The 1997 season started horribly for Notre Dame and first-year coach [autotag]Bob Davie[/autotag]. A 2-5 start meant the Irish had to win out for bowl consideration. They came into their regular-season finale at Hawaii having won their previous four, but getting their much-needed fifth straight win proved to be easier said than done. But [autotag]Scott Cengia[/autotag]’s chip-shot field with seconds to play put the Irish over the top, 23-22, and the highlights were on that night’s “SportsCenter” for all to see:
Notre Dame vs Hawaii (1997) pic.twitter.com/5JyxSGgLfj
— College Football Classics (@ClassicsCFB) July 4, 2023
When asked to comment on the comeback victory, Davie said the following:
“I’m really proud of the way our team came back. I thought that if there was a way, our players would pull it out because the attitude on that sideline was steady.”
If the attitude was steady at the Independence Bowl a month later, it wasn’t enough as LSU crushed the Irish in a virtual home game, 27-9. Still, the regular-season finale served as an example of resilience and overcoming adversity. The ending to the season itself might not have been great, but to even get to that point was impressive by itself.
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