Egan grad helped Notre Dame win ‘73 national title
BucksLocalSports Editor According to Sugar Bowl records, the 1973 duel between Notre Dame and Alabama won by the Irish, 2423, was the most watched football game in television history.
Even before kickoff, the one Monday, Jan. 7 at Sun Life Stadium in Miami between Notre Dame and the Crimson Tide threatened to blow the lid off that 1973 Nielsen TV rating of 25.3. One of Bucks County’s own and a former defensive tackle for Bishop Egan, Dan Morrin (Class of 1970) was not part of the television audience however, even though, as a participant in the ‘73 Sugar Bowl, the Washington Crossing resident had more than just a passing fancy in the outcome of the battle that would determine the 2012 national champion.
A tough-as-nails defensive tackle for an Egan football team that captured city championships in 1966, ‘67 and ‘69 under the late Eagles Coach Dick Bedesem, Morrin went on to play the left guard position for the Notre Dame offense under ‘73 Sugar-Bowl winning skipper Ara Parseghian.
The 1973 duel left the nation with split champions and caused a national media organization (rPI) to re-think its timing on polling a national champion. Everyone watched with the TV networks switching the game to a New Year’s Eve broadcast.
As things turned out this year, with the Crimson Tide running away with a 42-14 win and a second straight national championship, the early numbers say the TV ratings were down.
Forty years ago told a much different story, however. And Morrin was right there in the trenches of Tulane Stadium in New Orleans, the site of the ‘73 Sugar Bowl, a gridiron battle that saw the lead change hands seven times and was ultimately decided on a made kick by the Irish and one missed on the side of ‘bama.
Big Dan threw a key block that helped spring kick returner Al Hunter who returned a kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown that put ND ahead, 14-7.
“He was very fast,” said Morrin, of Hunter, who played four seasons in the NFL at Seattle. “Bear Bryant said he couldn’t believe how fast Notre Dame players were when he saw him run.”
The play was key, said Morrin. The vaunted ‘Bama offense didn’t score a point Ln WhH fiUVW TuDUWHU EuW VWDUWed the second by driving the ball 52 yards in seven plays, capping the drive with a 6-yard touchdown run by Randy Billingsley.
Then just moments later came Hunter’s amazing 93yard kickoff return and a 2-point conversion that put ND ahead, 14-7.
“When they drove down WhH fiHOd Dnd VFRUHd OLNH WhDW, for us to answer it with that touchdown was big for us,” said Morrin.
“I think it determined the game.”
With the Irish ahead, 1410, at the half, the sides traded touchdowns in the third TuDUWHU WhH ODVW RI whLFh SuW ND ahead 21-17 with 2:30 WR JR Ln WhH WhLUd TuDUWHU. The 12-yard TD scamper by Eric Penick came just moPHnWV DIWHU RnH RI fiYH 7LdH fumbles (two lost) in the battle.
Five-and-a-half minutes LnWR WhH finDO IUDPH, WhH Crimson Tide went ahead, 23-21, on a trick pass from TuDUWHUEDFN 0LNH 6WRFN WR TuDUWHUEDFN 5LFhDUd 7Rdd. However, Alabama kicker Bill Davis missed the extra point, setting up the drama WhDW unIROdHd Ln WhH finDO minutes of the now-historic game, the last Sugar Bowl ever to take place at Tulane.
With just 4:12 remaining, ND kicker Bob Thomas put the Irish ahead, 24-23, on D 19-yDUd fiHOd JRDO. :LWh less than three minutes left, Notre Dame’s defense stopped ‘bama near midfiHOd. LHJHndDUy CULPVRn Tide coach Bear Bryant HOHFWHd WR SunW DwDy, fiJuU- ing to pin the Irish deep in their own territory, get the ball back and kick a gamewLnnLnJ fiHOd JRDO Ln WhH closing moments.
But Bryant and ‘bama never got the chance. Though he completed just six passes to that point in the back-and-forth battle, ND TuDUWHUEDFN 7RP COHPHnWV, one of the most non-storied signal-callers in the annals of the Irish, completed one of the biggest passes in Notre Dame football lure.
With the Irish offense set in a two-tight end formation DnG D sWDckeG bDckfielG, everyone incluGing Whe Crimson Tide defense was thinking run. PDrseghiDn hDG cDlleG Ior D pDss however wiWh Whe primDry receiver being WighW enG DDve CDsper who wDs going over Whe miGGle. The ‘bDmD GeIense cloggeG Whe cenWer oI Whe fielG however, Iorcing ClemenWs Wo go Wo opWion Wwo, which wDs bDckup WighW enG Robin Weber, who hDGn’W cDughW D pDss Dll seDson long.
ClemenWs GroppeG bDck DnG Irom D spoW five yDrGs Geep in Whe enG zone, compleWeG D 36-yDrG pDss Wo Weber WhDW moveG Whe chDins DnG enDbleG ND Wo run ouW Whe clock.
“All you hDve Wo Go is beat the other team by one poinW,” sDiG Morrin. “When you Go WhDW, iW never goes DwDy.”
“AW one poinW in your liIe, you beDW everyboGy in Whe counWry DnG you Dre Whe besW WeDm Where is. There’s only D Iew people WhDW hDve WhDW GisWincWion.”
WiWh Whe college bowl seDson finisheG, Whe AssociDWeG Press conGucWeG iWs poll DnG nDWurDlly, Whe Irish jumpeG DheDG oI Whe Crimson TiGe. OI course, ‘bDmD conWinueG Wo clDim D nDWionDl chDmpionship in ‘73. The loss remDineG BryDnW’s only GeIeDW ever suIIereG in Whe SugDr Bowl.
“For Whe resW oI your liIe,” explDineG Morrin, “everybody that was on that team won Whe nDWionDl chDmpionship.
“ThDW sWDys Iorever; you cDn’W WDke iW DwDy.”
MonGDy nighW’s Guel between these two storied rivDls, which Dre boWh loveG DnG hDWeG by mDny, wDs Iull oI implicDWions. A TiGe win woulG mDke AlDbDmD Whe firsW WeDm Wo win bDckWo-bDck nDWionDl WiWles since NebrDskD GiG iW in 1994 DnG ‘95. ‘BDmD enWereG Whe gDme DW 12-1 DIWer ouWlDsWing *eorgiD, 32-28, Dec. 1 in Whe SEC ChDmpionship. The TiGe Dlso sWunneG Chick-filA Bowl enWry LSU, 21-17, using D 72-yDrG WouchGown Grive in Whe finDl minuWe oI Whe gDme. BDmD’s only loss Whis seDson wDs Wo SEC WesW rivDl TexDs A&M, WrounceG OklDhomD, 41-13 -Dn. 4 in Whe CoWWon Bowl.
AIWer IDiling unGer Iormer skippers Bob DDvie, Tyrone WillinghDm DnG ChDrlie Weis, NoWre DDme hDs reWurneG Wo iWs glory GDys obWDineG unGer Iormer coDch Low HolWz, who reWireG in 1996. CurrenW coDch BriDn Kelly, who cDme in jusW Whree yeDrs Dgo hDs guiGeG Whe Irish Wo Wheir firsW unbeDWen seDson since 1988.
OI Whe Gozen wins regisWereG by ND, Whe mosW noWDble were recorGeG IDcing PDc-12 chDmpion SWDnIorG which Whe Irish ouWpDceG, 20-13, in overWime Dlong wiWh D 30-13 Wriumph over Big 12 co-chDmpion OklDhomD.
OI course, no one hDs Wo guess Ior which WeDm Morrin, D ‘74 grDGuDWe oI NoWre DDme DnG presenW-GDy coowner oI NeshDminy ElecWric, woulG be rooWing Ior. With God and Big Dan on Wheir siGe, how coulG Whe Irish lose?
*** NOTES: The closesW Whe TV viewership oI Dny college IooWbDll gDme cDme Wo Whe ‘73 SugDr Bowl wDs Whe 1987 FiesWD Bowl in which Penn SWDWe beDW MiDmi 1410, GrDwing D 24.9 rDWing. The highest-rated game in Whe BCS erD, which sWDrWeG in 1998, is TexDs’ 41-38 win over SouWhern CDliIorniD Ior Whe 2005 nDWionDl WiWle. ThDW gDme Grew D 21.7 shDre. Morrin wDs elecWeG Wo Whe Bucks CounWy ChDpWer oI Whe PennsylvDniD SporWs HDll oI FDme in April, lDsW yeDr.