:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/59850353/491375.jpg.0.jpg)
Alright y’all... we are 99 days to kickoff for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, and instead of just posting a random picture of whatever with a number, you’re going to get a chance to dive even deeper into my everyday thoughts.
It’s not always going to be pretty, and you have to remember: these are just random streams of thought and in no way should constitute a firm belief or ideology.
THE IRISH GIVE AMAZING THRILLS IN A LOSING SEASON BECAUSE BOB DAVIE
Perhaps one of the most insane seasons of the past 25 years was in 1999. The Irish were coming off the 1998 season which was utterly disappointing and ended with a 9-3 record. Notre Dame was 9-1 and ranked #9 heading into the game against the USC Trojans, but they were shutout in Los Angles 10-0, and then lost to the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the Gator Bowl.
Despite only having one win against a ranked opponent in 1998 (36-20 over the #5 Michigan Wolverines) there were high hopes in 1999 with returning quarterback Jarious Jackson.
Instead, Notre Dame got off to a 1-3 start and things were spiraling out of control when the Oklahoma Sooners came to town. The Irish were down 30-14 in the middle of the 3rd quarter, but came back to win the game, 34-30. The game winning touchdown drive was a 98 yard masterpiece.
Bob Davie said:
“This will be the first night I can watch ESPN and look forward to the highlights. It’ll be fun to just see what some other people did across the country and not have to turn the volume down.”
The Irish crushed the Arizona State Sun Devils 48-17 the next week, and then welcomed the USC Trojans to town for the annual battle for the Jeweled Shillelagh.
Notre Dame outdid its recent comeback victory over the Sooners with a 22 point comeback victory over the Trojans. It was a heart attack of a game, that devolved Davie into a role as “weatherman” at the end of the game:
“It’s funny how you know that game started out and it’s sunny and it’s pretty warm and SC’s making plays and by the end of the game it’s rainy and cold and the wind’s coming with us in the fourth quarter. You felt like if we could make some plays on defense, we’d have a chance to come back.”
For real... 1999 was insane. Notre Dame went 5-7 by losing all its games in September, winning all its games in October, and losing all its games in November. There was only one senior starter on the team (Jarious Jackson). There were 13 starters that were either a freshman or a sophomore.
It all felt like pure Bob Davie — and even more so almost 20 years later. It saw the beginning of the Bob Stoops era for Oklahoma and was just another year away from the Pete Carroll era for USC.
WE HAD BOB DAVIE, TRADED HIM IN FOR TY WILLINGHAM, AND THEN CHUCKED HIM FOR A CHUCK.
What a remarkable season.