Man, I wish that Sugar Bowl game was in the DVD collection. As a high school student in Florida, that game was pure heaven.
Nate | Email | Homepage | 12.31.06 - 6:29 pm | #

To this day, Spurrier hates the Irish...this game is the reason...he has never gotton over this ass kicking
Vinny | Email | Homepage | 12.31.06 - 7:35 pm | #

It was a brilliant defensive concept, similar (if you will) to NC State slowing down the Phi Slamma Jamma (Houston) in the '83 NCAA final.

Does anyone view this bowl game as a crossroads for Minter? I do.......
Mike S | Email | Homepage | 12.31.06 - 10:10 pm | #

The biggest difference between the team that year and this year is that we actually played fairly well against the top teams, and if not for Jeremy Lincoln's buttocks, ND wins the TENN game, and maybe is not so low after the TENN game that PSU whips them. Basically ND was one extra point away from being one of the top 5 teams in the nation, whereas this team has not played well against either big game opponent, and we have not played a schedule anywhere near the caliber of that team's schedule, or even LSU's this year.

I still think that ND has a very good chance, but they need to come out fast and strong on BOTH sides of the ball from the very beginning and keep it up for the entire game. If they don't LSU has shown the ability to make late game comebacks and the pass D is just not that great. Still, I am more worried about the run than the pass cuz their WRs are not the caliber of a Darrell Jackson. I think it will be a much better game than people expect, but then again that's why they play the games.

I mean, honestly, who expected the Lions and Niners to win on the road today, but both did. So you just never really know.

GO IRISH!!
Philip | Email | Homepage | 12.31.06 - 11:26 pm | #

I watched my tape of the USC/ND game for the third and final time this afternoon. I suppose it's too much to hope that LSU never got a copy of that game to study, isn't it?

Wednesday night is a new game, and is a Lloyd Dobler, dare-to-be-great-situation.

Sadly, it's also the last time we'll see Quinn, Samardzija, and so many others in the gold helmets.

Thanks for the memories, guys, and if it's not too much to ask, please do your best to make just a few more. Good luck in all your future endeavours, football and otherwise.

Thanks to the makers of this site.
It completes me.

Go you Irish!
Joe Subway | Email | Homepage | 12.31.06 - 11:54 pm | #

I'd love to know what Bob Rubin wrote in his Jan. 2, 1992 column...or was he still occupied removing both feet from his mouth? Did he give any thought to the fact that the alleged UF juggernaut had beaten FSU 14-9 that year, yet lost to Syracuse by 17...who lost to FSU by 32? Eh?

I do think that this game will be a referendum on the future or Rick Minter at ND, though admittedly he hasn't had top-notch talent on the defensive side with which to work.
c-stone | Email | Homepage | 01.01.07 - 12:00 am | #

Minter has to pull off a miracle for me to buy into this.
DayBreakBoys | Email | Homepage | 01.01.07 - 2:39 am | #

Wait, is Minter staying now? I thought he was gone after this year...
Erik '04 | Email | Homepage | 01.01.07 - 11:24 pm | #

By most accounts, the knock on Minter seems to be that while strategically he is quite the tactician, he seems to be lacking in the motivation department. This filters into defensive sluggishness as well as recruiting. How many reports do we hear from recruits about Minter visiting them and exciting them about the prospect of playing for ND? I can't recall one!

Why else do you think Weis seemed more than ready to have Minter coach from the booth this year, Simply put, maybe this guys lacks sufficient people skills to motivate and energize his defense to get the big stop and play strong for all 60 minutes.

I believe he has done a very commendable, often times remarkable, job masking some of our glaring deficiencies on D. That said, his strategies and in-game management since the 2004 USC game have seemed lackluster and unimaginative. This game will be a referendum of sorts on his progress to date. While our D has statistically improved this year over last year, a blind man could see that more often than not, our D has come out flat, playing "not to lose" rather than "to win".

Its probably too early yet to decide on his future, and I would really like to see how he does developing this new influx of fresh talent and if he can structure some depth on D to ensure some continuity of excellence. That said, his performance in this game will be used as ammunition for one of 2 bandwagons--"Keep Minter" or "Fire Minter"
Kevin | Email | Homepage | 01.02.07 - 12:10 pm | #

Excuse me, but for those of us without photographic memory, who won the 91 sugar bowl, and by how much?

I assume it was ND handing them their own asses, but for the record, I can't find it anywhere...
Ryan | Email | Homepage | 01.02.07 - 6:24 pm | #

Ryan-- '92 Sugar Bowl ND 39 UF 28
c-stone | Email | Homepage | 01.02.07 - 11:24 pm | #