Tag: classics

Notre Dame’s 2006 Home Games Now Available Online

2006 was supposed to trump that.  They entered the season ranked second in the nation behind only Ohio State it was supposed to be the year that returned Notre Dame to glory.

Instead it was the final run for some memorable Notre Dame players but never did it ever sniff the levels we were all hoping.  Notre Dame escaped Atlanta with a win in Week One before blowing out Penn State a week later.  Michigan would put an end to title dreams in Week Three before Notre Dame would win eight straight to make it to 10-1, only to get blown out by both USC and LSU to close the year.

2006 was the first year I entered my Notre Dame fandom since I probably nine (1995) that I had legit hopes for the Fighting Irish to make a run at a national championship.  2005 was a surprise season that saw the likes of Brady Quinn, Jeff Samardzija, Tom Zbikowski and plenty of others burst onto the scene en-route to a BCS berth in the Fiesta Bowl.

2006 was supposed to trump that.  They entered the season ranked second in the nation behind only Ohio State it was supposed to be the year that returned Notre Dame to glory.

Instead it was the final run for some memorable Notre Dame players but never did it ever sniff the levels we were all hoping.  Notre Dame escaped Atlanta with a win in Week One before blowing out Penn State a week later.  Michigan would put an end to title dreams in Week Three before Notre Dame would win eight straight to make it to 10-1, only to get blown out by both USC and LSU to close the year.

It was a memorable season even if it was disappointing compared to pre-season expectations.  Notre Dame re-aired the comeback win over UCLA this past Saturday and posted all of the other home games from that season to YouTube.

Here they are for future reference:

Week Two – No. 4 Notre Dame 41, No. 19 Penn State 17
In a five minute span (game time) Notre Dame went from up 6-0 to up 27-0 in what wound up being a rout of the defending Orange Bowl Champions.

Week Three – No. 11 Michigan 47, No. 2 Notre Dame 21
I’ve never left a sporting event as mad as I was when I left this one.  No further comment besides fire this thing into the sun.

Week Five – No. 12 Notre Dame 35, Purdue 21
A huge afternoon from Darius Walker finished with 209 total yards and rushing touchdown accompanied by a pair of Rhema McKnight touchdown receptions lifted the Irish on a pretty ho-hum afternoon.

Week Six – No. 12 Notre Dame 31, Stanford 10
Darius Walker had another huge day with nearly 200 yards of total offense and another score while Brady Quinn threw for 232 yards and three touchdowns in a rout of the then-winless Stanford Cardinal.

Week Eight – No. 10 Notre Dame 20, UCLA 17
It wasn’t pretty but it was a win that kept BCS dreams alive as Notre Dame made it four straight with a last second, Quinn to Samardzija touchdown hookup that helped the Irish avoid an upset.

Week 10 – No. 11 Notre Dame 45, North Carolina 26
Brady Quinn threw the ball all over the yard for 346 yards and four touchdowns as Jeff Samardzija pulled down 177 yards and a score.  Tom Zbikowski returned a punt for a touchdown for good measure in a game that was really never close against Carolina.

Week 12 – No. 6 Notre Dame 41, Army 9
Notre Dame donned the green jerseys for the final home game of 2006 which happened to take place the same afternoon as the One-versus-Two, Ohio State/Michigan game in Columbus.  Quinn, Walker and Samardzija all shined in what wound up being the final home game of real relevance for a handful of years.

2006 didn’t end the way any Notre Dame fans really wanted.  USC would wipe the floor with the Irish a week later before a BCS berth that was generous ended with a 41-14 massacre in the Super Dome against a far-superior LSU squad.  It was a disappointing year but it was also the closest to relevant football Notre Dame fans would have until really 2012 when the stars aligned for a 12-0 regular season.

Notre Dame Watch Party This Saturday – 1992 “The Snow Bowl” vs. Penn State

Senior Day for Rick Mirer, Jerome Bettis and Reggie Brooks ended with each of them having a hand in the final outcome as the clock wound down on a Notre Dame victory.

I’ve been talking to Fighting Irish Wire’s own Nick Shepkowski on and off for about a year about Notre Dame Football.

You’d be hard-pressed to find any conversation we’ve had where the 1992 “Snow Bowl” game between No. 8 Notre Dame and No. 22 Penn State is not mentioned.

In our Irish Wire Greatest Games Tournament, we both had a hard time not placing this as a one seed.

“Catholics vs. Convicts” was a blood bath filled with palace intrigue and the game which eventually catapulted the Irish toward a national title.

“The Game of the Century” was a blockbuster movie on a picturesque fall afternoon with David slaying Goliath.

Both had more “stakes” than Notre Dame and Penn State playing for spots in better bowl games and pride.

But “The Snow Bowl” was a whimsical, fairy-tale of a contest. It looked more like a Norman Rockwell painting than a college football game. It was simply two teams going out on a snowy afternoon and playing football the way it was meant to be played.

And for this nine-year old transfixed on the screen at the time, the only thing that mattered was the beauty in front of him. It didn’t matter there was no hope for a championship for either team.  It was football in the snow and truly, as a kid, there are few things better. Maybe that’s why it’s imprinted on my brain the most memorable game in my fandom.

And thankfully for all of you Irish fans, you’ll have a chance to see the re-broadcast in all of its glory this Saturday night as the next in the #NDWatchParty series.

Senior Day for Rick Mirer, Jerome Bettis and Reggie Brooks ended with each of them having a hand in the final outcome as the clock wound down on a Notre Dame victory.

Will we have a live simultaneous commentary broadcast during this game? Well…I’m getting a new dog and it’s my wife’s birthday Saturday, but this is a game worth burning some bridges on the home front.

You Can Now Watch All 1993 Home Games Now Online

1993 was a magical year for Notre Dame. You can now watch every home game from that season here.

In either 1990 or ’91 I remember starting to watch Notre Dame football and liking them.  If I didn’t catch all the game I remember the old SportsChannel in Chicago replaying the condensed versions the following Sunday.  It was then I probably knew I would always be a bigger college football fan than professional football fan.

By the time 1992 came around my fandom grew to the point my grandpa who lived in Northwest Indiana would mail me the local newspapers of the Notre Dame and college football preview sections.

And then 1993 happened and it took me from liking Notre Dame and the first teams I watched with Rick Mirer and Jerome Bettis to a whole next level.  It also went hand in hand with the local high school team that would eventually go unbeaten and win the state championship.

It didn’t get much better than watching the Coal City Coalers dominate on Friday night and then watching Notre Dame do the same on Saturday.

Now Notre Dame has made the home part of that season available on YouTube, posting every home game from the year online.

Every home game from that season is now available and maybe, just maybe, we’ll have some fun with that in the weeks to come at Fighting Irish Wire in our own unique way.  In the meantime here are the links to the 1993 home games:

Sept. 4 – No. 7 Notre Dame vs. Northwestern

Sept. 18 – No. 4 Notre Dame vs. Michigan State

Oct. 9 – No. 4 Notre Dame vs. Pitt

Oct. 23 – No. 2 Notre Dame vs. USC

Nov. 13 – No. 2 Notre Dame vs. No. 1 Florida State (we’ve been told this day was fun)

Nov. 20 – No. 1 Notre Dame vs. No. 17 Boston College (this one comes with a warning for all Notre Dame fans – seriously, props to them for having the guts to post it as well.  Had I been in charge I would have “mistakenly” forgotten the link)

So if you’re looking for something to watch all of the 1993 season is now available, at least in terms of home games.  It’d be nice to see them somehow get rights to add the Michigan game and Cotton Bowl win over Texas A&M as well.

2020 FIW Tournament – Sweet 16 Completed – Who Moves on?

So here they are, your Sweet 16 results in the Fighting Irish Wire Tournament.

The debut tournament here at Fighting Irish Wire has moved on to the Elite Eight and without spoiling the results, let me just say what a tremendous job the selection committee did.  Think they know a thing or two about the history of Notre Dame football?  Clearly you do because your votes reflected their thinking a couple weeks back.

(@nickshepkowski and @jf_fey on Twitter if you’re looking for a few folks to follow 😉

So here they are, your Sweet 16 results in the Fighting Irish Wire Tournament.

Basilica Region:

’88 Miami rocked ’93 Michigan like a hurricane, 97-3%.  Frankly, we’re a bit surprised it was even that close.  Catholics vs. Convicts now meets up with the Sugar Bowl win over Florida to end 1991 as the “Cheerios Bowl” escaped with the closest win in round-three, a 57-43 victory over ’18 Michigan.

Grotto Region:

The 1989 season ended with Notre Dame knocking off No. 1 Colorado in the Orange Bowl and ruining the title dreams of the Buffaloes.  Notre Dame’s last Orange Bowl win moved on with a 67-33 win over the ’17 destruction of USC.  The second-seeded “Snow Bowl” over Penn State in ’92 moved on as well as it won nearly 80% of the votes against the ’02 thriller at Michigan State.

Hesburgh Region:

Many think the only game that could potentially play with Catholics vs. Convicts is the ’93 win over Florida State.  The ’93 version of “The Game of the Century” rolled in round-three, a 93-7 winner over ’02 Florida State.  It meets ’12 Oklahoma who won easily over ’12 Michigan, 82-18.

Golden Dome Region:

The ’88 team concluded with a Fiesta Bowl win over West Virginia that clinched the title.  That victory understandably rolled the ’88 opener, an escape over Michigan, 75-25.  On the bottom part of the Golden Dome region it was the ’88 regular season finale beating up the ’06 comeback against UCLA, 78-22.

The eight remaining contests now fight for their chance to reach the Final Four.  Voting starts Thursday night and will go through Sunday.