Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/95140
UNDER THE DOME Anniversaries In Notre Dame Athletics History: December rout of No. 3 USC in Los Angeles to clinch the national title, Notre Dame quarterback/defensive back John Lujack is flown cross country to New York to receive the Heisman Trophy on a Tuesday night in New York City. The first and still lone quarter- 65 Years Ago: Dec. 9, 1947 Three days after leading a 38-7 back to direct three national titles during his college career — after serving as a Navy ensign during World War II in 1944-45 — Lu- jack's 742 points outdistance Michigan's Bob Chappuis' 555. Also finishing in the balloting are SMU sophomore running back Doak Walker (third) and Penn junior center Chuck Bednarik (seventh) — both of whom will have future major college awards named after them. Lujack, who will turn 88 on Jan. 4, remains the oldest living Heis- man Trophy winner. Brennan's Fighting Irish complete the greatest turnaround season in school history at the time with a 54-21 victory against SMU. A year after opening the 1956 55 Years Ago: Dec. 7, 1957 Fourth-year head coach Terry turnovers after falling behind 7-0, including intercepting two passes thrown by future Monday Night Football broadcaster "Dandy Don" Meredith. Lineman Dick Prendergast also induces a Mer- edith fumble. Quarterback Bob Williams scores twice and inter- cepts a pass, while halfback Pat Doyle also crosses the goal line twice. It is the first time in seven years Notre Dame eclipses 50 points, and it won't happen again for an- other eight years. hopes alive for a national title with a 48-10 victory at Miami. Quarterback Joe Montana com- 35 Years Ago: Dec. 3, 1977 No. 5 Notre Dame keeps its season with a 19-13 loss at SMU en route to a 2-8 record, the 1957 Irish close with the rout of the Mustangs to finish 7-3 and No. 10 in the final Associated Press poll. Notre Dame forces seven SMU pletes 15 of 26 passes for 192 yards with touchdown passes of 23 yards to running back Vagas Ferguson, and four and five yards to All-American tight end Ken MacAfee. Re- serve sophomore line- backer Bobby Leopold also scores his third career touch- down off an interception. Next up is No. 1 Texas in the Cotton Bowl, an invitation Notre Dame accepted two weeks ear- lier. The Fighting Irish will likely need "style points" to vault all the way from No. 5 to No. 1 with No. 2 Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl against Lou Holtz's Arkansas team and No. 3 Alabama playing Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl. comes Notre Dame's seventh Heisman Trophy winner, and the first in 23 years. He joins Nebras- ka's Johnny Rodgers (1972) as the only two players since 1950 to win the award without lining up at quarterback or running back. With 1,442 points in the bal- 25 Years Ago: Dec. 5, 1987 Senior flanker Tim Brown be- loting, Brown easily outdistances Syracuse quarterback Don McPherson (831), who directs the Orange to an 11-0 record. Holy Cross two-way player Gordie Lockbaum is third (657) and Mich- igan State running back Lorenzo White fourth (632). Because Notre TIM BROWN punt returns) as not eye-popping enough, and point out that the name "Notre Dame" helped him the most. "I'm not going to apologize for Dame loses its last two games to Penn State (21-20) and Miami (24-0), critics point to Brown catching only 39 passes and scor- ing a total of seven touchdowns (three on going to Notre Dame," Brown re- plied. "I did it to better myself as a person." — Lou Somogyi