The Irish hopes were kept alive by Sophomore Rusty Lisch
Last year during the offseason, I did a series of posts on “Notre Dame Football Firsts.” This year I thought I’d delve into the heart-pounding, hair-raising moments that have defined Notre Dame football history. From improbable comebacks to jaw-dropping plays, Notre Dame’s legacy is studded with wild and crazy victories that have left fans exhilarated and opponents shell-shocked. Join me as I embark on a journey through the annals of Fighting Irish lore, revisiting the unforgettable moments that have solidified Notre Dame’s reputation as a powerhouse in college football. Get ready to relive the excitement, the drama, and the sheer madness of Notre Dame’s most spectacular wins. Strap in tight, because this series promises to be an adrenaline-fueled ride through the wild side of football history.
The following excerpt, extracted from the February 7, 1977 edition of “The Scholastic,” provides an insight into the highly anticipated clash between Notre Dame and Alabama in 1976, as documented in the 1976 Notre Dame Football Review.
Notre Dame VS Alabama, 1976
by Bill Delaney
Bill Delaney is a former sports’ editor of the Scholastic and editor of the 1974 and ‘75 Football Review. He is currently an MBA student at Notre Dame.
There was a great deal of apprehension up to the Alabama weekend surrounding the Notre Dame football team. The loss the previous weekend to Georgia Tech did so much, for Pepper Rogers and his crew, and little for the Irish cause. The questions surrounding the Devine Corporation had resurfaced with the loss to Tech. It would have been a different situation if the Tech had beaten the Irish honestly, but they beat Notre Dame without even throwing the ball. That went out before Rockne.
Alabama represented one of the fiercest opponents Notre Dame ever faced. Armed with two victories by one- and two-point margins in bowl games, the Tide was coming to South Bend to play the Irish in the first regular season meeting between the two schools.
But it was not the two teams that played in the bowl games that were to meet on the chilly field this Saturday. The past excitement of the bowl games was far away from the two teams’ minds, as both had to salvage a season, and each figured that a win would accomplish that objective. Despite the season-opening loss to Pitt, the Irish had fashioned a powerful defense and sporadic offense to come up with a 6-2 record. Alabama also had two losses, and it was only mathematical before the Tide would lose its traditional first-place finish in the SEC.
On the first possession of the game, the Irish marched downfield from their own 24-yard line behind quarterback Rick Slager. Passes to Ken MacAfee for 18 and 25 yards moved Notre Dame through the Alabama line, something which sparked the capacity crowd of 59,075.
But the drive stalled at the 12 and record-setter Dave Reeve was called upon to hit the field goal. Unfortunately the kick was wide to the left and the Irish wound up with nothing from the drive.
A poor punt of 20 yards gave N.D. great field position on their own 30, and the Irish scoring machine started to roll again. Al Hunter went through left tackle for 36 yards and the first down, bringing the ball into Alabama territory. Slager then went to MacAfee for eight and Hunter for seven and the Irish, were at the Tide four-yard line. However, the misfortunes the past weeks continued to haunt offense and Steve Orsini’s’ carry into the end zone for an apparent touchdown resulted in a fumble; giving the Irish nothing again for their effort
This wave of inefficiency continued to plague both sides until the beginning of the next quarter. On the first possession of the second quarter, Slager rolled left and hit Dan Kelleher on the left sideline for 56 yards and the score. Reeve connected on the extra point with the Irish now on top by seven with the first score of the day.
The advantage was soon to mount to 14 as Slager again moved Notre Dame downfield with some excellent play calling. Passes to Kelleher and MacAfee moved the Irish past midfield, where the explosive running of Vagas Ferguson took over. The freshman back, who had seen little action throughout the season, was a surprise starter at the outset of the contest. In this drive Ferguson’s jaunts of 12 and 13 yards put the Irish down to the Alabama 17. Hunter took over from there, and on two runs the Irish scored again.
But the bubble of invincibility was soon to burst. On Alabama’s next possession, quarterback Jack’ O’Rear marched Bama downfield behind his rushing, bringing the Tide past midfield. But the key to the scoring drive was an interference call on Luther Bradley at the l1~yard line. His interference of Ozzie Newsome resulted in a 24-yard gain for the Tide. O’Rear then took over the controls, and, three plays later, Alabama broke the scoring barrier. The 77-yard scoring drive took four minutes and 19 seconds, and gave the Irish something to worry about once again.
But Slager and company put the Tide score behind them, and took the offensive again. A 25-yard pass to wingback Tom Domin quickly gave the Irish fine field position. After a few quick runs, Slager found MacAfee over the middle for 11 yards and a first down. A four yard burst by Heavens over left tackle gave way to Vagas Ferguson. The freshman broke around right end from the 17 for seven points. This put Notre Dame on top, 21-7 going into half time.
The third quarter appeared to be a continuation of the previous 30 minutes for the Irish, as they moved consistently with their first possession of the half. Starting from their own 20, Slager stayed on the ground behind runs by Hunter and Ferguson to move the ball to the Alabama 45. But the drive was soon halted when Slager’s aerial, intended for Kelleher, was picked off by Tim Krauss, who returned the interception to the Irish 30. But the Tide could not move the ball, so Jack Berrey was called in to attempt a field goal. His kick was true; and Alabama cut the lead to 21-10 with: 4:05 remaining in the third quarter.
Keep reading here, on page 19.
As I wrap up this exhilarating dive into Notre Dame’s legendary victories, I’m left eagerly anticipating what’s to come. Join me next week as I turn our attention to one of the most iconic matchups in Fighting Irish history: the showdown between Notre Dame and Michigan in 1980. Get ready to immerse yourself in the drama, the passion, and the unforgettable moments that defined this historic clash. Until then, keep the Fighting Irish spirit alive, and brace yourself for another thrilling chapter in our off-season series.
Cheers & GO IRISH!