0LDSCH00L
Member
Much is being made about Notre Dames 5-1 record against Alabama in games that all took place over 25 years ago and some that go as far back as 40 years.
Here are the facts concerning those games for those of you that weren't around during that period that might help you understand the circumstances and meaning of those games.
First let me begin by saying that 2 of the 6 games we played against Notre Dame were for the National Championship. Those games took place in 1973 and 1975 in which Alabama lost to the Irish by a single point in 1973 and 2 points in 1975.
The other games were played in 1976 in one of Alabama's rare down years under Paul Bryant where we lost to the irish by 4 points at Notre Dame. The 1980 game was played just before Coach Bryant retired and died where we lost by just a single touchdown.
The 2 later games were in a rare home and home series post Coach Bryant in which we won at home with Pay Perkins as coach in 1986 and the loss came after Perkins left Alabama for Tampa Bay and we played at Notre Dame in Bill Curry's first year at Alabama in 1987.
The bottom line is that the 4 most important games that took place during the Bryant period were all lost by a grand total average of just 3.5 points per game.
That is why this game means so much and is so exciting to us Old-timers, it is a chance to set things right for Alabama and Coach Bryant.
<tbody>
[TD="colspan: 2"]Score[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #00FF00, align: right"]11/14/1987[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #00FF00"]@[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #00FF00"] Notre Dame (8-4)[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #00FF00"]L[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #00FF00, align: right"]6[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #00FF00, align: right"]37[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #00FF00, align: right"]10/4/1986[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #00FF00"]vs.[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #00FF00"] Notre Dame (5-6)[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #00FF00"]W[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #00FF00, align: right"]28[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #00FF00, align: right"]10[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #00FF00"]@ Birmingham, AL[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #00FF00, align: right"]11/15/1980[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #00FF00"]vs.[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #00FF00"] Notre Dame (9-2-1)[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #00FF00"]L[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #00FF00, align: right"]0[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #00FF00, align: right"]7[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #00FF00"]@ Birmingham, AL[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #00FF00, align: right"]11/13/1976[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #00FF00"]@[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #00FF00"] Notre Dame (9-3)[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #00FF00"]L[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #00FF00, align: right"]18[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #00FF00, align: right"]21[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #00FF00, align: right"]1/1/1975[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #00FF00"]vs.[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #00FF00"] Notre Dame (10-2)[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #00FF00"]L[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #00FF00, align: right"]11[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #00FF00, align: right"]13[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #00FF00"]@ Miami, FL[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #00FF00"]Orange Bowl[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #00FF00, align: right"]12/31/1973[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #00FF00"]vs.[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #00FF00"] Notre Dame (11-0)[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #00FF00"]L[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #00FF00, align: right"]23[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #00FF00, align: right"]24[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #00FF00"]@ New Orleans, LA[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #00FF00"]Sugar Bowl[/TD]
</tbody>
Here are the facts concerning those games for those of you that weren't around during that period that might help you understand the circumstances and meaning of those games.
First let me begin by saying that 2 of the 6 games we played against Notre Dame were for the National Championship. Those games took place in 1973 and 1975 in which Alabama lost to the Irish by a single point in 1973 and 2 points in 1975.
The other games were played in 1976 in one of Alabama's rare down years under Paul Bryant where we lost to the irish by 4 points at Notre Dame. The 1980 game was played just before Coach Bryant retired and died where we lost by just a single touchdown.
The 2 later games were in a rare home and home series post Coach Bryant in which we won at home with Pay Perkins as coach in 1986 and the loss came after Perkins left Alabama for Tampa Bay and we played at Notre Dame in Bill Curry's first year at Alabama in 1987.
The bottom line is that the 4 most important games that took place during the Bryant period were all lost by a grand total average of just 3.5 points per game.
That is why this game means so much and is so exciting to us Old-timers, it is a chance to set things right for Alabama and Coach Bryant.
| Date | Opponent (record) | Result | Site | |
<tbody>
[TD="colspan: 2"]Score[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #00FF00, align: right"]11/14/1987[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #00FF00"]@[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #00FF00"] Notre Dame (8-4)[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #00FF00"]L[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #00FF00, align: right"]6[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #00FF00, align: right"]37[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #00FF00, align: right"]10/4/1986[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #00FF00"]vs.[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #00FF00"] Notre Dame (5-6)[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #00FF00"]W[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #00FF00, align: right"]28[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #00FF00, align: right"]10[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #00FF00"]@ Birmingham, AL[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #00FF00, align: right"]11/15/1980[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #00FF00"]vs.[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #00FF00"] Notre Dame (9-2-1)[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #00FF00"]L[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #00FF00, align: right"]0[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #00FF00, align: right"]7[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #00FF00"]@ Birmingham, AL[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #00FF00, align: right"]11/13/1976[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #00FF00"]@[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #00FF00"] Notre Dame (9-3)[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #00FF00"]L[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #00FF00, align: right"]18[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #00FF00, align: right"]21[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #00FF00, align: right"]1/1/1975[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #00FF00"]vs.[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #00FF00"] Notre Dame (10-2)[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #00FF00"]L[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #00FF00, align: right"]11[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #00FF00, align: right"]13[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #00FF00"]@ Miami, FL[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #00FF00"]Orange Bowl[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #00FF00, align: right"]12/31/1973[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #00FF00"]vs.[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #00FF00"] Notre Dame (11-0)[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #00FF00"]L[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #00FF00, align: right"]23[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #00FF00, align: right"]24[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #00FF00"]@ New Orleans, LA[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #00FF00"]Sugar Bowl[/TD]
</tbody>
Last edited: