Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com PRESEASON 2019 17 UNDER THE DOME 35 Years Ago: Sept. 8, 1984 In the christening of the Indianapolis Hoosier Dome (demolished in 2008 and replaced by Lucas Oil Stadium), No. 8-ranked Notre Dame is stunned in its opener with a 23-21 loss to Purdue, which it had crushed at West Lafayette 52-6 in the previous year's opener. Originally, the game between the two longtime in-state rivals was supposed to be at Notre Dame Stadium, but the Fighting Irish made it an "off-site home game," with 6,000 Notre Dame students filling a 145-bus convoy to the site. On the opening kickoff of the new season, Notre Dame freshman wide receiver Tim Brown bobbles and temporarily loses the ball upon fielding it, regains possession — and then fumbles it again, this time with the Boilermakers recovering it at the Fighting Irish 13-yard line to set up their first score. Notre Dame eventually regains the lead before 20 consecutive points by Purdue and an interception of a Steve Beuerlein pass attempt on Notre Dame's final drive seal the outcome. Brown's fumble was the first of five turnovers committed by the Irish, while Purdue had only one. In his starting debut, Boilermakers quarterback Jim Everett completes 20 of 28 passes for 255 yards with two scores. 25 Years Ago: Sept. 3, 1994 Coming off a 64-9-1 record (.872 winning percentage) in the six previous years from 1988-93, No. 3-ranked Notre Dame opens the new season under ninth-year head coach Lou Holtz with a 42-15 romp over Northwestern at Chicago's Soldier Field. Ultra-heralded Fighting Irish sophomore quarterback Ron Powlus, who sat out his freshman season because of a broken clavicle, makes his much awaited debut after arriving as the national player of the year from Berwick (Pa.) High School. Re- sponding to the hype that he might be the most anticipated athlete to make a college debut since UCLA basketball center Lew Alcindor (later Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) in 1966, Powlus wows the national audi- ence in prime time by completing 18 of 24 passes for 291 yards with a school-record- tying four touchdown passes — nine and 36 yards to Derrick Mayes, 46 yards to Michael Miller, and two yards to fullback Ray Zellars. Shortly afterwards, ESPN's Beano Cook, recognized unofficially as "The Pope of College Football," predicts that Powlus will win the Heisman Trophy twice, joining the exclusive company of 1972-75 Ohio State running back Archie Griffin. 10 Years Ago: Sept. 5, 2009 Coming off distressing 3-9 and 7-6 campaigns the two previous seasons, fifth-year Notre Dame head coach Charlie Weis opens the new campaign with a resounding 35-0 victory versus Nevada and its lethal Pistol offense spearheaded by quarterback Colin Kaepernick. It is only the third time in the last 51 years the Irish open with a shutout. Junior quarterback Jimmy Clausen completes 15 of 18 passes for 315 yards with four touchdowns — 24, 70 and 88 yards to sophomore wideout Michael Floyd, and another for 19 yards to sophomore tight end Kyle Rudolph. The 17.5 yards per pass attempt shatters his single-game school record 15.42 that he set in his previ- ous outing, the 49-21 victory at Hawaii in the Hawaii Bowl Dec. 24. Likewise, Floyd's 47.25 yards per his four receptions also sets a new Notre Dame single game standard (minimum four catches), eclipsing the 54-year record of 41.6 by Jim Morse (five for 208 yards) in a 1955 loss at USC. — Lou Somogyi Anniversaries In Notre Dame Athletics History: Sept. 2‑8 Quarterback Ron Powlus connected on 18 of 24 passes for 291 yards with a school-record-tying four touchdown passes to lead the way in the 42-15 over Northwestern in his Fighting Irish debut in 1994. PHOTO COURTESY FIGHTING IRISH MEDIA