This game is sometimes overlooked in the annals of all-time great ND-USC meetings. Fight in the tunnel. Irish were a little flat in first half. Two first half Rocket fumbles. Todd Marinovich. Great second half rally that ended with Irish defense keeping Trojans from go ahead score. Scott Kowalkowski. Tony Rice and Anthony Johnson were both clutch in valiant second half comeback. Most importantly, this victory extended long win streak which would ultimately come to an end in Miami at 23 games.
Offense gets all the glamor, it seems, but there is nothing as exhilarating for me as a 4 down goal line stand. The 2009 Washington game, the first CU ND Orange Bowl, 2012 Stanford and 2012 USC.
THat was also a cold freaking game...
Likely because of the way the season played out but it was just a fun college football game. 3 goal line stands (roughing the snapper), Golden Tate having a field day. Washington had several opportunities to put the game away; ND hung in, took the lead in the last minute only to give it up on a last second field goal. An incredible 4th down pass break up to seal the game in OT.
Unfortunately, cold water hit everyone in the face next week against USC.
9th-ranked BC's first trip to Rock's House.
I know 1987 was at ND - Kent Graham started in place of Tony Rice, I believe.
1975 - ND 21 @UNC 14 (Joe Montana comeback; Ted Burgmeier late)
1975 - ND 31 @Air Force 30 (ridiculous Montana comeback)
1977 - ND 31 @Purdue 24 (More Joe, less Forstyek)
1977 - ND 21 @Clemson 17 (Death Valley Joe comeback)
1978 - ND 29 @MSU 25 (Kirk Gibson held in check)
1980 - ND 7 @Alabama 0 (Scott Zettek is a bad ass)
If any of these exist in whole or part on video, watch them.
We got about 45 yards in penalties on one drive and still converted for a first down and eventually a TD. Really a key game that kept us in the NC drive. As Devine said, there was one referee out there who was determined to see that Clemson won that game. And he almost did. Great game!
I really enjoyed the UCLA game where Quinn tossed the ball to the Shark, and he slowly evaded the entire defense on the way to the end zone during the final seconds of the game. Not your usual Hail Mary pass.
It was a unexpected ending to a really frustrating game, in the middle of a season that didn't live up to snuff.
When it became clear UCLA wasn't going to try to win the game on their final possession, I absolutely knew beyond the shadow of a doubt Quinn would win it for us. (I had the same feeling the year prior against Stanford after they unexpectedly grabbed the lead late.)
I don't know if it's just my youthful optimism fading away, but I did not get that feeling against Virginia Tech last year, though I was pleased to be wrong.
I've ever attended. From this game came the tee shirt "Rocket Tops Tennessee".
you must have me on ignore...what'd I ever do to you? (kidding)
I agree with you...it was a fantastic game
‘84 was the first win there since ‘66.
‘86 was the game when Lou’s team turned the corner after several close losses with a furious fourth-quarter rally and final-play FG.
In '84 my friend Big Lou and me stayed to the very end in the downpour because we'd never seen ND beat SC in LA. We lit up soggy cigars at the end laughed and laughed and laughed. Sidebar...two of the Trojans on that SC team, Tim McDonald and Matt Johnson, were my son's coaches at Fresno Edison. And my son was Tim's QB coach at Edison while he was in college. I still have the game program...you can tell that it's been in a downpour.
'86 game...I was there again with Big Lou...he was moaning and bewailing ND's fate when they were so far behind in the 4th quarter. I remember telling him that the Irish still had a shot...and lo and behold...Timmy Brown happened and became next year's Heisman front runner with what he did in the 4th. We laughed and laughed and laughed again. Life was good.
#1 vs #2. Tony Rice and the Rocket. And Keith Jackson is still searching his game notes to match up the #42 with Stan Smagala.
is what one must have in the Coliseum.
11 straight victory over top 25. 425 yards rushing.
I attended the game. Sweet victory.
that you knew Tony Rice (never a good passer) would not be able to throw at all.
Yet PSU couldn't stop the run even though they knew it was coming all day long.
Got the monkey off our back and secured the title game spot.
1993: Absolute domination of a very good A&M team. That's an A&M team that would embarrass a Brian Kelly coached team on prime time television.
1994: A tough win against an A&M team that was better than the year before. How the hell did Lou get them up to play that game??
highlight of a lackluster season
didn't want to credit Bob Crable with the block. Bo said the kick was low and would have missed any way.
down of the Trojans
watching the team come out in the green jerseys is priceless.
especially with the drama of the final review.
level. It was a great way to end for the Class of 1988.
lost the next week to penn state (close game, IIRC there were some questionable decisions by Lou, including putting Graham in during an obvious passing situation which led to an INT, going for 2 late instead of the tie, etc.). Then got smoked by Miami, in a game that made Daniel Stubbs a lot of money later on for doing basically nothing in the NFL. Lost to A/M in the cotton bowl.
Of course, after that, they went on a 23 game winning streak.
in order to bask in the warm memory of that game. Many classmates came down onto the field after the game- we sang the Alma Mater on the 50, tried to get a photo, but ran out of film, dispersed out Green Field, then onto Senior Bar or off-campus parties.
I'm glad Tim Brown jumped on the Aggie that stole his towel. I sure as hell remember that.
after the game, said "the best is yet to come" and introduced the senior captains. I think 2 of them were offensive linemen - maybe he was losing 3 OL that year? Of course, the guys who replaced were even better in 1988.
Apparently to push for the Orange Bowl.
After the game, the sideline reporter asked Lou about it and Lou said "I am glad the students don't want us to go the Gator Bowl!"
This gentleman is a saint
It's definitely a great starting point, but there are several games on there with videos that aren't listed, or better videos than the ones that are (the Oldie videos from 2005 and '06, to start with).
I have been to all but one of them (2014).
If I had to rank them:
1988 (If Gillette hits the field goal, Michigan probably wins the NC)
1982 (First night game ever - my sophomore year)
1990 (Grbac interception in the end zone started the turn around)
2014 (37-0 - the series should have ended forever after this game)
2018 (Harbaugh and his five star QB debut never really in the game)
2012 (13-6)
game and a physical beating in South Bend (thank you, Larry Conjar, offensive line, and defense), the 1966 USC game was a return to the scene of the 1964 crime and a thorough and clinical ass-kicking. USC got reamed, steamed, and dry-cleaned.
except possibly on the west coast. Because of restrictions on tv appearances back then, since we had already been national game of the week twice - Purdue and MSU, I believe, the game could only be shown regionally. I know that there was no way to see it back in Y-town, so it was radio only. I've seen highlights, but never the whole game from start to finish.
via "closed circuit tv".
Syria Mosque was a concert hall. Closed circuit tv featured no advertisements - you could hear the play by play announcer and the color commentator talking during the breaks.
I also saw the 1974 Notre Dame vs Pitt game at the same venue, same closed circuit tv broadcast. That was the game where ND held Tony Dorsett to 61 yards while they rammed fullback Wayne Bullock down Pitt's throat, especially in the last 8 minutes of the 4th quarter when ND drove 55 yards for the winning TD. Carry after carry went to Bullock and Pitt couldn't stop Wayne The Train. He ran for 124 yards in that game. One of the beauties of this was that the Syria Mosque was located in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh which is the Pitt campus. Plenty of disappointed and whining Pitt fans there that day. It was quite enjoyable for me, though.
The TV networks tended to reuse videotape at that time; so most games of that era exist only on highlight films. For instance, SuperBowl 1 was thought to be lost and required a substantial effort to piece it together. I believe only the second half of the 1966 game against Michigan State is available.
Some of Leahy's Lads were able to construct a highlight tape of games that era with bits and pieces of highlight films that were saved.
BTW the game was shown on campus and rerun many times. Perhaps someone at the local TV had the foresight to save a copy.
It is a coach’s tape though. Not the ABC broadcast. It was interesting that neither Bud Wilkinson or Chris Schenkel questioned Ara’s Choices at the end of the game
1977 USC (Green Jersey)
1978 Texas Cotton Bowl
1988 Miami (save Jimmy's Ass for me)
1989 Fiesta West Va
1992 Penn State Snow Bowl
1993 Florida State
1966 MSU second Half - we dominated that half
So many of them have occurred in the last 20 years.
whimpering quietly, somewhat disoriented, and staring longingly at my wall poster of all-time great ND coaches.
I was watching "The Rites of Autumn" when I learned that Fielding Yost showed the Michigan way. The game in discussion was Red Granges's famous game against them when he scored 4 touchdowns in the first 12 minutes of the game (95 yard KO return and runs of 67, 56, and 44 yards). After each of the first 3 touchdowns, Yost elected to kick the ball off to Illinois.
Southern Cal was one of the most enjoyable games I’ve ever been to. We were up big before you could blink and the seas parting for Adams’ long touchdown run was the perfect cherry on top.
LSU win in Death Valley has to be one of the most unexpected dominant performances by a Notre Dame team ever. I’d love to watch it again.
Chris Rix just turned the ball over again as I typed this.
Tennessee was stacked with athletes and Rocket just owned that game. a couple of great punt returns...one sweep play where he hit the corner and jetted up the sidelines some 50ish yards.
Lou Holtz was a very good strategist going into a game, but incredibly crafty during it.
He’ll make the trip but he will not play.
He’ll make the trip, dress but not play.
The pundits didn't think ND could deal with the Vols' speed.
If memory serves, both teams were in the top five. It was an incredibly loud and hostile atmosphere down there and only the third Irish-Vols meeting at the time.
MSU 76 would be a personal one as it was my first game ever attended, although it was at MSU.
Michigan was the first ND I attended in person. It set the standard for me.
Miami was later that fall. The Rocket donned his Superman cape when things were starting to look iffy.
Dominant running performance at home, shutting up Keyshawn Johnson, what’s not to like?