September 4, 1993
Notre Dame Northwestern Final Stats
By Adam Ward, The Scholastic 1993 Football Review
It has become almost routine. At the beginning of every football season, Lou Holtz and the Fighting Irish football team have to deal with something other than the first game of the season. Off-the-field controversy always seems to creep into the picture of Notre Dame’s season opener. Both fans and critics wonder how the adversity will affect the performance of the Irish. By now, though, all should know that Coach Holtz and the Irish thrive in the face of adversity.
In 1990, just before the season started, a former Notre Dame player sold an uncomplimentary story about steroid use at Notre Dame to Sports Illustrated. In it he also slandered Holtz and his coaching staff. With the apparent distractions surrounding the squad, it still managed to muscle out a win against a tough Michigan team in the season opener.
The next year an NCAA investigation of the University of Minnesota uncovered more controversy concerning Holtz. He was accused of recruiting violations during his time at Minnesota. While this probably put more pressure on Holtz than it did the team, he still easily guided the Irish to a victory over Indiana on opening day in Notre Dame Stadium.
Then in 1992, the NCAA suspended senior captain Demetrius DuBose for the first two games of the season. DuBose admitted accepting money and gifts from a long-time friend who was also the president of the Western Washington Notre Dame Club. Even without their star linebacker, the Irish thrashed Northwestern 42-7 in their first game of the season.
This year was no different. Just before the scheduled start of the season, a controversial book hit the newsstands. Under the Tarnished Dome had few positive remarks about Notre Dame or its football program. While many felt that the book would fluster an already questionable Irish squad, Notre Dame once again proved its critics wrong by beating an improved Northwestern team 27-12.
The book was not the only distraction plaguing the Irish. There were also questions about the team’s ability to score points offensively. The Irish lost its entire starting backfield either to graduation or the NFL. With the likes of Reggie Brooks, Jerome Bettis and Rick Mirer gone, questions surfaced as to who would fill their shoes. While most were confident that the running back and fullback positions could be filled, many were unsure about the quarterback spot. The heavily recruited freshman quarterback Ron Powlus was expected to get the starting call until he fractured his collarbone a week before the season. That left junior Paul Failla and senior Kevin McDougal to fight for the quarterback position. When game time arrived, McDougal got the starting nod, but Failla was expected to receive some playing time as well.
With all of the uncertainty surrounding the team’s ability, offensive inexperience and focus, Irish fans were hoping that the game against theWildcats would answer not only their questions but also their prayers. Notre Dame supporters did not have to wait long.
After receiving and downing the opening kickoff, Northwestern took control of the first series of the game at the 20-yard line. When senior Wildcat quarter back Len Williams’ pass ricocheted off of the tight end’s hands and into the arms of senior linebacker Pete Bercich, the doubts of Irish fans vanished. Bercich caught the ball at the 20 and rumbled into the end zone for an early 7-0 Irish lead. The interception was Bercich’s first career touchdown.
“It was unbelievable. It was a dream come true,” said Bercich. “The ball hit the tight end’s hands, and I looked up and there’s the ball. The next thing I know I’m like Curly from The Three Stooges, running into the end zone.”
The Irish defense again gave the Notre Dame fans something to cheer about when, on only the second play from scrimmage, senior defensive tackle Oliver Gibson sacked Williams for a four yard loss. The Wildcats kept their composure and managed to squeeze out four first downs before having to punt.
Now it was the offense’s turn to quiet the critics. The Irish took over on their own four yard line, confident that they could march 96 yards for the score. The Wildcats, however, had other plans. The offense was forced to punt after just eight plays and three first downs for 41 yards. The doubts about the team’s inexperience and inability to score began to resurface.
After both teams failed to score on their next possessions, the first quarter ended with the Irish ahead of the Wildcats by seven.
The second quarter continued in a similar way with each team pass to exchanging unthreatening possessions. With each series, however, Notre Dame seemed to confirm every Irish fan’s anxiety while the Wildcats gained confidence and momentum. North western used its confidence to score a touch down with only 27 seconds remaining in the half, after a quick but impressive 80 yard scoring drive. The drive lasted only one minute and 18 seconds and ended on an eight yard pass from Williams to junior running back Dennis Lundy. Senior kicker Brian Leahy missed the point after leaving the Irish up by one at the half.
“We really put our heart into it. We had an awesome first half,” said Northwestern outside linebacker Steve Shine.
Awesome could be an understatement. Not only did the Wildcat defense prevent the Notre Dame offense from scoring, but it also prevented the Irish offense from crossing midfield. Northwestern dominated in almost every statistical category at half time including first downs, passing yardage, total yardage and time of possession. The only category in which the Wildcats seemed to trail was the most important one – the score.
The Wildcats soon took over in that category as well. At the start of the second half, after returning the kickoff to the Notre Dame 28-yard line, the Irish began their first series of the second half. On the first play, McDougal fumbled the snap from center, and Northwestern’s Shine recovered the ball at the line of scrimmage.
With the ball on Notre Dame’s 28, Northwestern was poised to take its first lead of the game. In just four plays the Wildcats did just that, capped by an 11-yard run by Lundy. Northwestern then attempted to make up for the missed extra point on the previous touchdown by going for a two point conversion. The attempt failed but Northwestern still had the lead, 12-7.
But the Irish did not flinch. On the next series, McDougal proved why he deserved the starting role by leading the Irish offense on their first offensive scoring drive of the year. After marching 63 yards up the field, with a combination of timely passing and smash-mouth running, junior fullback Ray Zellars scored his first career touchdown on a powerful five-yard run. The Irish then opted for a two-point conversion to put them up by a field goal. But after an illegal procedure penalty, they had to settle for a point after, by fifth-year senior kicker Kevin Pendergast giving the lead to the Irish, 14-12.
After stopping the Wildcats on their offensive series, the Irish managed to score again on their next possession with a 29-yard Pendergast field goal, increasing the Irish lead to 17-12 at the end of the third quarter. The scoring continued for the Irish into the fourth quarter with Pendergast kicking another field goal and senior free safety Jeff Burris scoring on a two yard scamper into the end zone.
The scoring for the Wildcats, however, ceased at the 13:35 mark of the third quarter after the Notre Dame defense tightened up for the remainder of the game.
When the final gun sounded, the Irish were on top 27-12, but many of the questions that Notre Dame fans were hoping to have answered still remained.
Did the book contribute to the less than impressive performance of the team?
Kevin McDougal did not think so.
“The book had nothing to do with any thing. We just started out slow. The total team had to get it together, and after our first score in the second half, I could feel the confidence build,” he said.
Although the controversy over the book did not seem to be a factor, the suspect offense was of great concern. The Irish failed six times on third and short and never seemed to achieve any type of offensive rhythm.
“If you look at our team based on today, you might think that we might not win again,” said Holtz. “But if you look at other things, you might see opportunities for improvement I must look at the film before I contemplate other things – like suicide.”
The battle between Failla and McDougal for the quarterback position was not resolved either.
“It’s still up in the air. Both McDougal and Failla did a nice job,” said Holtz.
Many of the questions plaguing the Irish remained unanswered and improvement seemed to be necessary in order to challenge the more competitive teams on the schedule. “I’m going to have to watch the film and ask, ‘Can we correct things that we did wrong?’ If we can, I will feel much better. If we can’t, I will be one sick puppy,” Holtz said. “It was not a very impressive performance but we learned a lot.”