Countdown to kickoff: Notre Dame vs. Ohio State only 86 days away
To preview one of the most anticipated games for Notre Dame this century and the official start of the Marcus Freeman era, BlueandGold.com is counting down the days to the matchup against Ohio State on Sept. 3.
This daily series of 99 stories celebrates by the numbers some of the most notable names, dates, moments and memories related to the past and present of Notre Dame football.
Today we look at the 1986 game between Notre Dame and USC, one in which the unranked Irish made a 17-point comeback to win on a field goal as time expired.
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Legendary Notre Dame head coach Lou Holtz took over the Irish program in 1986, and things got off to a rocky start. Notre Dame suffered a 24-23 loss to then-No. 3 Michigan, a 28-10 loss to No. 2 Alabama, a 24-19 loss to No. 3 Penn State and a 21-19 loss to No. 8 LSU.
The Irish also fell to unranked Michigan State and Pittsburgh, and per the NCAA, Notre Dame had the hardest schedule in college football that season. The Irish entered a Nov. 29 contest against No. 17 USC with a 4-6 record.
But it’s a rivalry game. Improbable finishes happen more often than you might think. Anything is possible.
Quarterback Steve Beuerlein, a native of nearby Anaheim, Calif., was the starter as the Irish took the field in the Los Angeles Coliseum. But he was benched after tossing his sixth interception of the year. Why? Well, Holtz had told Beuerlein he would sit him if he threw a pick, a previously discussed metric which Holtz had set in place to improve Beuerlein’s interception numbers from his previous three seasons.
“When I say something, I mean it,” Holtz said in a 2012 “Strong and True” profile on the game, a series which celebrated 125 years of Notre Dame football.
Holtz kept that promise, and his record-breaking quarterback went to the bench. But not for long. The Irish fell behind by 17 points, and Holtz caved. Beuerlein went back into the game after a few series. Notre Dame was down 37-20 going into the fourth quarter.
A couple of touchdown passes and a punt return to the USC 15-yard line by future-Heisman-winning wide receiver Tim Brown later, Notre Dame was in prime position to win the game. The score was 37-35 in favor of the home team.
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Kicker John Carney had the opportunity to be a hero as he took the field for a 19-yard field goal attempt. As time expired, the ball sailed through the uprights. Notre Dame would win 38-37.
In the end, Beuerlein tied a USC opponent record with four touchdown tosses, and he was able to walk away with a massive comeback in his hometown.
“A fantastic storybook ending to finish my Notre Dame career,” Beuerlein said in the “Strong and True” video.
It was also much more than rivalry victory for the Irish team. Holtz, Beuerlein and Brown cited the win as a jumping-off point for Notre Dame in their quest for the 1988 national championship. The Holtz era was a go.
