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But Bob Goofy decided that Matt Lovecchio's experience made him a better choice to start at Nebraska in the opener. Sheesh.

Sidenote: I've always put more of the blame for how embarrassing that one was on the Wadsworth/White crowd. Somehow, these geniuses arranged for us to not only start the season a week later than everyone else (a full week after Labor Day), but to open with 2 of our first 3 games on the road: at #4 Nebraska and at Texas A.&M. Meanwhile, Nebraska had already played 2 home games against 2 cupcakes to tune up before facing us. Truly, it made no sense....we only had 11 games on our schedule, and there were ample opportunities to buy a game with a "directional" program the week prior.

I was there, and I wanted to hate the Nebraska fans. But every damn one of them I met was nicer than the last.

Lovecchio started, but Holiday was neck and neck with him all summer for the starting job. Davie selected Lovecchio because he didn't want to go on the road to Lincoln with a guy taking his first snaps.

I mostly agree with you on Nebraska fans of that era. They were a tad smug at that stage, but one might argue they had a right to be. Really, the ones not on message boards were pretty knowledgeable, likable fans.

A “sea of red” in Nebraska is expected…

In South Bend …it was a pathetic and disgusting showing.

Was there with 4 friends. Never considered selling our tickets for a millisecond.

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and go to OT instead.

He didn't believe in ND or his team.

He lost me that day. We would have won that game had he even tried. They were reeling.

Battle broke his wrist late into the TAMU game the week before.

He couldn't grip the ball with his throwing hand, much less throw a decent pass, and was basically an extra running back in the backfield during the entire game against Nebraska.

That injury was a real killer, since Arnaz Battle was the perfect quarterback for that offense.

I agree with you, that Davie should have at least tried to win the game, but at the same time, I can see how he was trying to play the percentages, based on Battle's injury.

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Our seats were with a bunch of player's parents. Of course Davie laid a turd and they let him know about it. I knew he was gone after that game.

The generally accepted history is that Kevin White spoke to him immediately following that game and told him that they were now evaluating his future and would be determining whether they would part ways after the season. Both White and Davie confirmed this.

Somehow, because he wasn't directly told that he was going to be fired after that until the morning after the Purdue game, he feigned surprise at the decision.

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The only other serious coaching candidates considered were Wannstedt and Gary Barnett. Barnett was probably a good choice at the time: He'd coached quite well for awhile at a nationally relevant program (Colorado under McCartney) and had taken Northwestern to the Rose Bowl (beating us in the process to get there). And his philosophy would have fit great - heavy running scheme, major focus on recruiting linemen. But other than these 2, no top coaches were seriously considered. Holtz spoke highly of him and we took a flier.

He started against

I recall CBS bringing in extra lighting.
My first ND game - ha!

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I figured it was probably not the first night game.
The build up to that '90 game on campus that week was fantastic.

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I don't recall when the lights were permanently installed.

The pride of Muscatine, Iowa.

I remember those days.

Before that, the portable lights from Musco were first used in 1982 against Michigan.

The game was at home.

Mirer had also played plenty of minutes in 1989, so he was a true sophomore, both in academic standing and eligibility standing. Back then, if you played even in one game, that would burn an entire year of eligibility.

I remember that game, where it kept looking like it was getting ready to storm, but the rain was being held back until after the game was over.

Jon Vaughn tore through us for 200+ yards rushing, and Elvis Grbac had all day long to throw. That offensive line was almost on the same level as ours.

George Poorman, the starting free safety, was out of position on almost every play. His performance throughout the few games he started wasn't very good, which is why Lou switched him to quarterback for the next year, even though Poorman was completely blind in one eye.

As soon as it was over, that's when the rain came down, as if it were divine intervention. There was a cartoon in the Observer that showed God giving us a hand that game, and given how it turned out, it's hard to rule out such divinity...

Father Miceli was pissed at this, and in Theology class the next week, he blasted us (the class) for saying that God was on our side for that game.

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Link: https://sicovers.com/featured/university-of-notre-dame-qb-rick-mirer-september-24-1990-sports-illust

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