80 yards, 20 plays (19 rushes), 9:01 time of posses- liams, who called all the plays during the game-winning drive, also intercepts Oklahoma's last pass toward the end zone in the closing seconds. ing at Alabama, second-year head coach Lou Holtz's Fight- ing Irish respond with a 37-6 pounding of the No. 10-ranked Crimson Tide. The 8-1 and No. 7-ranked 25 Years Ago: Nov. 14, 1987 One year after a 28-10 thump- Notre Dame team rushes for 348 yards, with junior Mark Green and freshman Ricky Wat- ters scoring on 74- and 75-yard runs from their tailback slot during the fourth quarter. In his final game in Notre Dame Sta- dium, Tim Brown catches four passes for 114 yards. The win improves Notre Dame to 5-1 all time against Alabama and clinches the first eight-win season for the Irish in seven years. Notre Dame rallies to defeat Penn State 17-16 when junior fullback Jerome Bettis catches a fourth-down touchdown pass from senior quarterback Rick Mirer and senior tailback Reg- 20 Years Ago: Nov. 14, 1992 In the famous "Snow Bowl," 1943, 1947, 1948, 1949 1988, 1989, 1993