Oct. 4, 1999

NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Wide receiver Joey Getherall came into this game, feeling not only the pain of his shoulder but also the pain of the three straight Notre Dame losses.

All the junior could do was sit and watch against as his team registered three straight losses in the opening weeks. Getherall found himself sidelined since he injured his shoulder against Michigan in the first week of September. He didn’t see any action against Purdue or Michigan State.

Against the Oklahoma Sooners, the Irish receiver’s pain seemed to disappear as he went on to post career high numbers. With six catches for 133 yards, Getherall receives Unsung Hero honors. He posted career highs for catches as well as yards.

“This was probably one of the biggest games I have had,” Getherall said about his performance. “I only wish that I was 100 percent.”

Getherall helped his team win its first game since its season opener against Kansas. The receiver sparked the Irish in the second quarter when he caught a 58-yard pass from Irish quarterback Jarious Jackson, cutting the sooner lead to nine points. The 58-yard reception marked Getherall second career touchdown for the Irish and it also ranked as Jackson’s third longest touchdown pass of his career.

“It was a big one win for us,” Getherall said about his team’s situation. “We had to win because we were in a must win situation. When you are 1-3, you have to get a win.”

At halftime, Getherall had two catches for an astounding 71 yards.

“You have to do what you have to do,” Getherall said about playing with his injury. “You have to play through pain a little bit, sometimes.”

Getherall saw more action when his fellow receiver Raki Nelson exited the game. The receiving corps took a serious hit when its leading receiver injured his knee. Davie described the injury as fairly similar to Jackson’s knee injury from last season. Nelson is scheduled for a MRI early this week.

“I was a little banged up but I wanted to get out there and play,” Getherall said. “I got the opportunity when Raki [Nelson] went down. I tried to go out there and help the team in anyway and that is what I did.”

Notre Dame had its biggest comeback since the 1986 USC contest. The Irish came back from a 16-point deficit to beat the Sooners 34-30. Also the Irish amassed 566 total yards against which is the most since Davie has been head coach.

“We have been through this situation a lot of times,” Getherall responded about the close game. “We just have to do what it takes. Our motto was play with passion and do whatever it takes to win.”

The Irish receiver did just exactly that and watched as his team’s record moves to 2-3.