1986 ND vs. Southern Cal, Los Angeles,
"Final game of the 1986 season, with Steve Beuerlein leading unranked Notre Dame on a memorable fourth quarter comeback at #17 USC."
WOW
Link: 1986 vs. Southern Cal - 125 Years of Notre Dame Football
Replies to: 1986 ND vs. Southern Cal, Los Angeles,
That team was one play away from upseting '86 NC Penn State. USA met Tim Brown in that SC game!
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Never felt so good about a 5-6 team. Lost to 4 top 20 teams by a combined total of 13 points.
That game was the icing on the cake. It was already clear that Holtz was the right man for the job that season...and that the turnaround had begun.
And I hate to pick on a particular player, but I seem to recall Joel Williams dropping...
two balls that would have won games that year.
Beuerlein had been an inconsistent QB up to that point, who threw a lot of interceptions, which led for many to call for Terry Andrysiak instead, but Beuerlein was excellent as a senior. He put the team in a place to win numerous times, they just weren't there yet.
Re: And I hate to pick on a particular player, but I seem to recall Joel Williams dropping...
Yes Joel Williams cost us with two drops but the officials cost us against Michigan that year when Williams did an incredible job with his feet at the back of the end zone and they called him out. Also the usually reliable field goal kicker missed a relatively short one against Michigan and another against Pitt I beleive.
Also lost to two bad teams, but those games were early.
Trended the right way as the season progressed.
Had to find their way back from Faust. Holtz had switched the positions of a number of players..
...because Faust was so clueless.
Actually Holtz made a mistake with a player position too having Wally Kleine play defensive tackle
when as a pro he played offensive tackle.