He was like reading Skip Bayless. When you read his column, you wondered right after why you wasted your time on his complete nonsense.
Pennick was also injured and with Al Hunter suspended, ND was very weak at halfback. Fullback Wayne Bullock became the lead ball carrier for a run driven offense.
I have to believe that if he was healthy, Best would have played a lot in 1974, although there was the story that he was injured jumping out of a window in a SMC dorm.
Best played against GT in the opener- and fractured his jaw on his 3rd carry of the season....IIRC Best did not start the game due to foot blisters he had developed in the pre-season.
He missed the next two games and came back with a oddly shaped face mask-with an overhang extended downward(to protect his jaw) in Game 4 vs Michigan ST
Best finished with 241 yds rushing in 7 games - 4th on the team(Bullock, Samuel and Clements finished 1 through 3)
Best missed the NW & Purdue games with the jaw injury...and later DNP vs Pitt & USC
Best's top rushing performance in '74 was vs Air Force = 8 carries 69 yds
Best rushing by game in 1974
G 1 GT 3 carries for 2 yds
G 4 MSU 6 for 30 yds
G 5 Rice 6 for 9 yds
G 6 Army 10 for 66 yds
G 7 Mia 9 for 37 yds
G 8 Navy 9 for 28 yds
G10 AF 8 for 69 yds
Best played 111 minutes 42 sec in '74...the year before he was credited with 221.21 in minutes played
book but I couldn't remember exactly what it was. As I posted before, I started it but never finished it. Thanks Olson for reminding me about that bio.
I had NO idea that Twombly accused the '74 Irish team of tanking the SC game. That is outrageous and I am rather surprised neither Ara or the University of Notre Dame didn't sue that hack. Can you imagine if such a charge was levied against ND in this day and age of social media and viral tweets?
Of course the media roundly accused ND of racism over Ty Willingham so there ya go.
But Olson....you buried the lede in your post....
The real story from the Observer was the Helen Reddy/Peter Allen concert at Notre Dame! Heh!
Twombly was a joke.
He was a horrendous writer and or family never approved the final version of the book.
As you pointed out..his facts were often way off.
Once again a great write up.
Thanks
I felt all the way through it that Twombly had an axe to grind with ND and he went out of his way to do so. Unfortunately, he did a disservice to Frank Leahy in the process. If I ever wrote a book on Leahy, it would point out w/o question his love for his alma mater and especially for Rockne. Along with his family that was his life.
I bought the book when it came out oh so many years ago. Still have it but view it now with a jaundiced eye.
Its a great book.
Great insights to the personalities of all his players
Good job correcting the intentional errors by MT. As I've stated before, LOVE the posts about the Lads.
Also Johnny Latner's grandson--John Spillane--had a decent stint in the Steelers preseason game vs. Bucs Friday. Plays ILB, from Wester Michigan, was on Titans' roster for some games in 2018.
Although there were rumbles of discontent from Notre Dame alumni over the fair-to-middling 6-4 season just completed, the writers had no reason to doubt Krause's statement. The 1958 Irish, while not measuring up to the formidable standards of Rockne- and Leahy-coached teams, still played exciting football, drew near-record crowds and always stayed within striking distance of victory even in the four games they lost. More important, the team and its coach seemed to fit well into a university whose president, the Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh, has been striving mightily to raise academic standards, gain prestige and place football in its proper status in university affairs: an important but not domineering force.
Died of liver disease in 1977 at the young age of 41.
Too bad he didn't get to see ND win it all that season.