2011 Notre Dame Football Supplement Irish Win National 1966 — 9-0-1  “There’s pressure in every coaching job, but winning makes it a lot easier to Championship At Start of accept. Fortunately, we have been winning. But like one fan told me, we’re with you Ara, win or tie. You notice he didn’t say anything Notre Dame’s Era of Ara about losing.”

Coach , in his third season at the second game of the season and won, — Ara Parseghian Notre Dame, made a difficult decision at the 35-7. The Irish defense gave up its last start of the 1966 season, picking sophomore points for the next three games and showed  “Man, those cats hit and stick to you. as his starting the kind of stiffness that ensured Notre Dame That game was rough.” over classmate Coley O’Brien, yet the deci- would never be out of any contest. Notre — , Michigan State Coley O’Brien and sion proved without a doubt to be the correct Dame returned home for the next two games one. Hanratty and split end Jim Seymour, and defeated Army and North Carolina by a also a sophomore, turned out to be one of combined score of 67-0, setting the stage for nosed with diabetes only a few weeks earlier  “Sure I do. Absolutely. I have no the best passing combinations Notre Dame a showdown with Oklahoma. and was still adjusting, brought the Irish qualms about it, but ... there’s not enough fans have ever seen. Notre Dame traveled to Norman for what back to a tie in the second half. The Spartan difference between No. 1 and No. 2 to say that The two had begun working together dur- was supposed to be anybody’s ballgame. offense was unable to net a single yard run- whoever wins, it could be an .” ing the previous winter, developing their The game was billed as a matchup between ning the ball in the second half, and when timing, moves, and patterns so they would the small, quick, strong Sooners and the big, Notre Dame intercepted a pass and returned — Ara Parseghian responding to a question about entering the MSU-ND know each other’s habits inside out when slow Irish. But Oklahoma was out of its it to the Spartan 18-yard line in the fourth game as the number-one team the 1966 season began. Seymour was a depth. Although the Irish lost Seymour to an quarter, it looked like Notre Dame’s chance good bet to take over one of the end posi- ankle injury that would cost him two games, to win. But three plays and minus-six yards  “I knew there was going to be a winner tions that was being vacated after the ’65 the Fighting Irish rolled to a 38-0 victory and later left the Irish with a 41-yard field goal and a loser, and I thought we were going to season, but Hanratty had no such assurances their third straight shutout of the young attempt, which sailed wide to the right. win. I never thought about a tie. The last thing of whether or not he would be the number- season. Notre Dame had the ball again on its own Duffy Daughtery or I wanted was a tie.” one quarterback. Notre Dame pounded its next three oppo- 30 with 1:24 left in the game. But rather Fortunately for Hanratty, Parseghian decid- nents—Navy, Pittsburgh, and Duke, giving than gamble with passes deep in their own — Ara Parseghian ed to balance an already steady running up only one score, a touchdown to Navy. territory, the Irish attempted to run the ball  “The was not as big as that game, manned by , Larry Conjar Meanwhile, the offense was hitting on all out of danger. The game was a 10-10 tie. Michigan State-Notre Dame game.” and , with the passing talent of cylinders, racking up 31 points versus the The Irish held on to their top ranking and Hanratty. Midshipmen, 40 against Pitt, and a whop- traveled to to play Rose Bowl- — Captain , who also The decision bore fruit in the first game of ping 64 against the Blue Devils. bound USC. The Irish tore the Trojans apart, played in Super Bowl IV, remarks on the season, as Hanratty and Seymour hooked The game of the century took place on 51-0, posting the team’s sixth shutout in 10 the MSU-ND game 25 years later up 13 times for 276 yards — Notre Dame November 19 when number-one ranked games and ensuring another unanimous records for receptions and yards — and Notre Dame traveled to East Lansing, Mich., number-one selection for the national three touchdowns, which tied a school to play second-ranked Michigan State for all championship. record. The Irish defeated Rose Bowl-bound the marbles. Purdue that day, 26-14, in South Bend. Notre Dame fell behind 10-0 in the second — Willie Shearer Notre Dame traveled to Northwestern for quarter, but O’Brien, who had been diag-

Rocky Bleier and Don Gmitter clear the path for Nick Eddy en route to a 26-14 Irish win over eighth-ranked Purdue. 168