Whether it was the unforgivable 58-7 humiliation that was Gerry Faust’s last game or the near riot prior to the 1988 thriller, the games were hard-hitting, emotion-fueled, big-play dramas. While games in both 1988 and 1989 largely decided the national championship, the 1990 game was actually ranked #3 by fans for the best games in Notre Dame Stadium in a 2005 poll.

It also played a huge role in propelling the Irish to a #1 ranking that they would hold on two different occasions during the 1990 season. Ultimately, an upset at home at the hands of Penn State and an Orange Bowl defeat would derail the Irish national title dreams. Nevertheless, the Irish win was notable for denying Miami a shot at a repeat national championship and it was the last meeting between the two until the 2010 Sun Bowl.

After locating and dusting off this old VHS gem from my archives, I was immediately reminded of a few things.

First, the ND in the end zone for home games in 1990 looks completely out of place in my book. Much like the critiques of “The Shirt” when it deviates from traditional colors, the end zones at Notre Dame should feature slashed lines…period!

I cannot express how much I miss Notre Dame coverage on CBS from the 80s.

I loved the sideline shots that they always had and the open microphones. After a key stop in the second half, you can hear Scott Kowalkowski exhorting his teammates with “good stop” and a fist pump.

For all the benefits of the NBC coverage we no longer get that close up. Perhaps in an era where coaches have billboard sized play cards covering their mouths, they just won’t let the cameras have that much access.

Finally, Notre Dame Stadium was bedlam in the this game. It was loud and stands appeared wild. For years, I’ve heard the crowds at Notre Dame are pedestrian. In all my trips to the stadium, I’ve never seen a crowd like this particular Miami game. I would argue the night game last year vs. USC seemed like a church gathering compared to this game.

Rick Mirer

The game itself was a classic and at the same time it shocks me that this particular Notre Dame team went 9-3. The running backs alone on this day for the Irish may be the greatest collective assembled in college football history. Dorsey Levens the listed starter got 0 carries. Nevertheless, he and the remainder of the group – Rodney Culver, Tony Brooks, Ricky Watters, Rocket Ismail (who while not a true running back was second in carries in this game), and Jerome Bettis – all played in the NFL.

The defense which was also much maligned coming into the game also featured a number of future NFL players.

The Irish would enter the game ranked #6 while Miami would enter the game with a #2 ranking. This particular contest dubbed the “Final Chapter” by some (the teams would end their series following this game) was true to the form of the other Miami/Notre Dame clashes in that it featured big plays, great athletes, and a few surprises.

Two of the bigger questions leading up to this game were whether Notre Dame could run the ball effectively vs. Miami and whether their defense – which had struggled to this point – would have any answers for a potent Miami offense.

The Shirt for the 1990 ND-Miami game

The Irish answered both questions with a resounding yes. On the day, the Irish shredded a Miami run defense – that had to date yielded just 62 yards per game – for a whopping 315 yards on the ground. The defense, though it gave up 473 total yards, forced four Miami turnovers and held the Hurricanes to 6 points on three trips inside the 10.

The final trip which resulted in a Leonard Conley fumble at the Notre Dame 2 proved to be the final undoing of Miami. Despite the run game and defense, a mainstay of the Holtz era may have been the biggest difference in the outcome.

Special teams play was absolutely brilliant for the Irish on this day as Craig Hentrich booted 5 field goals and Rocket Ismail accounted for 158 yards of kickoff return yardage highlighted by a brilliant 94 yard scamper. The kickoff return tied the score at 10-10 and seemed to stabilize the Irish after their offense had struggled greatly in the early going. On the day, Ismail would account for 268 all-purpose yards on his way to a season that featured over 1700 all-purpose yards and a second place finish in the Heisman race. How he lost the Heisman to a guy who threw 28 interceptions I’ll never understand, but that is a story for another day.

Lou Holtz would improve his record at this point in his tenure at Notre Dame to 18-8 vs. teams in the Top 20, underscoring his greatness in preparing for and playing in big games. In the build up to this game, it was well reported that Lou spent a ton of practice time working individually with the defense. On this day, it paid off as the Irish held Miami to just 3 second half points. When asked about the game and the crowd afterwards, Holtz responded, “There is something special about playing here.” There was something special about playing Miami too.

The post Film Session: Notre Dame vs. Miami, 1990 appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

Likewise the bookstore unveiled what’s always a much anticipated – probably the most anticipated – clothing item of the year: The Shirt. I’ve reviewed The Shirt the past 2 years and I figured, why not emerge from my ND blogging void to bring you my reaction to this year’s design? After all, some things never change and this girl can’t say no to anything that combines Notre Dame football and fashion. Of course, I’d love to know what you think as well, so be sure to leave your comments and opinions below!

Welp, there you have it folks! The 2016 version of The Shirt (I apologize that blogging doesn’t lend itself to super exciting reveals, although I’m not sure anything could compare to BK peeling off his top layer, holding his arms up in the air TD Jesus style, and rocking this tee tucked into a pair of pants…bold move, Mr. Kelly)

I’m going to break down The Shirt as I have in the past, considering the following elements; color, the front design, the back design, and my overall thoughts. So, here it goes! The fashion police are officially on patrol.

Color: Let me first address the (multicolored) elephant in the room. The color is still not uniform, and not only is it not uniform, it’s still not always an official school color…unless, the Irish have adopted this bubble gum as of late and didn’t tell anyone.

Honestly, this color isn’t shocking in that it’s new, because it’s actually very similar to the blue of the 2011 The Shirt (I’ll give you a second to dig it out of the depths of your dresser drawers if you don’t believe me..told you!) What is shocking, however, is that they used it again. It’s a nice color – don’t get me wrong. But what’s wrong with green or navy or gosh I don’t know…classic white? Even if green and white aren’t technically official team colors, I think they would serve a much better canvas than this radical blue. I’m interested to see how it sells, because year after year the fan base expresses their desire for consistency as far as the color of The Shirt is concerned, and year after year we have to wonder if it’s going to be flesh-toned gold or kelly green (I’d vote for the second one every. single. time)

Design, Front: Ummm, there’s a football, and the date, and the name of the team. Yeah, that about covers it. Something about the front of this year’s The Shirt makes me have major deja vu. Like, haven’t we seen this design before? The front definitely seems as though it was a design pulled from the stock photo archives. According to the description on theshirt.nd.edu the front design is evidently a nod to the 1991 shirt, “which featured ‘Irish’ with a football graphic.” Something tells me 25 years later, we could have gotten a bit more creative. But, if the front is this plain, certainly the back will have a certain level of interest and intricacy to balance it out…

Design, Back: …or not. The back is equally as plain, or minimalistic, as the front. I will say that the two quotes, “Surrender to Excellence” and “Rise Above Ourselves” are pretty dang awesome and inspiring. Both quotes are from a longer block quote from the late, great Fr. Ted who said, “There is no academic virtue in playing mediocre football and no academic vice in winning a game that by all odds one should lose. … There has been a surrender at Notre Dame, but it is a surrender to excellence on all fronts, and in this we hope to rise above ourselves with the help of God.” *cue chills* I absolutely love that! I don’t however love how it was just sort of placed on the back. The back also features “banners” emblazoned with the years the Irish took home a National Championship. I look forward to the year they have to mess around with the spacing to add another banner! All in good time…

Overall Thoughts: Okay, so I’m sure if you’ve read my thoughts on each individual category you can already sort of take a stab at where I stand on this year’s design.

I’m not a huge fan.

*Cue gasps, and clutching of pearls*

This year is my first slightly negative review, but I’m just not wowed. I will say that it’s a nice, simple tee that really hits all the traditional, expected design points, but that’s not really what I expect from The Shirt. I sort of miss the images of specific players chest bumping each other after a huge TD, and the more traditional colors (I am my father’s daughter, huh?!). I mean, it is 100% cotton and available in a women’s cut this year which is nice (goodbye boxy shoulders), but I’m just not feeling it. Give me kelly green and a picture of The Rocket circa 1989 returning a kickoff against Michigan and a bit more of an avant garde design and I’d be a happy camper. I just can’t get excited about our student section wearing these. But hey, a winning record always has a way of making things like a sub par The Shirt design seem like a very minor detail in the grand scheme of things.

The post Fashion Review: The Shirt 2016 appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

His company, SustainU, is an American clothing company that produces high quality apparel using fabrics made in the USA from 100% recycled materials to provide extraordinary comfort and wear, while reducing environmental waste, carbon emissions and water use. All of SustainU products are manufactured in the United States to decrease the transportation emissions and employ factories in need of jobs.

Chris Yura and his company SustainU are currently bidding to be the vendor to produce “The Shirt” for 2014. The Bring Home The Shirt movement was created to encourage Notre Dame to use alumni-owned, domestic and environmentally beneficial manufacturing, for the student shirt program. “The Shirt” offers the Notre Dame Family the unique opportunity to showcase their shared values of social, environmental and economic sustainability and responsibility.

“The Shirt was the inspiration behind creating SustainU” Founder and CEO of SustainU Chris Yura commented, “Notre Dame Apparel is such a unique, unifying identifier for fans and alumni around the world. We believe we have created an authentic and genuine line of clothing that properly represents the ingenuity and integrity that is Notre Dame”. SustainU Clothing, started in 2009, and has worked with Fortune 500 Companies, Large Retail Companies, and hundreds of colleges and universities in creating 100% recycled, American made apparel. “I feel very blessed to say that I had the opportunity to earn my degree from The University of Notre Dame and letter 4 years in football, this company is a reflection of an institution that gave me so much”.

A SustainU “Shirt” would not only complement, but dramatically increase the sustainability story Notre Dame would be able to tell. If Notre Dame were to choose SustainU to provide “The Shirt” this year, the social and environmental impact could be enormous. “I am from West Virginia and started SustainU in my hometown because Green, domestic job creation needs to start in areas like Appalachia. We have the people and technology to create amazing products to service universities like Notre Dame. We just need the fans and alumni to support the workers in America and the communities in desperate need of in-sourcing.”

SustainU founder Chris Yura

The Apparel Industry left many communities in the United States in desperation after the NAFTA Agreement. The lower labor wages offered by oversea economies has left the domestic apparel industry decimated with only 2% market share of the clothing worn in America compared to 40% in 1998. “There are bright spots in foreign manufacturing in terms of higher wages and better treatment of workers but it seems many domestic apparel companies have forgotten about the thousands of workers they left behind when they off-shored jobs. We are part of a global economy and we need a telescope for progressive, collaborative development to service the largest consumer market in the world, which is the USA. But, we also need a microscope to find the advantages in transportation and technology to develop opportunities for people and communities in America to compete.”

Please follow The Bring Home The Shirt movement on facebook and help us spread the word!

Cheers!

The post Bring ‘The Shirt’ Home appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

Notre Dame stadium at sunset. Photo: Matt Cashore.

Has it been a while since you’ve been back to campus? Or have you never been to Notre Dame? Here’s a guide of things to do while you are at Notre Dame for the Blue-Gold (spring) game this weekend!

“The Shirt” Unveiling:

Photo courtesy of The Shirt Project, theshirt.nd.edu

Start your Blue-Gold weekend off by attending the unveiling of “The Shirt.” What is The Shirt you ask? The Shirt is a student run charity project. Money raised by The Shirt Project is used to subsidize student organizations and create memorial awards in the names of Notre Dame students. The Shirt Project preserves the charitable nature of the “T-Shirt for the Cause” campaign. Half of the funding provided by The Shirt Project goes to The Shirt Charity Fund, which helps Notre Dame students who suffer from extraordinary medical conditions that requires payment beyond their means. Medical bills add up quickly, and the money for unplanned accidents or illness is not always available. Thus, by paying medical bills on behalf of students, The Shirt Charity Fund allows Notre Dame students to continue their education and recuperation without the fear of not being able to return the next semester due to financial reasons. ( For more information about The Shirt Charity Fund, visit the Financial Management Board’s website here.)

Authors Note: Not everyone is all sunshine and rainbows when it comes to “The Shirt.”
See: Time to Fix The Shirt!  

And while some are not fans of “The Shirt,” others can’t live without it … All Aboard: The Subway Alumni

On Friday, April 19 the 2013 Shirt will be unveiled to the public. The Shirt unveiling festivities will begin at 3:30 p.m., including inflatables, prizes, free food and drink (while supplies last), and local radio station 95.7 The Fan. Come see past Notre Dame players who will be on this years’ Shirt! Also, see performances by Notre Dame’s marching band, cheerleaders, the Leprechaun, Irish dancers, glee club, pom squad and 1st Class Steppers.

The stage presentation will begin at approximately 5:30 p.m., with head football coach Brian Kelly unveiling The Shirt at approximately 6:00 p.m.

Parking: Please be advised that parking will not be available in front of the Bookstore on the afternoon of the Unveiling. The auxiliary bookstore lot will be available as well as the Joyce Center lot.

Game Day:

Parking: For the 2013 Blue-Gold game on Saturday, April 20, the following parking lots will be open for fans. All parking is FREE with no parking pass required. Lots will open at 8:00 a.m.

• Joyce
• Stadium
• Library
• Reserved A
• D2 – accessible parking with shuttle service
• Innovation Park (IP)

Please reference the Game Day Parking Map for the location of all functioning Blue-Gold parking lots.

Tickets: If you don’t already have them, tickets are currently on sale for the 84th annual University of Notre Dame Blue-Gold Spring Football Game,  Saturday, April 20, 2013. The 1 p.m. EDT Blue-Gold football game at Notre Dame Stadium is a fantastic opportunity to get a sneak peek at the 2013 Fighting Irish football squad. Proceeds from the Blue-Gold Spring Football Game help support the scholarship fund of the Notre Dame Club of St. Joseph Valley.

Ticket Information: General admission and reserved gold tickets may be purchased online: CLICK HERE

• Press box and team brunch tickets are only available for sale via telephone at 574-631-7356 or in person at the Murnane Family Ticket Office, located between gates 8 and 10 of Purcell Pavilion
• General admission adult tickets are $12 each ($15 on game day)
• General admission youth tickets (18 years and under) are $8 each ($10 on game day)
• Children age 3 and under do not require a ticket for general admission seating areas
• Group sales of 20 or more general admission tickets (adults and/or youth) are $8 each

Team Brunch Information: If you’ve never attended the team brunch, it’s definitely something I would recommend you attend at least once. Included with each brunch ticket is a pre-game meal with the Notre Dame football team, exclusive access to an autograph session with the current team members and general admission seating at the game. Most tables will have a current football player seated with them, but due to demand, not all tables will.

• Team brunch adult tickets are $65 each
• Team brunch youth tickets (age 18 and under) are $40 each
• Children age 3 and under do not require a ticket for the team brunch
• Purchase limit of eight total brunch tickets
• Due to limited quantities, the purchase of both press box and team brunch tickets is prohibited
• Brunch is held in the Joyce Center Fieldhouse (north dome), enter gate 2
• Doors open at 9:30 a.m. with brunch beginning at 10 a.m.

Press Box Seating: Take advantage of this unique opportunity to enjoy the same view as media covering Fighting Irish football! Included with your press box seating are a game program and a press box lunch (hot dogs, soup, cole slaw, potato salad, fruit salad, cookies and drinks.)

• SEATING IS VERY LIMITED
• Press box seats are $100 each
• Purchase limit of four total press box tickets
• Due to limited quantities, the purchase of both press box and team brunch tickets is prohibited

Reserved Gold (chairback) Tickets: Do you want to enjoy the spring game in a seat more than the standard wooden benches? Purchase a reserved gold ticket!

• All tickets are $30, regardless of age
• SEATING IS LIMITED
• Purchase limit is eight total reserved gold tickets

Food:

Looking for a great burger joint? My favorite destination Friday night of Blue-Gold weekend (or any football weekend for that matter) is to CJ’s Pub. In my humble opinion, no weekend at Notre Dame is complete without a trip to CJ’s for burgers. CJ’s is well known for their great pub burgers, and has been a student favorite since 1984. When I was in school, CJ’s was just a hole in the wall. They had a fire a few years back and had to rebuild. The new CJ’s is bigger and better than ever! Now we not only include CJ’s in our Friday night dinner plans … but also for a little dancing on Saturday night as well, as they now have a dance floor! Go figure!

My second food recommendation is brunch at Tippecanoe Place. Tippecanoe Place is the former Studebaker mansion. It is one of the premiere landmarks in the heart of South Bend’s historic district, and the mansion is teeming with the charm and grace of yesteryear. The gracious spirit of the past still thrives in the mansion’s 40 rooms with their wealth of fine antiques, 20 gorgeous fireplaces, and hand-crafted woods. This is definitely a must do experience!

Nightlife:

Nightlife you say? There are three spots that I would put on my “can’t be missed on a weekend to Notre Dame” list … The Linebacker Lounge, Corby’s and Brothers Bar & Grill.

Please don’t miss the ‘Backer

The Linebacker Lounge is a favorite of students and alumni alike! The Linebacker Lounge was founded in 1962 by former Notre Dame football player Myron Pontios, and local businessman Stan Pisek. They converted the building which had been an old drive inn into the now famous bar. The Linebacker has been featured on the Travel Channel, “College Towns”, and in October 2006 was the remote location for the television broadcast of ESPN’s “Mike and Mike in the morning” show. I can’t think of anywhere else I’d rather be on a football weekend (even spring football) than at the ‘Backer singing “Oh What a Night!”

Corby’s Irish Pub would be my next nightlife stop. Corby’s Irish Pub is a famous Notre Dame bar. The pub was established in 1990, and the movie “Rudy” was filmed at this location, which sealed the pub’s popularity. Corby’s is a very spirited Irish establishment and is the perfect place to be on football weekends when droves of alumni flock back to reconnect and relive their glory days!

Relatively new to the nightlife scene in South Bend is Brothers Bar & Grill. Located close to campus in the Eddy Commons, Brothers is great not only to grab a bite to eat, but also for late night fun. The place is huge, the menu is eclectic, and the music is loud but it’s a great time to hang out and people watch after some Irish football.

Campus Scenery:

The Grotto at Notre Dame. Photo courtesy of Kathleen Souder.

Whether you’ve been to campus before or it’s your first time to Our Lady’s University, there are some must see spots on campus.

The Grotto

From the day Rev. Edward F. Sorin, the founder of Notre Dame du Lac, embarked from Le Havre, France, bound for his mission in the New World, Mary, the Mother of God, was his guiding star. The culmination of this early Marian devotion can be seen today in Notre Dame’s stone grotto, designed to closely replicate the grotto in Lourdes, France where Our Lady appeared to Bernadette. The Grotto has since become a favorite devotional spot on campus. People of all faiths have found rest and peace in this place of quiet reflection. The beauty of its natural setting, the soft candle glow, bestow a feeling of warmth and welcome upon it’s visitors. No tour of Notre Dame would be complete without a visit to this peaceful shrine nestled among the trees in the shadow of the Golden Dome, to light a candle and say a prayer. (Spring at the grotto photo, courtesy of Kathleen Souder)

Badin’s Log Cabin Chapel

After your stop at the grotto, take a walk around one of the two lakes on campus, and then continue the spiritual part of your weekend by visiting Badin’s Log Cabin Chapel and the Basilica of the Sacred Heart. Badin’s Log Cabin Chapel is one of the oldest landmarks on campus, and it is a must see for any visitor to Notre Dame, new or old.

Sunlight over the Badin Log Cabin photo, courtesy of Kathleen Souder.

The one-and-one-half story log chapel-cabin was built by Badin in 1830 and when Sorin arrived a decade later it served as living quarters (ground floor) and a house of worship (attic space) for several months until a larger log house was constructed. With the completion of this second structure (located east of Badin’s building), Badin’s chapel assumed two secular functions. The first floor was a carpentry shop, while the second story became a crowded dormitory for the brothers who, by 1843, numbered 18 men. Religious services were then held in a chapel in the larger log structure. (Log cabin history taken from: A Spire of Faith: The University of Notre Dame’s Sacred Heart Church, by Thomas J. Schlereth. Sunlight over the Badin Log Cabin photo, courtesy of Kathleen Souder.)

After stopping by the Grotto and Badin’s Log Cabin Chapel, swing by the Basilica and take in mass.

Sacred Heart Basilica

Your next stop is the Sacred Heart Basilica, which stands in sharp contrast to the simplicity of the Log Cabin chapel. It’s majestic blue and gold will literally take your breath away. Our favorite Mass at the Sacred Heart Basilica is the 10:00 a.m. Sunday morning Mass. We have affectionately nicknamed it “Smells and Bells” because you get a healthy dose of incense, and the Notre Dame Liturgical Choir provides the beautiful music.

The Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Notre Dame, Indiana, is the largest Catholic Church on the campus of the University of Notre Dame. It also serves as the mother church of the Congregation of Holy Cross in the United States. The neo-gothic church features 44 large stained glass windows and majestic murals which were completed over a 17 year period by Vatican painter Luigi Gregori. The basilica bell tower stands 218 feet (66 m) high. The current basilica was preceded by a smaller structure erected in 1848 by Father Edward Sorin, CSC. The current neo-gothic church was begun in 1870 and consecrated by Bishop Joseph Dwenger on August 15, 1888.

The Golden Dome

The beloved Golden Dome.

Situated right next to the Sacred Heart Basilica, one of the most well known campus sights is The University of Notre Dame’s Main Administration Building (known as the Main Building or the “Golden Dome”). The Dome houses various administrative offices, including the Office of the President. Construction of the Main Building began in 1864 and was finished in 1865. The building stood for 14 years before being destroyed by fire in the spring of 1879.

Father Edward Sorin’s unbreakable will was best demonstrated in 1879 after the disastrous fire destroyed the Main Building, which housed virtually the entire University. Father Sorin willed Notre Dame to rebuild the Main Building and continue its growth. “I came here as a young man and dreamed of building a great university in honor of Our Lady,” he said. “But I built it too small, and she had to burn it to the ground to make the point. So, tomorrow, as soon as the bricks cool, we will rebuild it, bigger and better than ever.”

Immediately after the fire, the University took action, selecting a new design by Willoughby J. Edbrooke and began construction. The current Main Building was completed before the fall semester of 1879. The Golden Dome that caps the Main Building was a gift from the sisters of the adjacent Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame’s sister school. The Golden Dome stands 206 feet above ground level, and 125 feet above the roof of the Administration Building. The Dome, gilded in gold leaf, is 139 feet in circumference at its base and is topped by a statue of the Blessed Virgin which is nineteen feet high.

This is by no means an “all inclusive” list of things to do while you are at Notre Dame this weekend, but it will definitely get you started and on your way. Have a wonderful time on campus and “Cheer cheer for ole Notre Dame …”

Cheers!

The post Things to do Blue-Gold Game Weekend appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.