THE GOLD SHEET Published Weekly by: Nation-Wide Sports Publications 4717 Van Nuys Blvd., Suite 101 Sherman Oaks, CA 91403 (800)798-GOLD (4653) www.goldsheet.com $9 BEATING THE ODDS SINCE 1957! CALL 1-800-798-4653 (GOLD) TODAY! NATION-WIDE SPORTS PUBLICATIONS www.goldsheet.com (800) 798-GOLD (4653) ©2017 VOLUME 60 SEPTEMBER 21-25, 2017 NO. 4 TGS COL FB UPDATE...PLUS MICHIGAN 1-2 since mid-October that year) on November 19, 1966. And Celizic’s description of not only the game, but also the context in which that storied STATE-NOTRE DAME AND A TRIBUTE TO ARA matchup took place, remains must-read material for any serious gridiron by Bruce Marshall, Goldsheet.com Editor follower. It’s Notre Dame-Michigan State week, which might not stir the soul of college From our point of view, there will almost assuredly never be another regular- football as it once did, though for us at TGS and those who still recall their great season game with the same sort of dynamics and impact as Notre battle from 1966, there will always be something timeless about Spartans vs. Dame-Michigan State. While it is hardly the only 1 vs. 2 matchup in our Fighting Irish. In a moment, we not only recall that epic 10-10 draw but at the publishing history, it will remain forever unique because neither squad was same time pay one of our planned tributes to iconic Notre Dame HC Ara going to be engaged in upcoming bowl action. Of course, in those years, Notre Parseghian, who passed away in August at the age of 94. Dame was still encumbered by its no-bowl policy. As for the Spartans, they were staying home for the postseason due to the Big Ten’s draconian “no Before we begin to honor Parseghian and reminisce, however, some repeat” rule of the day after MSU had participated in the Rose Bowl the previous developments in the nascent college football season have caught our eye and campaign of 1965. Indeed, many believe that those added consequences of are worth an early-season alert. Specifically, teams with new coaches who are the great battle of 1966 helped accelerate changes in both the Fighting either making positive, or not so positive, early impacts, noted below. Irish bowl policy (finally altered three years later) and the Big Ten’s no- Positive impacts: Justin Wilcox, Cal...The Bears are 3-0 SU for Wilcox, repeat rule, which was eventually repealed in 1972. who has them playing defense in Berkeley for the first time in years, while new While Celizic’s attention to detail in recounting every on-field angle of ND- o.c. Beau Baldwin, recent HC at Eastern Washington, appears an inspired hire. MSU is riveting stuff, it’s how the author framed the context of that encounter Jeff Tedford, Fresno State...No one expected the Bulldogs to beat Alabama that really sets this book apart from most football-related publishing works. and Washington, but FSU scratched out spread covers vs. each and is now 3- Admittedly, Celizic gained some insights from a unique vantage point as a Notre 0 vs. the line for Tedford, who seems to have things much better organized than Dame freshman in the fall of ‘66. But from well-woven tales of the individual recent years in the Central Valley. P.J. Fleck. Minnesota...The Gophers are journeys of many players at Michigan State and Notre Dame to reminders of a already “rowing the boat” for Fleck, whose team has followed up a sluggish more innocent era that was about to change dramatically within the next couple opening win over Buffalo with thumping victories over Oregon State and MTSU. of years, Celizic hits the sort of “sweet spot” that few sports journalists ever find. Jeff Brohm, Purdue...Maybe the most dramatic turnaround of all, the Boilermakers suddenly have a menacing look for Brohm, who crafted the Celizic’s details of the buildup to the big clash are loaded with anecdotal nation’s highest-scoring offense at WKU before moving to West Lafayette. nuggets before he begins to dissect “The Game of the Century” from 1966. Celizic also challenges the media for much of their distortion of events that Not-so-positive impacts: Matt Rhule, Baylor...After junking the old Art existed from almost the moment the game ended; few recall some of the Briles offense and benching his starting QB (Anu Solomon) after two games, the developments during the clash that made it more remarkable that Notre Dame Bears sit 0-3, with only Kansas appearing in the way of a descent into the Big 12 could rally from an early 10-0 deficit to forge the evenual 10-10 scoreline. basement for 2017. Shawn Elliott, Georgia State...The Panthers have Indeed, the Irish lost starting QB Terry Hanratty (shoulder) and their best already lost to FCS Tennessee State and were blasted 56-0 at Penn State. Why offensive lineman, C George Goeddeke (ankle), early in the game to injury, and did GSU dispose of Trent Miles, who got the Panthers to a bowl two years ago? star HB Nick Eddy didn’t play at all after hurting his shoulder when falling on the Matt Luke, Ole Miss...In defense of Luke, he was promoted in summer after the train that took the Irish from South Bend to East Lansing. Backups such as QB abrupt dismissal of Hugh Freeze, and the program in disarray, but his audition Coley O’Brien and RB Bob Gladieux thus filled important roles; the pair for the full-time job does not look promising, with an 0-3 spread mark and some combined on a 34-yard TD pass in the 2nd quarter to get the Irish back into very curious late-game strategy in last week’s loss at Cal. Jay Norvell, the game after falling behind 10-0. Nevada...The Pack’s losses to Northwestern and Toledo were not unexpected; bowing last Saturday vs. Big Sky Idaho State, however, was unexpected. Notre Dame HC Ara Parseghian, of course, would immediately come under Norvell has puzzled MW onlookers by curiously benching capable returnee QB heavy fire for his late-game strategy of not putting the ball in the air in the final Ty Gangi in favor of true frosh Kaymen Cureton, whose first start was a loss to moments and effectively settling for the eventual 10-10 deadlock. Ara the FCS Bengals. Geoff Collins, Temple...Yes the Owls are 2-1 SU, but made rationalized at the time, and with some justification, that the Spartans, who had hard work of double-digit dogs Villanova and UMass, and have yet to cover a already intercepted three Irish passes and had blanketed top Notre Dame pointspread. Little resemblance to recent Matt Rhule Temple bowl teams. Mike receiving threat Jim Seymour all afternoon, had stacked their defense with ball- Sanford, Jr., Western Kentucky...The drop from Brohm to Sanford, in his first hawkers ready to seize upon another mistake by backup QB O’Brien, and HC job, has been steep, as the Tops have lost to Illinois and La Tech and have Parseghian feared an error that could cost the game. A bit earlier, the Irish had yet to come close to covering a pointspread in three games. their best chance to go ahead midway in the 4th Q after S Tom Schoen picked off a Jimmy Raye pass and returned it to the Spartan 18. But MSU LB Phil Hoag “THE BIGGEST GAME OF THEM ALL” nailed Irish HB Dave Haley for an 8-yard loss on 2nd down, forcing an eventual (We reprise this review, which first appeared four years ago this week in TGS, 41-yard FG try by PK Joe Azzaro, who pushed the kick wide right. Neither team of the treasured book written by the late Mike Celizic that remains the signature would threaten thereafter; this game was mostly a defensive war featuring 6 recording of the epic 1966 Notre Dame-Michigan State battle, and also serves turnovers and 16 punts, and big offensive plays were few and far between. as the first of our planned tributes to Irish HC Ara Parseghian, who passed in We recall that 1966 game well and believe that Parseghian has always August). been criticized far too harshly after he came under extreme scrutiny from We believe all serious college football fans should make room in their a variety of media sources. Including the LA Times’ iconic Jim Murray and bookcases for the late Mike Celizic’s The Biggest Game of them All: Notre Sports Illustrated’s Dan Jenkins, who would set the agenda for the ages when Dame, Michigan State and the Fall of ‘66. For in the six decades of publishing decrying Parseghian’s tactics (Murray, in character, doing it in sarcastic tones, TGS, we cannot recall of a bigger or more ballyhooed college football game than leaving more blunt criticism to SI’s Jenkins). But we have long believed that the battle between the unbeaten and untied Fighting Irish and Spartans (ranked (Continued on Page 8) THE GOLD SHEET PAGE 2 Denver 20 - BUFFALO 12—“May you live in interesting times” is an ancient NFL ANALYSIS curse, but Buffalo fans would take some of that rather than the usual tedium accompanying the Bills and their mid-table mediocrity that threatens an 18th KEY TO FOOTBALL ANALYSES Home team in CAPS. *—indicates night game. Statistics after game writeups are listed in the following order: straight playoff-free year. Meanwhile, new Denver HC Vance Joseph seems to Score of game, first downs, rushing attempts/rushing yards, passes completed/passes attempted/passes have struck the right chord with Bronco vets, and is being rewarded by John intercepted/passing yards, and fumbles lost.