Notre Dame Football: Remembering the 1993 Holy War vs. Boston College
Notre Dame Football: Remembering the 1993 Holy War vs. Boston College
Notre Dame loses to BC
So, Boston College got off to a great start against Notre Dame. They used the first three quarters to take a 38-17 lead, shocking a Notre Dame team who was sleepwalking through the game. The Eagles got there on the back of an explosive passing attack.
Eagles quarterback Glenn Foley would go 30/48 for 315 yards and four touchdowns on the day, including what seemed to be a dagger shot to Pete Mitchell at the end of the third quarter. Mitchell, who had 13 catches for 132 yards and two touchdowns from the tight end position haunted the Irish secondary all night.
Notre Dame’s approach, as it so often was under Lou Holtz, was to win the game in the trenches. Go out and out-physical your opponent, breaking their will. It usually worked for Holtz’s Irish teams, but it wasn’t against Boston College.
The Eagles were up to the task of containing the Notre Dame offense, and when Notre Dame looked up with 11 minutes left in the game, they were down by three touchdowns.
Looking at that scoreboard, the Irish must have remembered that they were on track to win a national championship, because they finally got off the mat and punched back. First, Lee Becton took a 28-yard run for a touchdown. The two point try was good.
After getting a stop, Ray Zellers finished the next drive on the goal line and in for Notre Dame’s power rushing offense. Finally, after getting the ball back again, Notre Dame quarterback Kevin McDougal found Lake Dawson for a four yard score.
Notre Dame led 39-38 thanks to that two point conversion.
At this point you’d be forgiven for assuming that Notre Dame was 1993’s team of destiny. No one would blink if you just assumed Boston College had no chance, and the better team had finally woken up.
With all the momentum in the world, and a home crowd behind them, there was no way that Boston College could come back.
Except they did.
Boston College moved into field goal range quickly, with Mitchell gaining most of the yards the Eagles needed on a 24-yard catch. It would be a kick to win or lose, as Boston College’s David Gordon put the game on his left leg from 41 yards out. The ball never even threatened to drift outside the uprights.
It was a career-long for Gordon. Boston College 41 Notre Dame 39. National Championship hopes gone.
Today, the Fighting Irish find themselves ranked second in the country. They’re in prime position to go to the ACC Championship Game and they control their own destiny as it relates to the College Football Playoff. Their next game up, a dangerous Boston College team.
Next. Notre Dame Football vs. Clemson Review: Studs and Duds. dark
The Eagles are unranked, but are much improved from last season. Sitting at 5-3, the Eagles gave Clemson all the Tigers wanted just last week, before letting that one slip away. They’re more than capable of disrupting the Fighting Irish’s season, and the Irish need to be ready for them or the win against Clemson won’t be worth anything more than a feel good memory.