Tag: Allen Rossum

History of Notre Dame’s rivalry with Navy

This rivalry is filled more history than nearly any other rivalry in college football.

Few rivalries in college football have as much history and prestige as Notre Dame-Navy.

Except for the COVID-19-affected season, these programs have played each other every year since 1927. Even with the college football landscape seemingly always in flux, there’s no reason to think this rivalry will stop anytime soon. Most fans on both sides are fine with that, even if the Irish have won the vast majority of the meetings.

If for no other reason, Notre Dame owes it to Navy to keep the rivalry going. When Notre Dame faced financial difficulties during World War II, the Navy opted to use the university as a training ground for its V-12 program. The money the Navy paid for that usage kept the university from going under, so Notre Dame feel it’s forever in its debt.

The result is many memorable moments over the years. Here are some of them:

Notre Dame football countdown: Friday, May 19

Hope you weren’t late to your seat because you would have missed the most exciting play of the game!

The countdown until Notre Dame football returns to the field is officially on as today we go under 100 days. On Thursday, we started our countdown by looking back at [autotag]Lou Holtz[/autotag] in honor of his 100 wins as Notre Dame’s head coach.

Today it’s another Notre Dame great we look back on but it isn’t his jersey number we’re doing it because of.  Instead, 99 days before Notre Dame takes on Navy at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, we look back at speedster [autotag]Allen Rossum[/autotag] in honor of his 99-yard kickoff return against Purdue in 1996.

After an unimpressive win at Vanderbilt on a Thursday night to open the ’96 campaign, the Irish opened the home season nine days later against in-state rival Purdue. It took Rossum seconds to return the opening kickoff 99 yards in what wound up being a 35-0 Notre Dame victory.

Watch the kickoff return here and enjoy a look back at some of Rossum’s best photos from his Notre Dame and NFL career below.

Check out the Allen Rossum photo gallery below:

History of Notre Dame’s rivalry with Pittsburgh

Here’s a rivalry worth talking about.

Everyone knows about the rivalries Notre Dame has with USC, Navy and Michigan, although that last one currently is on hiatus. However, a lot fewer fans seem to realize that Pittsburgh is another program the Irish have played frequently. Ever since the Irish won a 6-0 decision during their first meeting in 1909, the Panthers have been a semi-regular opponent. Like with most rivalries, the Irish have the all-time edge, this one to the tune of 50-21-1.

The series isn’t fading away anytime soon as the programs currently are scheduled for seven future meetings. It’s time to give this rivalry the prestige and hype it deserves. To help fans appreciate the Irish’s history with the Steel City’s flagship university, let’s take a look at some of its most memorable moments to date. Diehard Irish fans undoubtedly remember many of these, but for the uninitiated, here is what to keep in mind during the programs’ future matchups: