The New Kid In Town

Rick Mirer’s debut comes under the lights in a 28-24 win over Michigan

By Mike Farnan
1990 Scholastic Football Review

Notre Dame head football coach Lou Holtz compared his 28-24 victory over the Michigan Wolverines to a great heavyweight fight: it went back and forth. “If we had played another quarter we might have been behind at the end of that period. It’s a shame that a game like this had to end.” Holtz was probably the only Irish partisan who didn’t want to see this game end, as many in the sellout crowd could be seen checking their pacemakers by the fourth quarter.

No doubt Notre Dame quarterback Rick Mirer was glad to have the first one out of the way. His 14 of 23 passes, 165 yard, one touchdown and one interception performance might have been termed a mediocre debut had it not been for two fourth quarter touchdown drives he orchestrated to overcome a ten point deficit The sophomore quarterback from the rolling meadows of Goshen, Indiana, completed 5 of 6 passes for 52 yards during the game winning drive. An 18-yard TD pass to Adrian Jarrell capped a 76 yard scoring drive with 1:40 to play in the game.

”The big thing [on the final drive] was that we had a lot of emotion going for us,” Mirer said. “We never felt we’d get beat unless we beat ourselves.”

Things started well for the Irish, when Michigan tailback Jon Vaughn fumbled on the second play of the game giving Notre Dame the ball on Michigan’s 26 yard line. Notre Dame quickly converted the turnover into seven points as Mirer kept the ball on the option and trotted into the end zone untouched, making a “Golden Boy” pose.

Vaughn’s fumble would be his only miscue in a stunning 22 carry, 201 yard rushing day. “I didn’t think anybody could move the ball against us like that,” muttered a genuinely perplexed Lou Holtz after the game.

In the next series, Michigan first year head coach Gary Moeller demonstrated “hesitant” play calling. Having success on the ground, Moeller for some reason went to the pass, a little too soon and too often. Michigan QB Elvis Grbac, 17 of 30 for 190 yards on the day, found himself looking at third and ten, then fourth and one. The Wolverines converted and clawed eight more yards before settling for a 38 yard field goal.

Notre Dame then marched 75 yards, culminating in a two yard dive over the middle by Tony Brooks for the touchdown. On this drive Rick Mirer began to emerge as a leader. Through the glare of the temporary lighting the number three on Rick Mirer’s jersey looked more like a question mark. Especially during the Irish warm-ups when the lights went out on the Irish side of the field. However, by the end of this drive it appeared to at least be a period. Mirer had made a definitive statement by completing two passes for 31 yards.

“I think he’s ‘going to be a very good quarterback,” said Moeller after the game, “He has a strong arm and the experience is just going to come. He did a lot of good things out there.” Michigan seemed to have gotten the message.

The two fighters exchanged jabs in the middle rounds, neither able to land a punch. Michigan started the second quarter by punting. Notre Dame punted back five plays later. Michigan then got as far as the Irish 42-yard line before Eduardo Azcona again punted it through the Notre Dame end zone. Four players later, you guessed it, Notre Dame’s Craig Hentrich punt the ball 44 yards to the Michigan 20 yard line. Tripp Welborne fielded the punt and burst up the middle and then scampered to the sidelines for a 38-yard return.

Michigan then had the ball on the Notre Dame 35 yard line. They tried all four plays to get 10 yards but the Irish defense held once again. Moeller’s fourth and three pass play was gutsy even though it did not result in a first down.

Ricky Watters dropped the handoff on the next play, giving the ball right back to Michigan with excellent field position. Two plays later, Grbac hit a wide-open Desmond Howard for a 44-yard touchdown pass. George Poorman was badly beat as Michigan discovered Notre Dame’s Achilles heel: the defensive backfield.

The teams went into their locker rooms at halftime with Notre Dame tentatively leading 14-10.

The third quarter was all Michigan as their defense stifled Notre Dame’s initial possession. After a Jim Sexton punt, Michigan started their most impressive drive of the evening from their own fifteen yard line. The drive began with Elvis Grbac exploiting a decidedly weak and confused defensive backfield for three straight completions totaling 50 yards. The rest was done on the ground as the Wolverines took nearly five minutes to march 85 yards. This score put Michigan up for the first time in the game.

On the first play of Notre Dame’s next possession, senior running back Tony Brooks gave the ball to Michigan’s defensive tackle Mike Evans on the Irish 25. On the next play Grbac hit Howard in the flat who easily beat Rod Smith for the score.

Freshman tailback Jeff Burris handled the kickoff. Raghib “Rocket” Ismail had left the game earlier with a bruised sternum. He returned but was used sparingly by the Notre Dame coaching staff.

Again Notre Dame’s offense was lackluster as they were forced to punt after only four plays. Michigan took the ball and marched 43 yards to the Notre Dame 19 and attempted a 36 yard field goal, missing wide to the left. This miss swung the momentum in Notre Dame’s favor.

“I looked up and it was 24-14 and there were eight minutes to go in the third quarter. No, I wasn’t comfortable at all,” said Moeller.

At this point Moeller may have been uncomfortable but Holtz was baffled: “In the third quarter we just couldn’t get anything going.”

Notre Dame began the fourth quarter down by ten points. The Irish needed a knockout punch and they found it in fullback Rodney Culver. On this drive, Culver touched the ball five times, including a one yard touchdown somersault up the middle. The Irish needed a little luck on the possession, though. On third and 15 from their own 15, Mirer dropped back and saw Ismail. The “Rocket” got both hands on the ball but couldn’t hang on. The ball popped into the air-to freshman receiver Lake Dawson, who pulled it in for a 45-yard gain.

Michigan took the kickoff and faced a huge decision. Moeller once again showed some guts when he went for a fourth and one from midfield with over eleven minutes to play. Vaughn turned the comer and picked up 26 yards. It was for naught, however, as Michael Stonebreaker picked off an errant Grbac floater in the end zone with a marvelous one-handed snag.

On the next possession Mirer was intercepted by Vada Murray with 7:57 to go. The Irish defense held and the offense got the ball on their 24 to start the drive. Mirer, undaunted under the pressure of the big game, looked like a seasoned quarterback with everything under control. His first big pass came on third and six from the Irish 28. Chased out of the pocket and running to the left, he threw right and hit Tony Smith for 13. Ricky Watters ran for 16 on second and seven from the Michigan 33 and Mirer hit the Rocket for 15.

On first and ten from the Wolverines’ 18, Mirer rolled right and fired a bullet to flanker Adrian Jarrell at the goal line and he tumbled in for the touchdown. Craig Hentrich’ s point after made it 28-24. Suddenly Mirer’s number three looked like an exclamation point. Michigan was suffering from wobbly knees but struggled to win the fight. Desmond Howard nearly broke the ensuing kickoff but for a Hentrich game-saving tackle. On the next play, Grbac overthrew Howard on the sidelines and Reggie Brooks hauled it in for the interception.

“I was in the right place at the right time. My eyes got real big and it came right to me,” said Brooks after the game.

“Anyone who says there isn’t a mystique here just needs to look at that play.” Head Coach Lou Holtz gave credit to a spiritual entity as well: “I attribute [the win] to competitiveness, the luck of the Irish and the Lady on the Dome.”

This game left everyone clutching their rosaries. The team better make a Novena before Michigan State.