Yesterday's blog was the best Notre Dame football game I've ever seen. Today's blog is going to be the most painful Notre Dame game I've ever seen.The year after I graduated from Notre Dame, they had one amazing season. When the Irish faced Florida State on November 13, 1993, Florida State was ranked #1 and Notre Dame was ranked #2. In a nail biting game, Notre Dame pulled off the upset of the season, beating Florida State 31-24. (And yes, I was at that game as well! It's funny, because this 1993 Notre Dame/FSU game is called the "Game of the Century" ... but for me, that Notre Dame/PSU game in 1992 is my "Game of the Century!")
The next weekend I returned to campus for the Notre Dame/Boston College game, which should have been a fairly easy win for the Irish, and should have taken them one step closer to Notre Dame's 12th National Title. The year before, in 1992, the Irish had easily beaten Boston College 54-7, but on this cold South Bend day, that would not be the case.
With just over a minute left to play in the game, Notre Dame finished a winning drive, scoring the should have been winning touchdown, putting the Irish ahead of Boston College 39-38. The student body had already begun to celebrate their win, thinking that it would be no problem to hold Boston College for just over a minute ... when all of the sudden we looked up to see Boston College getting dangerously close to field goal range. Before we even really knew what had happened, Boston College ran one final play that got them into field goal range ... and David Gordon kicked the winning 41 yard field goal ... upsetting the #1 ranked Irish 41-39.
We were absolutely stunned. Had we not just beaten the #1 team in the nation last weekend?? Was our guard really down that much that we lost to Boston College, on Senior Day ... the last game of the season. Yes, that was the case.
I will never forget that feeling ... that pit in my stomach. And I will never underestimate what any team can do with only a minute left on the clock!
Cheers!
The week leading to the FSU game was incredible. Electricity in the air. The excitement was like being a 6 year old kid on Christmas day. :-) I still have the Tshirt "...the day the numbers change!!"
ReplyDelete- SB
You are right, we were all stunned.
ReplyDeleteStill after all those years i loathe BC from the bottom of my soul. They ruined my senior year. Even with my last breath on earth i would wish them pestilence and cholera. :-)
Amen Stefan! I came back to campus that year for every game but the Pitt game (I had just graduated the year before, and a friend who was a Senior sold me her ticket book as she was an EMT on the field and didn't need them) ... and what a season it was.
ReplyDelete*sigh*
I can't wait until Notre Dame is "back!!"
Some Multimedia:
ReplyDeletePre-Game Intro:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cipJq3ZHuuQ
That intro was spot on.
First ESPN Gameday
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cipJq3ZHuuQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxp6sGeKgjk
And as usual Lee Corso was wrong :-)
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ReplyDeleteJust another memory flashback:
ReplyDeleteIt was a heck of a year. Starting with the INT TD by Pete Bercich against Northwestern, right in front of the student section. And pretty much ended with a missed Bercich INT chance that set up BC's gamewinner, right in front of the student section.
The intensity of the FSU game was unmatched. After the BC game I think i sat nearly half an hour on those bleachers, finally understanding what disbelief felt like. Walking back to Keenan, I looked up at the #1 just as it was switched off.
I found a great You Tube video too ...
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYpMLpmemaQ