Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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national title at Notre Dame (or most anywhere) were listed. The first four included a Hall of A year ago in the 2011 Blue & Gold Illustrated Football Preview, the five most common links to winning a With A Little Luck … Fame head coach, clutch quarterback play, an All-American pass rusher, schedule … and, finally, some stroke(s) of luck. The late Texas head coach Darrell Royal defined luck as "when prepara- tion meets opportunity." He experi- enced that during his own run to the 1969 national title with some amazing fourth-down plays and fourth-quarter rallies — plus a missed officiating call in the 1970 Cotton Bowl against Notre Dame — during thrilling victories over No. 2 Arkansas (15-14) and the Fight- ing Irish (21-17). For Brian Kelly during a 9-0 start this year, five games were decided by seven points or less — two of them in overtime. Some might contend it could be the law of averages balancing out. The Irish were 0-3 in games decided by four points or less last season. Plus, in head coach Charlie Weis' final season in 2009, Notre Dame lost six games by seven or fewer points, including the last four to finish 6-6. And for heaven's sakes, what are the odds of two different opponents beating you while returning fumbles for touchdowns after you drove down Senior safety Zeke Motta and the rest of his Irish teammates have lived on the edge on the field, but they have earned every win. PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA to their 1-yard line? That might be a once-every-40-years occurrence — but it happened twice last season in Fight- ing Irish setbacks at home to South Florida and USC. "You get what you deserve," Kelly said of those odd 2011 bounces. In Kelly's final two seasons at Cin- cinnati (2008-09), his Bearcats always THE FIFTH QUARTER LOU SOMOGYI