Notre Dame Fighting Irish football under Bob Davie
Encyclopedia
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish
were led by Bob Davie and represented the University of Notre Dame
in NCAA Division I college football
from 1997 to 2001. The team was an independent and played their home games in Notre Dame Stadium
. Throughout the five seasons, the Irish were 35–25 and invited to three bowl games, including the school's first ever Bowl Championship Series (BCS) bowl.
After the 1996 season
, 11th-year head coach
, Lou Holtz
, who had led the Irish to 100 wins and a national championship, retired. The Notre Dame administration quickly named defensive coordinator
, Bob Davie, as his replacement. Davie inherited a team with high expectations, and won his first game. He went onto, however, lose his next four games. Though his team rebounded and were invited to a bowl game, he lost in his first post-season attempt and ended with a 7–6 record. His second year team returned many players and began the season ranked in the Associated Press (AP) poll
. After an upset of highly ranked Michigan
, the team stayed in the rankings throughout the season. With a loss in the final regular season game, though, the team lost their first chance of being invited to the BCS in its first year. The team once again lost in their bowl game and ended the season with a 9–3 record. Davie's third season started with a win, but three early losses dropped the team from the rankings. Although the team went on a four game winning streak, they finished the season on a four game losing streak to end with a 5–7 record and the first losing season for the Irish since 1986.
Davie's fourth season looked to be as bad as his third, as the team played four ranked teams early in the season and had to replace many graduating players. However, with two wins, and an overtime
loss to the top-ranked team, Nebraska
, the Irish moved into the rankings again. The team ended the season on a seven game winning streak and were invited to their first BCS bowl game. Though they lost Davie's third bowl game, he signed a contract extension after the season. Davie's fifth season began with high expectations once again. The team began ranked, but three losses to begin the season dropped the Irish from the rankings. Though the team came back and won five games, the 5–6 record was called the wrong direction by the administration, and Davie was fired. After some controversy during the hiring process, Tyrone Willingham
was hired, ending Davie's era at Notre Dame.
. Holtz, who, it was reported, had returned the program to excellence, led the team to a national championship in 1988 and had been given, what was reported to be, a lifetime contract by Notre Dame. By his final season, 1996
, Holtz had tallied 92 wins to put him third on the all-time Notre Dame wins list (only behind Ara Parseghian
with 95 wins and Knute Rockne
with 105 wins). Throughout the season there was speculation that Holtz, who passed Parseghian's mark, would retire rather than break Rockne's record, and on November 19, a week before his final home game at Notre Dame, it was revealed that he turned in his letter of resignation to the Notre Dame administration. In his final game at Notre Dame Stadium
, where the team shut-out Rutgers
62–0, Holtz got his 100th and final win for the Irish. The Notre Dame administration didn't look far for Holtz's replacement, as their defensive coordinator, Bob Davie, who was hired by Holtz three years previous, was named as his replacement.
, and were ranked eleventh in the pre-season polls. Led by fifth–year senior quarterback
Ron Powlus
, a running back
crew of Autry Denson
, Tony Driver, and Joey Goodspeed
, a wide receiving
corps of Joey Getherall, Bobby Brown, and Malcolm Johnson, and on defense by cornerback
Allen Rossum
, the Irish looked to have a good enough team to challenge to be in the top-10. The Irish began the Davie era at home, playing Georgia Tech in the newly renovated Notre Dame Stadium. The Irish christened the stadium with a close win over the Yellow Jackets that was sparked by a renewed running game and key defensive stops late in the game. With the close win, the Irish showed their weakness and dropped a spot in the national ranking. The next week, at Purdue, though the Irish had 457 total yards, they only managed 17 points. With key mistakes on offense and a confused defense, the Irish lost 28–17 and dropped out of the rankings. With losses against Michigan State, at Michigan, and at Stanford, the Irish were suddenly 1–4 and struggling to find an offense. Offensive coordinator, Jim Colletto, took most of the flak for the struggles.
The Irish looked to be getting back on track with a trip to face Pittsburgh. With a renewed running game, the Irish beat the struggling Panthers by 24, however, with the offense struggling once again in their next game, a loss to rival
University of Southern California (USC), the Irish hit, what was called, "rock bottom." With a slight quarterback controversy, the Irish next faced Boston College. Though backup quarterback Jarious Jackson
played 21 downs, Powlus led the Irish with 267 passing yards to rout the Eagles and put the Irish offense back on track. With a last minute win over Navy the next week, the Irish moved to 4–5 and would need to win their final three games to become bowl eligible.
The Irish next went to Louisiana State University (LSU) to face the 11th ranked Tigers. Looked to be outmatched, the Irish didn't commit a penalty all game, had no turnovers, and didn't give up any plays longer than one 28 yard pass, to upset the Tigers and move back to 5–5 on the season. The Irish then faced 22nd ranked West Virginia for their final home game. With the game tied late in the fourth quarter, Powlus led the Irish on a drive that was capped by his final touchdown
pass at Notre Dame Stadium for the game-winning touchdown. With the win the Irish beat ranked opponents on consecutive Saturdays for the first time since 1992, and with the last minute win at Hawaii the next week, the Irish moved to 7–5 and were bowl eligible. Once again facing LSU in Louisiana (in the Independence Bowl
), this time with the Tigers ranked 15th, LSU dominated on offense and beat the Irish 27–9. Though the Irish finished with a loss, the 7–6 record was the biggest Irish turn around in team history.
By the end of the season, Powlus set a single season Irish record for pass attempts and completions. He would leave Notre Dame with 20 individual records, including career passing yards, attempts, completions and touchdowns, all marks that would finally be eclipsed almost ten years later by future Irish quarterback Brady Quinn
. Cornerback Allen Rossum, who also served as the Irish kick returner, set an NCAA single season record with nine returns (three each of interceptions, punts
, and kickoffs
) for touchdowns. He would also leave Notre Dame with the Irish all-time leading kick return average (23.5 yards per return). Autry Denson's 1268 rushing yards were fourth in the Irish single season record and moved him to third on the Irish all-time list in career rushing yards.
with confidence. Despite losing record-setting quarterback Ron Powlus
, the Irish returned 14 starters
, including tailback Autry Denson
and three senior linebacker
s that were placed on the preliminary list for the Dick Butkus Award
. Powlus was replaced by Jarious Jackson
who had played sparingly in 1997 but had amassed almost 200 passing yards in the time. In Jackson's first start, against Michigan
, he threw two touchdowns to lead the Irish, ranked 22nd, over the 5th ranked Wolverines. Denson added 162 yards and two touchdowns to give the Irish a 36–20 win. The Irish moved to tenth in the rankings, however didn't stay long, as Michigan State
, who led by 39 points at halftime, beat the Irish for the second year in a row. Dropping back to 23rd in the nation, the Irish returned home to face Purdue
. The Boilermakers handed the Irish their first loss in 1997 which dropped the Irish from the rankings, and the Irish looked for retribution in this game. With the Irish down two with less than two minutes remaining, Tony Driver, who was switched to cornerback in the offseason, intercepted a Drew Brees
pass to set up the go-ahead field goal
for the Irish. With the Boilermakers once again moving the ball, Driver had his second interception with less than a minute remaining to preserve the win for the Irish.
The Irish won all four of their October games, including a win over , a dominating win at , a last minute win over , and a win over led by Denson's career high of 189 yards, to move back into the top-15 in the rankings. In the next game, the were poised for the upset of the Irish. Down 30–26, the Eagles had the ball on the Irish four-yard line with less than a minute remaining. The Irish defense, however, held the Eagles for four downs to preserve the win. The next week, led by Denson, who became the all-time leader in rushing yards at Notre Dame, the Irish shut-out to increase their NCAA record winning streak over the Midshipmen to 35 games. Once again ranked tenth, the Irish faced LSU
in their final home game. Avenging their loss in the , the Irish beat the Tigers on a late touchdown run. With a potential BCS
berth on the line, and without Jackson, who was injured in the final play against LSU, the Irish traveled to face rivals USC in their final regular season game. Playing two backups at quarterback, including true freshman Arnaz Battle
, the Irish were dominated by the tough Trojan defense that caused five turnovers. Though the Trojans, led by freshman quarterback Carson Palmer
, couldn't produce much offense themselves, they only needed two scores to upset the Irish 10–0. Missing out on a BCS bowl game, the Irish, who signed a deal early in the year that gave them a tie-in with the Big East Conference
bowl games, accepted a bid to play in the . Wearing their alternate green jerseys for the first time since the 1995 Fiesta Bowl
, the Irish got behind early to the Yellow Jackets with two long touchdowns. Though closing the gap to a touchdown in the fourth quarter, the Irish couldn't move the ball on their last two drives and lost their fourth straight bowl game. They finished the season with a 9–3 record and dropped to 22nd in the national rankings.
After the season, seven players were taken in the 1999 National Football League (NFL) Draft
. Among them were Denson, who left with multiple Notre Dame rushing records, Malcolm Johnson, who left with a Notre Dame record of six consecutive games with a touchdown catch, and most of the offensive line starters. Also, offensive coordinator, Jim Colletto, was lured away to the NFL by Baltimore
.
began on a positive note for Davie, who, after signing 21 recruits, was given a contract extension to coach until 2003. Though there were high hopes that the Irish could finally get another national championship, there were also many questions facing the team, top among those would be whether Jackson could lead a young Irish team. With some controversy surrounding a verbal agreement between Notre Dame and Michigan to not schedule a game before their September 4 matchup, the Irish instead opened the season in the Eddie Robinson Classic
against Kansas. Though Jackson didn't answer all the questions in the game (throwing three interceptions), the Irish still dominated the Jayhawks in the 48–13 win. With the Irish ranked 16th they went next to face the seventh-ranked Wolverines. Watched by a, then NCAA record, crowd of 111,523, the Wolverines took the lead late in the game on an Anthony Thomas
touchdown run. With under two minutes remaining, Jackson led the Irish down the field with three quick passes, however, the time ran out as he completed his fourth of the drive. Though the Irish lost, 26–22, they would remain at 16th in the national polls until stumbling against Purdue the next week. With Davie blaming poor communication on the loss, the Irish dropped from the rankings for the first time in two years.
With a 10 game home winning streak, the Irish hoped to get back on track with a win against Michigan State. With the game tied 7–7 starting the fourth quarter, it looked to be headed for another last minute decision, however, with five minutes left in the game, with the scored tied again 13–13, Spartan quarterback Bill Burke threw a quick pass to Gari Scott who ran for an 80 yard touchdown. Though the Irish had a chance and drove to the 50 yard line, Davie elected to punt the ball on fourth down with three minutes left in the game. The Spartans added a field goal to put them up 23–13 and win the game. After a week off, the Irish faced the 23rd ranked Oklahoma Sooners. Down 30–14 mid-way through the third quarter, Jackson led the Irish on two scoring drives to bring them within two points. With the ball at their own 2 yard line, Jackson led a 98 yard drive that gave the Irish the winning touchdown. The Irish continued at home, blowing out Arizona State, coming from behind by 21 points to defeat USC, and scoring a last minute touchdown to beat Navy, to move back into the rankings.
For the first time since September the Irish would go on the road. Facing the fourth-ranked Tennessee Volunteers, the Irish knew they were in for a tough test as Tennessee, the reigning winners of the inaugural BCS National Championship, had not lost a non-conference home game since the 1990 Irish team won there. Against the tough Volunteer defense, the Irish were only able to score 14 in the 24 point loss, and once again dropped from the rankings. With a loss to Pittsburgh in the final game at Pitt Stadium
, and a last second loss on a failed two-point conversion
against Boston College, the Irish lost all chances to go to a bowl game with a 5–6 record. Hoping to avoid their first losing season since 1986, they traveled to Stanford to face the Cardinal. With Jackson splitting time with Arnaz Battle, the Irish come from behind bid failed on a last second field goal by Stanford.
Though the season was a disappointment, Jackson, a fifth-year senior ended his career with the Irish on a high note. Named the team Most Valuable Player
, he set the single season records in passing yards, total yards, pass attempts, and completions. He also left with the fourth most passing yards in Irish history. Jackson was drafted in the seventh round of the 2000 NFL Draft
, and, although he was the only player from the team drafted, nine others signed free agent contracts with NFL teams. The year ended on a bad note for the Irish program, as the NCAA placed the program on probation for two years after a number of major secondary violations by the university and others involved in athletics. Then-university president Rev. Edward Malloy
disbanded all varsity booster club
s, the first time any university took such actions, and put into place other safeguards against violations, pledging his administration would give a greater effort to stop any future violations.
signing 17 recruits Having to replace two-year starter, Jarious Jackson, Davie chose Arnaz Battle, who looked to have a rough road ahead with the Irish playing four ranked teams in a row to begin the season, including a game against the favorite to win the national championship, Nebraska. Battle, however, did have some help with three veterans named to pre-season award watchlists. The Irish started the season playing the 25th ranked Texas A&M Aggies. With Battle throwing two touchdowns and the defense holding the Aggies to only a field goal in the second half, the Irish won by two touchdowns. Moving into the rankings for the first time since early November 1999, the Irish would next face the top-ranked Cornhuskers. After coming back from being down by two touchdowns, the Irish eventually fell in overtime after they settled for a field goal and Nebraska quarterback, Eric Crouch
, ran for the winning touchdown. Despite the loss, and losing Battle indefinitely to a wrist injury that he suffered on the first play of the game, the Irish felt they proved something to the country, and moved up in the rankings to 21st.
The Irish next faced the 13th ranked Purdue Boilermakers, led by Heisman Trophy
-hopeful quarterback Drew Brees. The Irish defense held Brees to only 13 completed passes, while Irish backup quarterback Gary Godsey completed 14, and led the team to a last minute win with a Nick Setta field goal. Moving into the top-20 the Irish next went to Michigan State to face the 23rd ranked Spartans. Though the Spartans were led by freshman quarterback Jeff Smoker
, he led the team to a win with a 68 yard touchdown pass on a fourth down attempt with a minute remaining in the game. Losing the game, the Irish hadn't won an away game in eight attempts and hadn't beaten the Spartans since 1994. Dropping almost out of the rankings again, the Irish started playing freshman quarterback Matt LoVecchio and began to roll with wins over Stanford and Navy. Going to Morgantown to face the West Virginia Mountaineers, LoVecchio led the Irish with two touchdown passes to Tony Fisher to give the Irish their first road win in two years. With a win over Air Force the next week, their first ever in overtime
, the Irish were once again bowl eligible.
Ranked 11th, the Irish continued with wins over Boston College, Rutgers, and their first win at USC since 1992. With a 9–2 record, the Irish got a BCS Bowl bid for the first time ever, with an invitation to the Fiesta Bowl
to play the Oregon State Beavers. Getting blown out by the Beavers, the Irish ended the season ranked 15th with a 9–3 record. With the end of the season, Davie was named finalist in two coach of the year awards. In addition, four Irish players were named to All-America Teams
, seven players were selected to play in post-season All-Star games, and six players were selected in the 2001 NFL Draft
, while another three signed free agent contracts with NFL teams. The season ended on a positive note for Davie who signed a five-year contract extension.
. Three players were named to pre-season All-America teams while the team was ranked as highly as 12th in the nation. With former starting quarterback, Arnaz Battle, moving in the off-season to wide receiver, Davie faced the decision of having to play his replacement from 2000, Matt LoVecchio, or to replace LoVecchio with fellow sophomore Carlyle Holiday
. Prior to their first game, Davie hinted that he might have a surprise at quarterback, however, LoVecchio started at the fourth-ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers. Notre Dame's first play from scrimmage proved to be a harbinger of things to come when the Irish fumbled and Nebraska recovered. With LoVecchio ineffective throughout the first quarter, Holiday took over and led the Irish to a field goal. Holiday, however, was ineffective throughout the rest of the game and the only other Irish score came after Shane Walton blocked a punt and gave the Irish the ball on the 4 yard line. Unable to capitalize on Nebraska's mistakes, and having four turnovers themselves, the Irish lost the game 27–10. With a small quarterback controversy, the season was interrupted by the September 11, 2001 attacks
. With all Division I-A football games canceled after the attacks, the September 15 game against Purdue was moved to the end of the season. With promises of heightened security, prayers, and a stadium-wide fundraiser to help the victims of the attacks, the Irish returned to the field the next week to face the Michigan State Spartans. With LoVecchio getting the start, he had a better game than his first, but the Irish fell short of the Spartans for the fifth straight year.
After the loss, Davie named Holiday the starting quarterback for the Texas A&M game. Though LoVecchio would play in later games, he would never start again for the Irish and eventually transferred from the school. Playing in front of, at the time, the largest crowd ever to watch a football game in Texas, Holiday was knocked out of the game with a neck injury before halftime. The Irish were unable move the ball and lost 24–3, moving to 0–3 for the first time ever. With Holiday back the next week, he led the Irish to their first victory of the season against the Pittsburgh Panthers, and continued to roll with wins over West Virginia and USC to put the Irish back to a 3–3 record. With a loss the next week to Boston College, however, the Irish hopes for a bowl game were dwindling and all but gone with a loss the next week to the seventh-ranked Tennessee Volunteers.
With a 3–5 record, the Irish would need to win all of their remaining games to avoid Davie's second losing season for the team. The Irish looked to turn it around with a dominating win over Navy that increased their record winning streak over them to 38 games, however, fell to Stanford the next week after both Holiday and LoVecchio completed only one pass each the entire game. Assured of Notre Dame's eighth losing season ever, the Irish traveled to face the Purdue Boilermakers for the game missed after the September 11 attacks. Though the Irish defense helped secure the win and the 5–6 record, it wasn't enough for the Notre Dame administration who fired Davie the next day.
, seven–year head coach of Georgia Tech
, was hired by Notre Dame for the head coaching position. Five days after being hired, however, O'Leary resigned from the position, because of discrepancies on his résumé
about receiving a varsity letter
and a Master's degree while in school. While O'Leary was criticized for lying, some said it gave Notre Dame a chance to make a better decision. Finally, two weeks after O'Leary resigned, Notre Dame signed Tyrone Willingham
, the seventh–year coach of Stanford
, to a six-year contract, ending the Bob Davie era at Notre Dame.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Notre Dame's nickname is inherited from Irish immigrant soldiers who fought in the Civil War with the Union's Irish Brigade, , recollected among other places in the poetry of Joyce Kilmer who served with one of the Irish Brigade regiments during World War I...
were led by Bob Davie and represented the University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
in NCAA Division I college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
from 1997 to 2001. The team was an independent and played their home games in Notre Dame Stadium
Notre Dame Stadium
Notre Dame Stadium is the home football stadium for the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team. The stadium is located on the campus of the University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, Indiana, United States, just north of the city of South Bend....
. Throughout the five seasons, the Irish were 35–25 and invited to three bowl games, including the school's first ever Bowl Championship Series (BCS) bowl.
After the 1996 season
1996 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 1996 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with the Florida Gators crowned National Champions, but not as unanimously as the Bowl Alliance would have hoped....
, 11th-year head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
, Lou Holtz
Lou Holtz
Louis Leo "Lou" Holtz is a retired American football coach, and active sportscaster, author, and motivational speaker in the United States...
, who had led the Irish to 100 wins and a national championship, retired. The Notre Dame administration quickly named defensive coordinator
Defensive coordinator
A defensive coordinator typically refers to a coach on a gridiron football team who is in charge of the defense. Generally, along with his offensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
, Bob Davie, as his replacement. Davie inherited a team with high expectations, and won his first game. He went onto, however, lose his next four games. Though his team rebounded and were invited to a bowl game, he lost in his first post-season attempt and ended with a 7–6 record. His second year team returned many players and began the season ranked in the Associated Press (AP) poll
AP Poll
The Associated Press College Poll refers to weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling sportswriters across the nation...
. After an upset of highly ranked Michigan
Michigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
, the team stayed in the rankings throughout the season. With a loss in the final regular season game, though, the team lost their first chance of being invited to the BCS in its first year. The team once again lost in their bowl game and ended the season with a 9–3 record. Davie's third season started with a win, but three early losses dropped the team from the rankings. Although the team went on a four game winning streak, they finished the season on a four game losing streak to end with a 5–7 record and the first losing season for the Irish since 1986.
Davie's fourth season looked to be as bad as his third, as the team played four ranked teams early in the season and had to replace many graduating players. However, with two wins, and an overtime
Overtime (sports)
Overtime or extra time is an additional period of play specified under the rules of a sport to bring a game to a decision and avoid declaring the match a tie or draw. In most sports, this extra period is only played if the game is required to have a clear winner, as in single-elimination...
loss to the top-ranked team, Nebraska
Nebraska Cornhuskers football
The Nebraska Cornhuskers represent the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in college football. The program has established itself as a traditional powerhouse, and has the fourth-most all-time victories of any NCAA Division I-A team. Nebraska is one of only six football programs in NCAA Division I-A...
, the Irish moved into the rankings again. The team ended the season on a seven game winning streak and were invited to their first BCS bowl game. Though they lost Davie's third bowl game, he signed a contract extension after the season. Davie's fifth season began with high expectations once again. The team began ranked, but three losses to begin the season dropped the Irish from the rankings. Though the team came back and won five games, the 5–6 record was called the wrong direction by the administration, and Davie was fired. After some controversy during the hiring process, Tyrone Willingham
Tyrone Willingham
Lionel Tyrone "Ty" Willingham is a former American football player and coach. He was the head coach at Stanford University , the University of Notre Dame , and the University of Washington , compiling a career college football record of 76–88–1.-Early career:Willingham attended...
was hired, ending Davie's era at Notre Dame.
Before Davie
For the 11 years before Davie, the Irish were coached by Lou HoltzLou Holtz
Louis Leo "Lou" Holtz is a retired American football coach, and active sportscaster, author, and motivational speaker in the United States...
. Holtz, who, it was reported, had returned the program to excellence, led the team to a national championship in 1988 and had been given, what was reported to be, a lifetime contract by Notre Dame. By his final season, 1996
1996 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 1996 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with the Florida Gators crowned National Champions, but not as unanimously as the Bowl Alliance would have hoped....
, Holtz had tallied 92 wins to put him third on the all-time Notre Dame wins list (only behind Ara Parseghian
Ara Parseghian
Ara Raoul Parseghian is a former American football player and coach of Armenian descent. He served as the head football coach at Miami University , Northwestern University , and the University of Notre Dame , compiling a career college football record of 170–58–6...
with 95 wins and Knute Rockne
Knute Rockne
Knute Kenneth Rockne was an American football player and coach. He is regarded as one of the greatest coaches in college football history...
with 105 wins). Throughout the season there was speculation that Holtz, who passed Parseghian's mark, would retire rather than break Rockne's record, and on November 19, a week before his final home game at Notre Dame, it was revealed that he turned in his letter of resignation to the Notre Dame administration. In his final game at Notre Dame Stadium
Notre Dame Stadium
Notre Dame Stadium is the home football stadium for the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team. The stadium is located on the campus of the University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, Indiana, United States, just north of the city of South Bend....
, where the team shut-out Rutgers
Rutgers Scarlet Knights football
The Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team represents Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision play...
62–0, Holtz got his 100th and final win for the Irish. The Notre Dame administration didn't look far for Holtz's replacement, as their defensive coordinator, Bob Davie, who was hired by Holtz three years previous, was named as his replacement.
1997 season
Season overview
Despite having a new coach, the Irish had high expectations before the 1997 season1997 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 1997 NCAA Division I-A football season, play of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association at the Division I-A level, began in late summer 1997 and culminated with the major bowl games in early January 1998. The national championship was...
, and were ranked eleventh in the pre-season polls. Led by fifth–year senior quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Ron Powlus
Ron Powlus
Ronald Lee Powlus is a former American football quarterback, former quarterbacks coach for the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team, and current quarterbacks coach for the University of Akron Zips football team....
, a running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
crew of Autry Denson
Autry Denson
Autry Denson is a former professional American football player who played running back for four seasons for the Miami Dolphins, the Indianapolis Colts, and the Chicago Bears.-College:...
, Tony Driver, and Joey Goodspeed
Joey Goodspeed
Joseph Allen Goodspeed is an NFL fullback who last played for the Minnesota Vikings. In the Vikings' 2006 mini-camp, he tore his ACL and was on injured reserve for the 2006 NFL season...
, a wide receiving
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
corps of Joey Getherall, Bobby Brown, and Malcolm Johnson, and on defense by cornerback
Cornerback
A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...
Allen Rossum
Allen Rossum
Allen Bonshaca Lamont Rossum is an American football cornerback and return specialist who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the third round of the 1998 NFL Draft...
, the Irish looked to have a good enough team to challenge to be in the top-10. The Irish began the Davie era at home, playing Georgia Tech in the newly renovated Notre Dame Stadium. The Irish christened the stadium with a close win over the Yellow Jackets that was sparked by a renewed running game and key defensive stops late in the game. With the close win, the Irish showed their weakness and dropped a spot in the national ranking. The next week, at Purdue, though the Irish had 457 total yards, they only managed 17 points. With key mistakes on offense and a confused defense, the Irish lost 28–17 and dropped out of the rankings. With losses against Michigan State, at Michigan, and at Stanford, the Irish were suddenly 1–4 and struggling to find an offense. Offensive coordinator, Jim Colletto, took most of the flak for the struggles.
The Irish looked to be getting back on track with a trip to face Pittsburgh. With a renewed running game, the Irish beat the struggling Panthers by 24, however, with the offense struggling once again in their next game, a loss to rival
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football rivalries
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football rivalries refers to rivalries of the University of Notre Dame in the sport of college football. Notre Dame rivalries encompass many teams. Because the Fighting Irish are independent of a football conference, they play a more national schedule, and have thus...
University of Southern California (USC), the Irish hit, what was called, "rock bottom." With a slight quarterback controversy, the Irish next faced Boston College. Though backup quarterback Jarious Jackson
Jarious Jackson
Jarious K. Jackson is an American and Canadian football quarterback who is currently playing for the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League.-High school:...
played 21 downs, Powlus led the Irish with 267 passing yards to rout the Eagles and put the Irish offense back on track. With a last minute win over Navy the next week, the Irish moved to 4–5 and would need to win their final three games to become bowl eligible.
The Irish next went to Louisiana State University (LSU) to face the 11th ranked Tigers. Looked to be outmatched, the Irish didn't commit a penalty all game, had no turnovers, and didn't give up any plays longer than one 28 yard pass, to upset the Tigers and move back to 5–5 on the season. The Irish then faced 22nd ranked West Virginia for their final home game. With the game tied late in the fourth quarter, Powlus led the Irish on a drive that was capped by his final touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
pass at Notre Dame Stadium for the game-winning touchdown. With the win the Irish beat ranked opponents on consecutive Saturdays for the first time since 1992, and with the last minute win at Hawaii the next week, the Irish moved to 7–5 and were bowl eligible. Once again facing LSU in Louisiana (in the Independence Bowl
Independence Bowl
The Independence Bowl is a post-season NCAA-sanctioned Division I college football bowl game that is played annually at Independence Stadium in Shreveport, Louisiana, so named because it was inaugurated in the United States bicentennial year, 1976....
), this time with the Tigers ranked 15th, LSU dominated on offense and beat the Irish 27–9. Though the Irish finished with a loss, the 7–6 record was the biggest Irish turn around in team history.
By the end of the season, Powlus set a single season Irish record for pass attempts and completions. He would leave Notre Dame with 20 individual records, including career passing yards, attempts, completions and touchdowns, all marks that would finally be eclipsed almost ten years later by future Irish quarterback Brady Quinn
Brady Quinn
Brayden Tyler "Brady" Quinn is an American football quarterback for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. Quinn was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Notre Dame.-Early Years:Brayden Tyler "Brady" Quinn was born on...
. Cornerback Allen Rossum, who also served as the Irish kick returner, set an NCAA single season record with nine returns (three each of interceptions, punts
Punt (football)
In some codes of football, a punt is a play in which a player drops the ball and kicks it before it touches the ground. A punt is in contrast to a drop kick, in which the ball touches the ground before being kicked....
, and kickoffs
Kickoff (American football)
A kickoff is a method of starting a drive in American football and Canadian football. Typically, a kickoff consists of one team – the "kicking team" – kicking the ball to the opposing team – the "receiving team"...
) for touchdowns. He would also leave Notre Dame with the Irish all-time leading kick return average (23.5 yards per return). Autry Denson's 1268 rushing yards were fourth in the Irish single season record and moved him to third on the Irish all-time list in career rushing yards.
1998 season
Season overview
With wins in their final five regular season games of 1997, the Irish started Davie's second season1998 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 1998 NCAA Division I-A football season was the first of the Bowl Championship Series, which saw Tennessee win the national championship, one year after star quarterback Peyton Manning left for the NFL...
with confidence. Despite losing record-setting quarterback Ron Powlus
Ron Powlus
Ronald Lee Powlus is a former American football quarterback, former quarterbacks coach for the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team, and current quarterbacks coach for the University of Akron Zips football team....
, the Irish returned 14 starters
Starting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
, including tailback Autry Denson
Autry Denson
Autry Denson is a former professional American football player who played running back for four seasons for the Miami Dolphins, the Indianapolis Colts, and the Chicago Bears.-College:...
and three senior linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
s that were placed on the preliminary list for the Dick Butkus Award
Dick Butkus Award
The Butkus Award, instituted in 1985, is given annually to the top linebackers at the high school, collegiate and professional levels of football...
. Powlus was replaced by Jarious Jackson
Jarious Jackson
Jarious K. Jackson is an American and Canadian football quarterback who is currently playing for the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League.-High school:...
who had played sparingly in 1997 but had amassed almost 200 passing yards in the time. In Jackson's first start, against Michigan
1998 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1998 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1998 college football season. The team's head coach was Lloyd Carr. The Wolverines played their home games at Michigan Stadium. The 1998 Wolverines finished the season with a 10–3 record and defeated the...
, he threw two touchdowns to lead the Irish, ranked 22nd, over the 5th ranked Wolverines. Denson added 162 yards and two touchdowns to give the Irish a 36–20 win. The Irish moved to tenth in the rankings, however didn't stay long, as Michigan State
1998 Michigan State Spartans football team
The 1998 Michigan State Spartans football team competed on behalf of Michigan State University in the Big Ten Conference during the 1998 NCAA Division I-A football season. Head coach Nick Saban was in his fourth season with the Spartans. Michigan State played their home games at Spartan Stadium in...
, who led by 39 points at halftime, beat the Irish for the second year in a row. Dropping back to 23rd in the nation, the Irish returned home to face Purdue
1998 Purdue Boilermakers football team
The 1998 Purdue Boilermakers football team represented Purdue University in the 1998 NCAA Division I-A football season. They played their home games at Ross–Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Indiana and were members of the Big Ten Conference.-Schedule:...
. The Boilermakers handed the Irish their first loss in 1997 which dropped the Irish from the rankings, and the Irish looked for retribution in this game. With the Irish down two with less than two minutes remaining, Tony Driver, who was switched to cornerback in the offseason, intercepted a Drew Brees
Drew Brees
Drew Christopher Brees is a quarterback for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Purdue....
pass to set up the go-ahead field goal
Field goal (football)
A field goal in American football and Canadian football is a goal that may be scored during general play . Field goals may be scored by a placekick or the now practically extinct drop kick.The drop kick fell out of favor in 1934 when the shape of the ball was changed...
for the Irish. With the Boilermakers once again moving the ball, Driver had his second interception with less than a minute remaining to preserve the win for the Irish.
The Irish won all four of their October games, including a win over , a dominating win at , a last minute win over , and a win over led by Denson's career high of 189 yards, to move back into the top-15 in the rankings. In the next game, the were poised for the upset of the Irish. Down 30–26, the Eagles had the ball on the Irish four-yard line with less than a minute remaining. The Irish defense, however, held the Eagles for four downs to preserve the win. The next week, led by Denson, who became the all-time leader in rushing yards at Notre Dame, the Irish shut-out to increase their NCAA record winning streak over the Midshipmen to 35 games. Once again ranked tenth, the Irish faced LSU
1998 LSU Tigers football team
The 1998 LSU Tigers football team represented Louisiana State University in the 1998 NCAA Division I-A football season. They were coached by Gerry DiNardo. The Tigers played their home games at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. In the beginning of the season, expectations were high as LSU...
in their final home game. Avenging their loss in the , the Irish beat the Tigers on a late touchdown run. With a potential BCS
Bowl Championship Series
The Bowl Championship Series is a selection system that creates five bowl match-ups involving ten of the top ranked teams in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , including an opportunity for the top two to compete in the BCS National Championship Game.The BCS relies on a combination of...
berth on the line, and without Jackson, who was injured in the final play against LSU, the Irish traveled to face rivals USC in their final regular season game. Playing two backups at quarterback, including true freshman Arnaz Battle
Arnaz Battle
Arnaz Jerome Battle is an American football wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the sixth round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
, the Irish were dominated by the tough Trojan defense that caused five turnovers. Though the Trojans, led by freshman quarterback Carson Palmer
Carson Palmer
Carson Palmer is an American professional football quarterback for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals first overall in the 2003 NFL Draft. He played collegiately at the University of Southern California and won the Heisman Trophy in 2002...
, couldn't produce much offense themselves, they only needed two scores to upset the Irish 10–0. Missing out on a BCS bowl game, the Irish, who signed a deal early in the year that gave them a tie-in with the Big East Conference
Big East Conference
The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletics conference consisting of sixteen universities in the eastern half of the United States. The conference's 17 members participate in 24 NCAA sports...
bowl games, accepted a bid to play in the . Wearing their alternate green jerseys for the first time since the 1995 Fiesta Bowl
1995 Fiesta Bowl
The 1995 IBM OS/2 Fiesta Bowl, played on January 2, 1995, was the 24th edition of the Fiesta Bowl. The game featured the Colorado Buffaloes and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.-1st half:...
, the Irish got behind early to the Yellow Jackets with two long touchdowns. Though closing the gap to a touchdown in the fourth quarter, the Irish couldn't move the ball on their last two drives and lost their fourth straight bowl game. They finished the season with a 9–3 record and dropped to 22nd in the national rankings.
After the season, seven players were taken in the 1999 National Football League (NFL) Draft
1999 NFL Draft
The 1999 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 17-18, 1999...
. Among them were Denson, who left with multiple Notre Dame rushing records, Malcolm Johnson, who left with a Notre Dame record of six consecutive games with a touchdown catch, and most of the offensive line starters. Also, offensive coordinator, Jim Colletto, was lured away to the NFL by Baltimore
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
.
1999 season
Season overview
The 1999 season1999 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 1999 NCAA Division I-A football season saw Florida State named national champions, defeating Virginia Tech in the BCS Sugar Bowl.Florida State became the first team in history to start out preseason #1 and remain there through the entire season. Their 12-0 season gave them 109 victories in the...
began on a positive note for Davie, who, after signing 21 recruits, was given a contract extension to coach until 2003. Though there were high hopes that the Irish could finally get another national championship, there were also many questions facing the team, top among those would be whether Jackson could lead a young Irish team. With some controversy surrounding a verbal agreement between Notre Dame and Michigan to not schedule a game before their September 4 matchup, the Irish instead opened the season in the Eddie Robinson Classic
Eddie Robinson Classic
The Eddie Robinson Classic was college football "kickoff" game played in late August from 1997 through 2002 at various sites. The game was named after legendary coach Eddie Robinson. Until 2002, the NCAA only allowed for teams to play a 12 game regular season schedule if the first game were a...
against Kansas. Though Jackson didn't answer all the questions in the game (throwing three interceptions), the Irish still dominated the Jayhawks in the 48–13 win. With the Irish ranked 16th they went next to face the seventh-ranked Wolverines. Watched by a, then NCAA record, crowd of 111,523, the Wolverines took the lead late in the game on an Anthony Thomas
Anthony Thomas (American football)
Anthony Jermaine Thomas is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the running backs coach at at West Virginia Wesleyan College. Thomas was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft...
touchdown run. With under two minutes remaining, Jackson led the Irish down the field with three quick passes, however, the time ran out as he completed his fourth of the drive. Though the Irish lost, 26–22, they would remain at 16th in the national polls until stumbling against Purdue the next week. With Davie blaming poor communication on the loss, the Irish dropped from the rankings for the first time in two years.
With a 10 game home winning streak, the Irish hoped to get back on track with a win against Michigan State. With the game tied 7–7 starting the fourth quarter, it looked to be headed for another last minute decision, however, with five minutes left in the game, with the scored tied again 13–13, Spartan quarterback Bill Burke threw a quick pass to Gari Scott who ran for an 80 yard touchdown. Though the Irish had a chance and drove to the 50 yard line, Davie elected to punt the ball on fourth down with three minutes left in the game. The Spartans added a field goal to put them up 23–13 and win the game. After a week off, the Irish faced the 23rd ranked Oklahoma Sooners. Down 30–14 mid-way through the third quarter, Jackson led the Irish on two scoring drives to bring them within two points. With the ball at their own 2 yard line, Jackson led a 98 yard drive that gave the Irish the winning touchdown. The Irish continued at home, blowing out Arizona State, coming from behind by 21 points to defeat USC, and scoring a last minute touchdown to beat Navy, to move back into the rankings.
For the first time since September the Irish would go on the road. Facing the fourth-ranked Tennessee Volunteers, the Irish knew they were in for a tough test as Tennessee, the reigning winners of the inaugural BCS National Championship, had not lost a non-conference home game since the 1990 Irish team won there. Against the tough Volunteer defense, the Irish were only able to score 14 in the 24 point loss, and once again dropped from the rankings. With a loss to Pittsburgh in the final game at Pitt Stadium
Pitt Stadium
Pitt Stadium was a stadium located on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh in the Oakland section of Pittsburgh in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania from 1925 to 1999. It served primarily as the home of the University of Pittsburgh's football team, the Pittsburgh Panthers...
, and a last second loss on a failed two-point conversion
Two-point conversion
In American and Canadian football, a two-point conversion is a play a team attempts instead of kicking a one-point convert immediately after it scores a touchdown...
against Boston College, the Irish lost all chances to go to a bowl game with a 5–6 record. Hoping to avoid their first losing season since 1986, they traveled to Stanford to face the Cardinal. With Jackson splitting time with Arnaz Battle, the Irish come from behind bid failed on a last second field goal by Stanford.
Though the season was a disappointment, Jackson, a fifth-year senior ended his career with the Irish on a high note. Named the team Most Valuable Player
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
, he set the single season records in passing yards, total yards, pass attempts, and completions. He also left with the fourth most passing yards in Irish history. Jackson was drafted in the seventh round of the 2000 NFL Draft
2000 NFL Draft
The 2000 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur U.S. college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 15–16, 2000...
, and, although he was the only player from the team drafted, nine others signed free agent contracts with NFL teams. The year ended on a bad note for the Irish program, as the NCAA placed the program on probation for two years after a number of major secondary violations by the university and others involved in athletics. Then-university president Rev. Edward Malloy
Edward Malloy
The Rev. Edward Malloy, C.S.C. , nicknamed "Monk", served from 1987 to 2005 as the 16th president of the University of Notre Dame.-Biography:...
disbanded all varsity booster club
Booster club
A booster club is an organization that is formed to support an associated club, sports team, or organization. Booster clubs are popular in American schools at the high school and university level...
s, the first time any university took such actions, and put into place other safeguards against violations, pledging his administration would give a greater effort to stop any future violations.
2000 season
Season overview
After losing ten players to the NFL, the Irish began the 2000 season2000 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 2000 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with the Oklahoma Sooners claiming their first national championship and their first conference championship since the departure of head coach Barry Switzer....
signing 17 recruits Having to replace two-year starter, Jarious Jackson, Davie chose Arnaz Battle, who looked to have a rough road ahead with the Irish playing four ranked teams in a row to begin the season, including a game against the favorite to win the national championship, Nebraska. Battle, however, did have some help with three veterans named to pre-season award watchlists. The Irish started the season playing the 25th ranked Texas A&M Aggies. With Battle throwing two touchdowns and the defense holding the Aggies to only a field goal in the second half, the Irish won by two touchdowns. Moving into the rankings for the first time since early November 1999, the Irish would next face the top-ranked Cornhuskers. After coming back from being down by two touchdowns, the Irish eventually fell in overtime after they settled for a field goal and Nebraska quarterback, Eric Crouch
Eric Crouch
Eric Eugene Crouch is an American quarterback for the Omaha Nighthawks. He also is a TV sports analyst and recreational equipment vendor....
, ran for the winning touchdown. Despite the loss, and losing Battle indefinitely to a wrist injury that he suffered on the first play of the game, the Irish felt they proved something to the country, and moved up in the rankings to 21st.
The Irish next faced the 13th ranked Purdue Boilermakers, led by Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
-hopeful quarterback Drew Brees. The Irish defense held Brees to only 13 completed passes, while Irish backup quarterback Gary Godsey completed 14, and led the team to a last minute win with a Nick Setta field goal. Moving into the top-20 the Irish next went to Michigan State to face the 23rd ranked Spartans. Though the Spartans were led by freshman quarterback Jeff Smoker
Jeff Smoker
Jeff Smoker is an American football quarterback who played for the National Football League's St. Louis Rams from 2004 to 2005. He was also the starting quarterback for the Arizona Rattlers of the Arena Football League.-Michigan State:Jeff Smoker attended Michigan State University...
, he led the team to a win with a 68 yard touchdown pass on a fourth down attempt with a minute remaining in the game. Losing the game, the Irish hadn't won an away game in eight attempts and hadn't beaten the Spartans since 1994. Dropping almost out of the rankings again, the Irish started playing freshman quarterback Matt LoVecchio and began to roll with wins over Stanford and Navy. Going to Morgantown to face the West Virginia Mountaineers, LoVecchio led the Irish with two touchdown passes to Tony Fisher to give the Irish their first road win in two years. With a win over Air Force the next week, their first ever in overtime
Overtime (sports)
Overtime or extra time is an additional period of play specified under the rules of a sport to bring a game to a decision and avoid declaring the match a tie or draw. In most sports, this extra period is only played if the game is required to have a clear winner, as in single-elimination...
, the Irish were once again bowl eligible.
Ranked 11th, the Irish continued with wins over Boston College, Rutgers, and their first win at USC since 1992. With a 9–2 record, the Irish got a BCS Bowl bid for the first time ever, with an invitation to the Fiesta Bowl
Fiesta Bowl
The Fiesta Bowl, now sponsored by Frito-Lay and named with their Tostitos brand, is a United States college football bowl game played annually at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Between its origination in 1971 and 2006, the game was hosted in Tempe, Arizona at Sun Devil...
to play the Oregon State Beavers. Getting blown out by the Beavers, the Irish ended the season ranked 15th with a 9–3 record. With the end of the season, Davie was named finalist in two coach of the year awards. In addition, four Irish players were named to All-America Teams
College Football All-America Team
The College Football All-America Team is an honor given annually to the best American college football players at their respective positions. The original usage of the term All-America seems to have been to the 1889 College Football All-America Team selected by Casper Whitney and published in This...
, seven players were selected to play in post-season All-Star games, and six players were selected in the 2001 NFL Draft
2001 NFL Draft
The 2001 NFL Draft took place on April 21–22, 2001 at the theater at Madison Square Garden, in New York City. This was the 66th National Football League draft in league history. The draft was broadcast on ESPN both days and eventually moved to ESPN2. No teams elected to claim any players in the...
, while another three signed free agent contracts with NFL teams. The season ended on a positive note for Davie who signed a five-year contract extension.
2001 season
Season overview
With 19 recruits signed to help replace the nine players leaving for the NFL, there were high expectations for the Irish for the 2001 season2001 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 2001 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with the University of Miami winning the national title for the fifth time.The Hurricanes were led by Larry Coker, who was in his first year as head coach after five years as Miami's offensive coordinator under Butch Davis...
. Three players were named to pre-season All-America teams while the team was ranked as highly as 12th in the nation. With former starting quarterback, Arnaz Battle, moving in the off-season to wide receiver, Davie faced the decision of having to play his replacement from 2000, Matt LoVecchio, or to replace LoVecchio with fellow sophomore Carlyle Holiday
Carlyle Holiday
Carlyle Javar Holiday is an American football wide receiver who currently is a free agent.Holiday attended Roosevelt High School in San Antonio, TX. In football, he was named as the top high school scrambling quarterback in the nation. After a heavy bid from Nebraska, he eventually committed to...
. Prior to their first game, Davie hinted that he might have a surprise at quarterback, however, LoVecchio started at the fourth-ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers. Notre Dame's first play from scrimmage proved to be a harbinger of things to come when the Irish fumbled and Nebraska recovered. With LoVecchio ineffective throughout the first quarter, Holiday took over and led the Irish to a field goal. Holiday, however, was ineffective throughout the rest of the game and the only other Irish score came after Shane Walton blocked a punt and gave the Irish the ball on the 4 yard line. Unable to capitalize on Nebraska's mistakes, and having four turnovers themselves, the Irish lost the game 27–10. With a small quarterback controversy, the season was interrupted by the September 11, 2001 attacks
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
. With all Division I-A football games canceled after the attacks, the September 15 game against Purdue was moved to the end of the season. With promises of heightened security, prayers, and a stadium-wide fundraiser to help the victims of the attacks, the Irish returned to the field the next week to face the Michigan State Spartans. With LoVecchio getting the start, he had a better game than his first, but the Irish fell short of the Spartans for the fifth straight year.
After the loss, Davie named Holiday the starting quarterback for the Texas A&M game. Though LoVecchio would play in later games, he would never start again for the Irish and eventually transferred from the school. Playing in front of, at the time, the largest crowd ever to watch a football game in Texas, Holiday was knocked out of the game with a neck injury before halftime. The Irish were unable move the ball and lost 24–3, moving to 0–3 for the first time ever. With Holiday back the next week, he led the Irish to their first victory of the season against the Pittsburgh Panthers, and continued to roll with wins over West Virginia and USC to put the Irish back to a 3–3 record. With a loss the next week to Boston College, however, the Irish hopes for a bowl game were dwindling and all but gone with a loss the next week to the seventh-ranked Tennessee Volunteers.
With a 3–5 record, the Irish would need to win all of their remaining games to avoid Davie's second losing season for the team. The Irish looked to turn it around with a dominating win over Navy that increased their record winning streak over them to 38 games, however, fell to Stanford the next week after both Holiday and LoVecchio completed only one pass each the entire game. Assured of Notre Dame's eighth losing season ever, the Irish traveled to face the Purdue Boilermakers for the game missed after the September 11 attacks. Though the Irish defense helped secure the win and the 5–6 record, it wasn't enough for the Notre Dame administration who fired Davie the next day.
After Davie
When Notre Dame athletic director Kevin White announced to the media that Davie would not be retained as head coach of Notre Dame, he cited a disappointing season with the Irish heading in the wrong direction on the field. A week after the firing of Davie, George O'LearyGeorge O'Leary
George Joseph O'Leary is the head football coach of the UCF Knights football team that represents the University of Central Florida located in Orlando, Florida; he previously coached the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team from 1994 to 2001, and served as an assistant coach for the Minnesota...
, seven–year head coach of Georgia Tech
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team represents the Georgia Institute of Technology in collegiate level football. While the team is officially designated as the Yellow Jackets, it is also referred to as the Ramblin' Wreck. The Yellow Jackets are a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
, was hired by Notre Dame for the head coaching position. Five days after being hired, however, O'Leary resigned from the position, because of discrepancies on his résumé
Résumé
A résumé is a document used by individuals to present their background and skillsets. Résumés can be used for a variety of reasons but most often to secure new employment. A typical résumé contains a summary of relevant job experience and education...
about receiving a varsity letter
Varsity letter
A varsity letter is an award earned in the United States for excellence in school activities. A varsity letter signifies that its winner was a qualified varsity team member, awarded after a certain standard was met.- Description :...
and a Master's degree while in school. While O'Leary was criticized for lying, some said it gave Notre Dame a chance to make a better decision. Finally, two weeks after O'Leary resigned, Notre Dame signed Tyrone Willingham
Tyrone Willingham
Lionel Tyrone "Ty" Willingham is a former American football player and coach. He was the head coach at Stanford University , the University of Notre Dame , and the University of Washington , compiling a career college football record of 76–88–1.-Early career:Willingham attended...
, the seventh–year coach of Stanford
Stanford Cardinal football
The Stanford Cardinal football program represents Stanford University in college football at the NCAA Division I FBS level and is a member of the Pac-12 Conference's North Division. Stanford, the top-ranked academic institution with an FBS program, has a highly successful football tradition. The...
, to a six-year contract, ending the Bob Davie era at Notre Dame.
See also
- Notre Dame Fighting Irish football under Tyrone WillinghamNotre Dame Fighting Irish football under Tyrone WillinghamThe Notre Dame Fighting Irish were led by Tyrone Willingham and represented the University of Notre Dame in NCAA Division I college football from 2002 to 2004. The team was an independent and played their home games in Notre Dame Stadium...
- Notre Dame football yearly totalsNotre Dame football yearly totalsThis is a list of Notre Dame Fighting Irish football season records. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the football team of the University of Notre Dame, Indiana, United States...