Countdown to kickoff: Notre Dame vs. Ohio State only 26 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, with 26 days remaining until kickoff, we look back at 26-tackle performances by and careers of former Irish players Bob Golic and Bob Crable in the 1970s.
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Notre Dame may have walked away from a 1978 contest against Michigan with a 28-14 loss on its record, but Golic had his way. The linebacker (who later became a defensive tackle) posted an Irish record 26 tackles in the contest, topping a 22-stop record held by Jeff Weston at the time. It was set in 1975. Golic’s 26 tackles also tied the NCAA record.
Golic, a native of Cleveland, had an illustrious career for the Irish, finishing his four-year stint in South Bend with 479 stops. That remains second all-time in program history. Golic was also a member of the 1977 national championship team. He was a wrestler at Notre Dame and was named a two-time All-American in heavyweight wrestling as well.
The 6-2 defenseman was drafted No. 52 overall in the 1979 NFL Draft and played in the league until 1992 with the New England Patriots, Cleveland Browns and then-Los Angeles Raiders.
Along comes Crable
A year after Golic posted 26 tackles against Michigan, Crable matched the mark against Clemson in a 16-10 defeat. He joined Golic as tied for the NCAA single-game tackle record.
Posting 20 or more tackles was not a one-time thing for the Cincinnati native. There were four additional occasions during his Notre Dame career that Crable reached or exceeded that mark.
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Crable remains the Notre Dame program leader in career tackles (521) and holds the top-two spots in the single-season tackles category (187 in 1979 and 167 in 1981).
The two-time consensus All-American and two-time captain was taken No. 23 overall in the 1982 NFL Draft by the New York Jets. His professional football career was cut short by a series of knee injuries.
He served as the head football coach at his alma mater, Moeller High School, in Cincinnati from 2001-08. Crable was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2017.
