1973 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team

1973 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
AP Poll national champion
Sugar Bowl champion
Sugar Bowl, W 24–23 vs. Alabama
Conference Independent
Ranking
Coaches No. 4
AP No. 1
1973 record 11–0
Head coach Ara Parseghian (10th season)
Defensive coordinator Joe Yonto
Base defense 4–3
Captain Dave Casper
Captain Frank Pomarico
Captain Mike Townsend
Home stadium Notre Dame Stadium
1973 NCAA Division I Independents football records
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
No. 1 Notre Dame   –    11 –0 –0
No. 5 Penn State   –    12 –0 –0
No. 9 Houston   –    11 –1 –0
Temple   –    9 –1 –0
No. 20 Tulane   –    9 –3 –0
Memphis State   –    8 –3 –0
Boston College   –    7 –4 –0
South Carolina   –    7 –4 –0
Utah State   –    7 –4 –0
Air Force   –    6 –4 –0
Southern Miss   –    6 –4 –1
Northern Illinois   –    6 –5 –0
Rutgers   –    6 –5 –0
West Virginia   –    6 –5 –0
Pittsburgh   –    6 –5 –1
Colgate   –    5 –5 –0
Dayton   –    5 –5 –1
Xavier   –    5 –5 –1
Georgia Tech   –    5 –6 –0
Holy Cross   –    5 –6 –0
Miami (FL)   –    5 –6 –0
Cincinnati   –    4 –7 –0
Navy   –    4 –7 –0
Villanova   –    3 –8 –0
Syracuse   –    2 –9 –0
Virginia Tech   –    2 –9 –0
Army   –    0 –10 –0
Florida State   –    0 –11 –0
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1973 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame during the 1973 NCAA Division I football season. The Irish, coached by Ara Parseghian, ended the season undefeated with 11 wins and no losses, winning the national championship. The Fighting Irish won the title by defeating the previously unbeaten and No. 1 ranked Alabama Crimson Tide in the Sugar Bowl by a score of a 24–23.[1] The 1973 squad became the ninth Irish team to win the national title and the second under Parseghian. Although Notre Dame finished No. 1 in the AP Poll to claim the AP national title, they were not awarded the Coaches title, since Alabama was awarded the Coaches Poll title before the bowl season.

Season

Ara Parseghian's second national title team was led by its relentless rushing attack. Fullback Wayne Bullock (750 yards), halfback Art Best (700 yards), halfback Eric Penick (586 yards) and quarterback Tom Clements (360 yards) comprised one of the fastest Irish backfields, with Peneck and Best clocking in under 10 seconds in the 100-yard dash.[2] The Irish started the season strong, amassing large margins of victory over Northwestern, Rice and Army to set up a highly anticipated contest with No. 6 and unbeaten USC.[2] USC came into the contest riding a 23 game unbeaten streak, and USC's star tailback Anthony Davis ran over the Irish the previous year for 6 touchdowns in a 45-23 Trojan victory.[2] Moreover, Parseghian had not outright beaten USC since 1966.[1] The Irish defense responded to the challenge, limiting Davis to 55 yards on 19 carries. The star tailback of the day was Notre Dame's Penick, who ran for 118 yards, 50 more than the entire Trojan team. The Irish won the contest 23-14 and won its remaining games.[2] After Notre Dame accepted the Sugar Bowl bid, the stage was set to determine the national championship. Alabama was awarded the UPI title before the bowl season,[3] but it was Notre Dame that won it on the field, winning 24-23 in a thriller that had six lead changes. Notre Dame jumped to a 6-0 lead, but Alabama answered with a Randy Billingsley 6-yard touchdown run. Al Hunter then scored on a 93-yard kickoff return, and Clements completed a two-point conversion pass to Pete Demmerle to give the Irish a 14-7 (which would turn out to be the widest margin in the game). Alabama scored a field goal to close the halftime deficit to 14-10, and then went on a 93-yard touchdown march in the third quarter to regain the lead. Notre Dame answered with a 12-yard touchdown run by Eric Penick to go back in front, 21-17. In the fourth quarter, three turnovers occurred in 90 seconds, with Alabama coming out on top and capitalizing on a halfback pass from Mike Stock to quarterback Richard Todd for a 25-yard touchdown to take a slim 23-21 lead, but the Tide missed the crucial extra point. Notre Dame responded, with Tom Clements driving the Irish 79 yards in 11 plays and setting up a potential field goal on a clutch 15-yard pass to tight end Dave Casper. Irish kicker Bob Thomas kicked a field goal to give the Irish a slim 24-23 victory and the AP national title.[4]

Schedule

Date Time Opponent# Rank# Site TV Result Attendance
September 22 2:30 p.m. Northwestern No. 8 Notre Dame Stadium • Notre Dame, IN (rivalry) W 44–0   59,075
September 29 1:50 p.m. at Purdue No. 7 Ross–Ade Stadium • West Lafayette, IN (Shillelagh Trophy) ABC W 20–7   69,391
October 6 2:30 p.m. Michigan State No. 8 Notre Dame Stadium • Notre Dame, IN (Megaphone Trophy) W 14–10   59,075
October 13 8:05 p.m. at Rice No. 9 Rice Stadium • Houston, TX W 28–0   50,321
October 20 2:00 p.m. at Army No. 11 Michie Stadium • West Point, NY (rivalry) W 62–3   42,503
October 27 1:50 p.m. No. 6 USC No. 8 Notre Dame Stadium • Notre Dame, IN (Jeweled Shillelagh) ABC W 23–14   59,075
November 3 1:30 p.m. Navy No. 5 Notre Dame Stadium • Notre Dame, IN (rivalry) W 44–7   59,075
November 10 1:30 p.m. at No. 20 Pittsburgh No. 5 Pitt Stadium • Pittsburgh, PA (rivalry) W 31–10   56,593
November 22 1:20 p.m. Air Force No. 5 Notre Dame Stadium • Notre Dame, IN ABC W 48–15   57,236
December 1 8:15 p.m. at Miami (FL) No. 5 Miami Orange Bowl (night) • Miami, FL W 44–0   42,968
December 31 8:00 p.m. vs. No. 1 Alabama No. 3 Tulane Stadium • New Orleans, LA (Sugar Bowl) ABC W 24–23   85,161
#Rankings from AP. All times are in Eastern Time.

Roster

1973 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team roster
Players Coaches
Offense
Pos.#NameClass
QB 12 Frank Allocco
C 52 Joe Alvarado
RB 23 Art Best
G 62 Tom Bolger
C 59 Mark Brenneman
QB 8 Cliff Brown
FB 30 Wayne Bullock
TE 86 Dave Casper Sr
QB 2 Tom Clements Jr
WR 85 Peter Demmerle
RB 28 Gary Diminick
G 72 Gerry DiNardo Jr
TE 93 Tom Fine
RB 21 Ron Goodman
RB 25 Al Hunter
C 52 Vince Klees
FB 15 Russ Kornman
T 58 Tom Laney
T 84 Dennis Lozzi
G 57 Elton Moore
G 66 Dan Morrin
T 64 Steve Neece
FB 36 Tom Parise
RB 44 Eric Penick
G 56 Frank Pomarico
T 77 Steve Quehl
RB 24 Al Samuel
WR 28 Tim Simon
T 71 Steve Sylvester
WR 80 Willie Townsend
TE 91 Robin Weber
G 66 Al Wujciak
 Defense
Pos.#NameClass
DT 79 Jay Achterhoff
CB 14 Reggie Barnett
SS 20 Luther Bradley
DE 89 Ross Browner
LB 50 Greg Collins
DE 41 Tom Creevey
DT 88 Mike Fanning
DE 94 Willie Fry
DT 95 George Hayduk
CB 26 Tom Lopienski
LB 45 Drew Mahalic
CB 25 Mike Naughton
DT 70 Steve Niehaus
DT 60 Kevin Nosbusch
LB 38 Tony Novakov
SS 33 Mike Parker
LB 40 Gary Potempa
CB 7 Tim Rudnick
CB 29 Pat Sarb
LB 55 Sherm Smith
DE 48 Jim Stock
LB 42 Tim Sullivan
FS 27 Mike Townsend
LB 61 Mike Webb
FS 34 Bob Zanot
 Special teams
Pos.#NameClass
P 4 Tony Brantley
P 9 Brian Doherty
K 98 Bob Thomas
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • Injured
  • Redshirt

Coaching staff

NamePositionYear at
Notre Dame
Ara ParseghianHead Coach10th
Tom PagnaOffensive Backs10th
Brian BoulacOffensive Line4th
Bill HickeyOffensive Line4th
Wally MooreOffensive Line10th
Mike StockReceivers5th
Joe YontoDefensive Coordinator
Defensive Line		10th
George KellyLinebackers5th
Paul ShoultsDefensive Backs10th
Greg BlacheJunior Varsity1st
John MurphyScouting
Defensive Coach		15th

Game summaries

Purdue

1 234Total
• Notre Dame 3 773 20
Purdue 0 700 7

[5]

Army

1 234Total
• Notre Dame 0 282014 62
Army 3 000 3

[6]

USC

1 234Total
USC 7 070 14
• Notre Dame 3 10100 23

[7][8]

Sugar Bowl

1 234Total
• Notre Dame 6 873 24
Alabama 0 1076 23

[9]

Post-season

Award winners

All-Americans

Name AP UPI NEA FC SN FW T FN WCF
Dave Casper, TE211111
† Mike Townsend, DB11111111
†denotes consensus selection       Source:[1]

College Football Hall of Fame inductees

Name Position Year Inducted
Ara ParseghianCoach1980

[10] Notre Dame leads all universities in players inducted.

1974 NFL Draft

PlayerPositionRoundPickFranchise
Dave CasperTight End2(19)45Oakland Raiders
Mike TownsendDefensive Back4(8)86Minnesota Vikings
Brian DohertyPunter9(18)226Buffalo Bills
Tim RudnickDefensive Back11(5)265Baltimore Colts
Frank PomaricoGuard14(15)353Kansas City Chiefs
Robert R. ThomasKicker15(24)388Los Angeles Rams
Cliff BrownRunning Back17(11)427Philadelphia Eagles
Willie TownsendWide Receiver17(24)440Los Angeles Rams
Source:[11]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "2007 Notre Dame Media Guide: History and Records (pages 131-175)". und.cstv.com. Retrieved 2008-12-29.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "2007 Notre Dame Media Guide: 2007 Supplement (page 163)". und.cstv.com. Retrieved 2008-12-31.
  3. ↑ "Past Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (Division I FBS) National Champions (formerly called Division I-A)". ncaa.org. Archived from the original on May 9, 2008. Retrieved 2008-12-31.
  4. ↑ "2007 Notre Dame Media Guide: 2007 Supplement (page 129)". und.cstv.com. Retrieved 2008-12-31.
  5. ↑ "Notre Dame Bests Purdue." Palm Beach Post. 1973 Sept 30.
  6. ↑ Eugene Register-Guard. 1973 Oct 21.
  7. ↑ Palm Beach Post. 28 Oct 1973. NO BOX SCORE.
  8. ↑ "Irish end years of frustration." Eugene Register-Guard. 1973 Oct 28.
  9. ↑ "Notre Dame Preserves 24-23 Victory." Palm Beach Post. 1974 Jan 1.
  10. ↑ "College Football Hall of Famers". collegefootball.org. Retrieved 2008-12-31.
  11. ↑ "Notre Dame NFL Draft History". uhnd.com. Archived from the original on 6 January 2009. Retrieved 2008-12-31.
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