College football fanaticism was new to me so the hoopla on campus even on an away game was kind of amazing.
So, watching with my new dorm friends while downing a few beers was fun when it was 24-7 (?) at half-time. I was having a blast since I didn't even have a high-school team to root for before coming to ND. So all this rah-rah stuff was new to me. (My hometown was too small and too poor to have a HS team.)
Then friggin' Anthony Davis returned the opening kick of the second half for a 102-yard touchdown.
And that started "The Comeback" and that was that.
The worst was the 74 game when we fell apart in the 2nd half. It hurt so much it was the only sports contest I think I ever left early. The sad sight of Anthony Davis at subsequent games looking like a bum
Drenched in the game Theismann threw for about 500 yards in a monsoon
Scott Hempel's FG try that hit the center of the crossbar about 4 inches short in a tie game
The refs - 64 holding penalty, the Paul MacDonald "pass", the USC touchdown with the ball laying at the 2 yard line in our possession
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51 to zero revenge
REMEMBER game
Puncture the Trojans signs
Green Machine rolls (USC doesn't teach the Iliad, Horses are not Trojan, friend
Eric Pennick
Robert Hughes mauling Chris Galippo
1988 Tony Rice and Frank Stams
Great game terrible end.
Cliffy
I've been to four ND/USC games - 1999, 2003, 2005, 2011. Never had a bad experience with a Trojan fan. I recall having a brief conversation with one outside the stadium prior to the 2005 game where we both agreed it was more fun that both teams were good.
As far as games, 2003 sucked butt, but I think I disliked 2011 more because of the hype coming into it and the sheer absurdity of giving up two 90-plus yard fumble return TDs in the same season (the first of which, South Florida, I also saw in person).
Helping my Dad in the garage, we listened to the game on a tube radio fully expecting Ara to complete an undefeated first season against a mediocre wanker USC team.
At 17-0, I left the garage to play football with my older brother's friends at the Pine Avenue Grammar School Field. When we came home late for dinner, we were shocked at the result.
The best (1988 was a distant second) was 1973 game that featured the run by Penick assisted by great blocks by duo of St. Francis Prep guards plus Art Best. We had not beaten Coach McKay since the 1966 wipe out. Props also to Luther Bradley on Swann.
From our seats as seniors, the crowd looked like a wave as Eric quickly covered the 85 yards advancing toward the freshmen seats in the corner of the end zone.
A few weeks later, Tommy "Ding" Mendoza brought Art over to our house on St. Peter's along with John Gambone and Al Hunter where sometimes the party never ended. Keep on Trucking" was the mural painted on our wall by roommate Jim Lussier (Navy Aviator > Mateer Harbert).
I did not know Penick until he picked me up at the circle hitch-hiking second semester...Rick
The Good:
1986- My first ND game (age 9). Huge comeback, last second game winning FG by Carney.
1988- 1 vs 2 , dominating victory
1999- big 2nd half comeback, winds changed and rain stopped for us
2005- This will be a controversial take here. As much as the ending ripped my heart out, up until that point it was the best gameday experience I’ve ever had anywhere. That game was epic, and from an objective standpoint, I’m glad I got to experience it.
The bad:
1994- tie. And god damn if that’s not the coldest FB game I’ve ever been to, and it was in LA.
1996- Sanson missed XP leads to OT loss. Decade+ of dominance over
1998- Eric Chappell
2002,2003,2004- 31 point beat downs
2006- Maybe this is the year??? Nope.
2011- 3rd game I attended that year, USF and Michigan being the other 2
2014- Felt like William Wallace’s friends who went to watch him be executed. I knew what was going to happen.
The indifferent: The following games were not all that memorable, but we won most of them. I guess I just expected victory at the time, and most met expectations.
1987 (W)
1989 (W)
1990 (W)
1991 (W)
1992 (W)
1993 (W)
1997 (L)
2000 (W)- made it to the 2nd half after my grandma’s funeral. She would have wanted it that way.
The ending ripped all our hearts out, but especially with the retroactive knowledge that Weis wasn't a good coach anyway and Texas almost certainly would've stomped us into dust in the BCS championship game, it's easy to appreciate being there to witness one of the most memorable CFB moments in history.
And like you said, the game day atmosphere was something I've never in my life come close to experiencing (too young to have been around for any of the prior huge games at ND) and don't ever expect to again.
Revenge for 1964. About as thorough a shellacking as I ever saw.
Worst: 2005. It was a great game, but I was devastated by the result.
Conjar was in Alumni. I think the guy scored all four touchdowns. He was a god. Many years later, I was at a plaza on the Tollroad heading east for a game and saw a big SUV with CONJAR as the license plate, Wisconsin state. I didn't see him or would have thanked him for 1965. I had to listen to 1964 on a transistor radio. Have never forgotten the disbelief that they lost it.
Instead we lose on a phantom USC touchdown.
On the front page of the Sports section in the LA Times, there was a photo of the ball on the ground, with a white circle around it, as Harper crossed the goal line.
As I recall, Mike Gann picked up the fumble and was running off the field, holding the ball aloft in victory, but behind him, in the Peristyle end zone, the ref signaled “Touchdown!” and the SC fans exploded in victory.
Gann stopped and turned around, shocked at what had just happened.
1978 all over again.
But honestly, the best year was 1995. I was a first year in law school in Atlanta and I just knew we were going to win that game — late October in South Bend? No way they’d win. I guaranteed victory to anybody who would listen and I agreed to a lot of bets against Notre Dame. I walked around Buckhead that night, drunk and happy after a 38-10 win and knowing that I was a few hundred bucks richer.
For our five-year anniversary, my wife and I went to Vegas for our first trip. We renewed our vows at the Elvis chapel and all that stuff.
The weekend we chose to go was 10/16/1999, and the Irish were hosting Southern Cal. I decided to watch the game in the MGM sportsbook. Unfortunately, sitting nearby were a number of SC fans who were obnoxious from the kickoff. By the end of the half, in the interest of not getting arrested for pummeling somebody, I managed to locate some fellow ND fans at the other side of the book and went to sit with them. "See ya!" was the shouted reply from the SC dicks.
The second half went much better, and when the SC assholes left the book after Jabari Holloway recovered the fumble in the end zone for a TD, I serenaded them with a "See ya!" of my own. The extended birds warmed my heart.
message on our family phone for years. Took a few attempts to correctly cue up the VCR. I actually think it was my dad’s idea
Watching the 1974 game at my grandmother’s house.
1978 - Great Montana-led comeback; refs stole it at the end. Incomplete pass my ass.
2005 - Ambrose Wooden did not turn around and locate the ball.
Best were 1986 (Tim Brown punt return), 1988 (Frank Stams took out Rodney Peete) and 1992 (Brooks runs wild, Carter INT to clinch it)
For games I watched on TV, 1970 was the most painful (two fumbles in the third quarter gave USC 14 points in a monsoon). The 1966 game was the most enjoyable to watch.
I listened to the 1964 game on the radio with my dad. Another referee screw job.
AD took the kickoff at the Peristyle end of the field at the beginning of the 2nd half and ran it back for a TD, right past the ND sidelines.
A terrible day.
But, 1988 was glorious in the same place.
who danced on his knees in the endzone? Am I making all of that up? Is it true that that game pushed Parseghian to decide to retire?
1978 defalcation on the miscall of Paul McDonald's fumble as an incomplete pass. The 1974 second half disaster was no joy either.
My worst ND/SC experience is a tie between the 2 games I watched on tv in the dorm - 1972 (my freshman year, AD 6 touchdown game) and 1974 (losing big after a 24-6 halftime lead). My best experience was 1973, standing in the student section watching Eric Penick run for 85 yards to score the TD that gave ND an insurmountable 20-7 lead. A close second on best experience is being in the stands for the 1977 game. I drove up from Austin with my girlfriend (now wife) for her first ND game experience, which included attending the pep rally at Stepan Center the night before.
Notre Dame's initial first down in the game came on he last play of the 3rd quarter (one of only 4 in the game, all long after the game had been decided). I am pretty sure USC subbed in their 2nd team D line for that series. I had 50 yardline seats but among USC season ticketholders - a painful memory. So much for the schematic advantage on offense.
We were on the 45, in the middle of USC alums, and they razzed every ND fan that left early, so my dad and I sat there until the bitter end, just to not provide them the satisfaction.
2004 was the 3rd consecutive year that we/Ty had lost to Southern Cal by 31 points. I didn't realize until now that Willingham and Weis were a combined 0-8 against Southern Cal. Kelly beat Southern Cal in his first year on the job.
2014 - I had forgotten we lost 5 of our last 6 regular season games. After being ranked as high as 5th, we fell into the basement and through the basement floor into a sewage tunnel.
9 year run. I am not so optimistic Kelly would have a .500 record against Carroll, and most here would consider me on the Kelly-optimist side.
I watched it on TV with my cousins, uncles and dad (all ND grads and future ND grads). As I recall the game was played in the pouring rain. On the line that game was an undefeated season and a Heisman trophy for Theisman. Joe spent the entire second half passing the ball and we tried to come back but lost by 10.
The next year we were at the game in South Bend. I honestly don't remember the fight that broke out. I just remember Cliff Brown throwing interceptions and Southern Cal beat us again.
The rain in 1984 was much worse.
The 1970 game seemed strange, being there. It seemed like ND was never really in it, to me, and I knew we were going to lose by the end of the first half.
they out toughed us.
And then at the end when the White Stripes music was pumped in and the SC sideline got more juiced up than our guys...the most miserable game I've been to.
We got crushed, and still this drunk USC guy spits at me, a woman in ND gear who was old enough to be his mom. My cousin took a step or 2 toward him to have words or more, but my brother held him back, which I think was the better part of valor considering where we were. I’ll never go to another game there.
Section.
In '67, they had this guy named "Simpson." And they were still pissed about '66.
the last play (2005 and 2009) on the opposite goal line, two were absolute shellings (2007 38-0 that could have been worse, 2011 two score game that felt much worse). I have not been back since and we have won every home game in the series since. Take your pick of which is the worst. Honestly, I lean toward 2011.
2007 was fucking brutal.
Petey called the dogs off in the 4th Quarter. That was embarrassing.
and honestly I don’t think anyone was close to touching him. That could have been 59-0 if Carroll wanted it to be, I believe.
2006 was frustrating but at least they showed up. McKnight kept dropping 3rd down passes that would have extended drives. Tough night.
2010, 2012 and 2018 in the Coliseum made up for those games though.
2012 was really an amazing day. Finishing the season 12-0 and ranked #1 in the country as the team paraded off the Coliseum field was quite unforgettable. At that moment too, we all thought the national championship was a real possibility.
My son and I were two rows from the top, but on the 50 yard line. SC profs on either side of us. I bought the tickets from StubHub, and found out they were SC faculty tickets.
When ND snuffed out SC's chance to score on the Peristyle end of the field - the same place where an SC fumble in 1982 was called a touchdown, it was sweet.
Our 2 linebackers came in and pinched the SC running back down for a loss. Very nice.
Kind of a Sci Fi thing, having your past wiped out. But I'm still here, so the NCAA can eat a dick.
Similar to the Trojans vacating the "Bush Push" 2005 game, which I attended..I keep reading references to that game, so apparently, it did happen..
I think it ended up 10-0, with Eric Chappell and/or Arnaz Battle at QB. Maybe it rained that night too. Seats were in a different area code. Traffic out sucked.
Jarious Jackson had been injured the game before at home vs. LSU, taking a knee in the endzone for a safety while absorbing a hit that blew out his ACL. Not sure what bowl game matchup followed that USC loss. I am sure ND lost.
Remember when ND had to make a goal line stop against Army to preserve its lead and win the game?
Yeah. That was 1998.
Also the year Michigan State took us apart in the first half.
I think we knew after that game that Bob Davie was not up to snuff.
Assuming you mean the Ivory Covington stop on the 2 point conversion to preserve the 28-27 win. Your larger point remains.
Now, I have to re-center my view of that game. It was during Lou's era that that near loss occurred. Wow.
that ended up with a DB making a tackle on the 1-yard line or thereabouts.
Jerking around against bad teams, beating them with goal line stands or
by blocking field goals. A mediocre march towards a grim finale.
That's some great stuff, there, RagingBull.
Post more often.
I broke my ankle jumping up and down in the stands during the 1977 Trojan Horse game. I was a junior in high school and was visiting my brother during his freshman year.
Worth it..
My brother, UC Davis grad, a year older than I, sat with me.
When ND came out in the green jerseys and the place went batshit, I turned to my brother and said, "SC's fucked."
It helped having Montana, Burgmeir, and McAfee wearing the green jerseys.