XIV. NOTRE DAME vs. MIAMI 1988 October 15, 1988 was a perfect Autumn day in South Bend. The leaves had changed colors, the sun shined brightly, and midday temperatures reached seventy-five degerees, so football fans did not need sweaters or jackets. I was dressed in coat and tie, since my assignment for the Miami game required it. During the game I would sit near the “President’s Box” with the senior leaders of the university and their guests, make sure that they had clean chairs, hand each guest a game program when they entered the stadium, take their food requests and serve lunch shortly before halftime. Although it sounds somewhat subservient, it was an honor to greet the university brass and their guests and show them a side of the football equipment managers organization that they never might have imagined or expected. It was a fairly easy job during the game, and best of all, my work would be finished by halftime.
Tony Talarico
The bulk of my responsibilities for the Miami game had taken place before I entered the stadium. In accordance with my President’s Box role, I also had to take attendance at all of the team functions from dinner Friday through mass on Saturday morning, and present a report to Coach George Kelly on Sunday. I had checked every name off the list when the team gathered in coat and tie before the Friday night pep rally. Once the team returned from the pep rally, they met in the Loftus Center for the final team meetings, and what Coach Holtz called a “Positives & Relaxation” session. In the “Positives” session Coach Holtz showed the players a highlight video, then he asked the players to tell him why Notre Dame was going to win tomorrow. One of the seniors from the defense would stand up and say “We’re going to win because we have an outstanding offensive line which will protect the quarterback.” Then one of the offensive players would rise and say “We have great linebackers and defensive backs who will cover Miami’s passing attack.” Then the long snapper would say “We have a great kicker and holder, so if we need a field goal to decide the game, we’ll make it.” And so on. As I watched the positives session, I was moved by the way this quiet activity enabled the team to bond. At the end of the positives session, the team walked out onto the end zone of our practice facility and sat down on the turf. All of the lights were shut off, and Coach led them through a “Relaxation” session, where he would ask them to visualize all of the good things that would happen tomorrow. “Our defensive line and linebackers will get good pressure and sack Steve Walsh…Our defensive backs will cover their receivers and intercept passes…Our running backs will beat their defense around the corner…Our passing game will execute with precision…Our kicking game will make their field goals and extra points.” After witnessing just one relaxation session, I was convinced that the visualization techniques were effective. Before big tests, big projects at work, or any big challenging life situations, I tried to emulate the practices that I watched Coach Holtz facilitate that night. Once Positives & Relaxation was finished, the players boarded buses for their sleeping quarters for the night. The top sixty players and coaches went to the Holiday Inn in Plymouth, about thirty miles away. Head Manager Mike Green went with them. The remaining fifty players went to Moreau Seminary on the northern edge of campus. I went with them. Even though I was only about five hundred yards from my own bed in Grace Hall, I had to sleep in a tiny room at Moreau, because I had to do bed check and wake up calls for all of these players. Defensive Line Coach John Palermo joined me at Moreau for bed check. He knew the drill, because for the Michigan game five weeks earlier Coach Holtz and the entire team had stayed here. Mark Byrne had bed check and wake up duty that night, and while there were no problems, Mark said that Coach Holtz wanted to sequester the team in the more luxurious digs in Plymouth. So Coach Palermo and I made sure all of the players were in their assigned rooms, we wished everyone a good night, and talked about what a big day we would have tomorrow. The reserve players were not thrilled about sleeping at Moreau. These guys knew they had little chance of seeing playing time, and I’m sure they wanted to be in Plymouth, but all of
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them probably got more sleep in the seminary than they would have in the dorms. All of them except Marty Lippincott, that is. Marty was a big lineman from Philadelphia. He was very intelligent and had more financial resources than the average Notre Dame football player or manager. Marty had been a recruit of Gerry Faust, but Lou Holtz was not impressed with Marty’s skills or work ethic, so he had fallen down the depth chart. When we knocked on the partially open door to Marty’s room, the lights were out. Marty had left his boots on the side of the bed and appeared to already be sleeping. Marty had a blanket over himself that revealed his gray shorts and what we might affectionately call a plumber’s crack. “That’s Lipp?” Coach Palermo said, with a bewildered look in his eyes. I said “Yeah coach. That’s Lipp.” Coach said “Goodnight Marty.” and we walked out. After we finished bed check, I walked Coach to his car. When I climbed the steps to the top floor of the seminary, there was Marty, fully dressed. “Did you see him drive off?” Marty asked. “Yes, I saw him drive away.” I replied. “Goodnight Tony” Marty said as he walked out into the South Bend night. I took attendance at breakfast Saturday morning. Everybody – including Marty – was there. Nobody laughed or spoke loudly, people mostly ate and kept to themselves. When I sat down across from senior equipment manager Shawn Patrick, he said quietly “We’re gonna win you know.” There was a glassy determination in his eyes. “I know” I said and started eating. I’m sure players and coaches had similarly brief conversations in the cafeteria, in the trainers room, and on the bus from Plymouth. There wasn’t much more to say, we were going to win, and we knew it. After breakfast, the players gathered for Mass at Pangborn Hall. After that, we walked to the Stadium. I wasn’t needed in the locker room, and everyone in there has to be completely silent anyway, so before the game I went to the press box to see John Heisler, our Sports Information Director, to get the game programs. It was the only time that I have ever been in there. I remember the press box being bright and spacious. Through the giant glass panes of the press box, the field loomed large below, but I could not hear any noise from the field or stands. I bet that it is difficult for an easily excited person to watch a game in such a businesslike atmosphere. But it probably would be fun once. As kickoff approached my guests started to arrive. The dignitaries were seated in the yellow seats at midfield on the press box side of the stadium. Although the student sections were not far away from the President’s Box, no students came near the VIPs during the game. I was dressed in my official manager’s blazer, with white shirt and necktie embroidered with interlocking ND monograms. And I wore dress shoes. This was the only football game I
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have ever attended (or ever plan to attend) while wearing a blazer, tie and dress shoes. Despite my awkward feelings about my wardrobe, I was dressed appropriately. I would have looked pretty silly in the president’s box if I had dressed in my usual manager’s gear or in the classic polyester coaching garb. University President Father Malloy did not attend the game, or at least he did not sit in his box. Father Beauchamp, the Executive Vice President of the University, was there, along with some famous families whose names adorned buildings on campus. My game day tasks seemed to happen very quickly, perhaps because I was able to watch a great deal of the game. And the game was played at a very fast pace. There was a minor melee in the tunnel before the game, but after kickoff, both teams settled down and played good football. Notre Dame scored first, on a Tony Rice option run from seven yards out. Miami answered early in the second quarter, and a drive that included two twenty-yard passes. On the next drive, pinned inside his own twenty facing third down and 13, Tony Rice found Rocket Ismail for a 57-yard pass. Then Braxston Banks scored from nine yards out on a delay pass that we had gone over extensively in practice. At the midpoint of the second quarter, not only was Notre Dame beating the great Miami Hurricanes, we were beating them with passing plays. The Hurricanes had receivers Andre Brown and Leonard Conley and tight end Rob Chudzinski, and their quarterback Steve Walsh was an expert at finding the open man. Walsh efficiently moved his team down the field in fifteen and twenty-yard chunks. But if passing offers high rewards, it also requires high risk. With just under six minutes until halftime, Steve Walsh dropped back to pass, rushed aggressively by Notre Dame. Frank Stams tipped the pass, altering its trajectory. That allowed Pat Terrell to step in front of the receiver, intercept the ball, and race sixty yards down the sideline for a touchdown. As I walked to stadium foodservice to get the lunches for my guests, Notre Dame was ahead 21-7. Steve Walsh was undeterred by the interception, and when he retook possession of the ball, he efficiently executed an eight-play 61-yard scoring drive. Then Miami held Notre Dame to a three-and-out and took over the ball near midfield with 1:08 to play in the half. I had served my guests and my Presidents’ Box duties were completed, but in that final minute of the half, I watched uncomfortably as Steve Walsh once again drove his team into the endzone. He completed a 15-yard pass to Cleveland Gary to tie the game at 21. I walked to the locker room, but hid in the back with the managers. Everyone was stunned that after we had played so well in the first half, we had nothing to show for it on the scoreboard. Furthermore, we felt like we had to work so hard for our points while Miami seemed to get them so easily. The events late in the first half were perhaps exactly what the Notre Dame coaching staff needed, for when the position coaches addressed their units, each was very loud and firm. Coach Palermo yelled at the defensive line “You see, those guys across from you can bench five hundred pounds too! You have to be meaner than they are! You have to want it more!” Chuck Heater, our defensive backfield coach, had been a running back for Bo Schembechler at Michigan, so he knew how to give a fiery speech. Coach Heater worked from the press box, so halftime was his last opportunity to be in his
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men’s faces. He said something to the effect of “They have great receivers and they can throw the ball, but we are not going to be outplayed in this game.” As he gave the speech, he put his fist through a chalkboard. The board had a big hole in it, and Coach Heater looked like he was going to boil over. With his assistants so vocal and demonstrative, Coach Holtz was able to be a calming force. He said the team should forget about the lead that had just disappeared. The fact that we were tied at halftime proved that we could play with Miami, so we just had to stay focused and avoid mistakes, and we would win the game. In the second half, I had nothing to do, so I settled in at the 30-yard line next to backup punter Sean Connor and assistant trainer John Whitmer. I wanted to stay away from any of the assistant coaches, but close enough to the sideline that I would not be conspicuous, if that’s possible for a five-foot tall guy in coat and tie in the midst of a hundred six-footers in uniform. I remember that I did not have a student manager credential, because we had so many managers working the game. Before the game, senior personnel manager Pete Witty told me not to worry. “Relax TonyT, you’ll be in a coat and tie. And everybody knows who you are anyway!” While I still would have enjoyed the comfort of having a field pass, I appreciated that Pete said that. If everybody knew who I was, or at least enough people knew who I was to give me free reign in this environment, then maybe I was leaving my mark on Notre Dame. Ultimately I did get a bench pass from somebody, and after the game Terry Pringle, one of the sophomore managers, gave me his manager pass so I would have a complete set for my scrapbook. While the first half was fast and carefree, the second half was sloppy and nerve-wracking. Tony Rice threw an interception early in the half, but on the next play, Jeff Alm hit Leonard Conley and caused a fumble, which Frank Stams recovered. Notre Dame’s next drive ended when Miami blocked a long field goal attempt by Billy Hackett. Then after Miami’s offense was stopped, they tried a fake punt, which was broken up by reserve quarterback Steve Belles. Two plays after Belles’ tackle, Notre Dame scored on a two-yard run by Pat Eilers. Jeff Alm picked up another interception late in the third quarter, and the Irish added a Reggie Ho field goal to take a 31-21 lead into the fourth quarter. As the Miami players held four fingers in the air to claim that the fourth quarter belonged to them, there was not an Irish fan in the crowd of 59,075 who thought that it would be easy for Notre Dame to hold on. A ten point lead would certainly not be safe against Steve Walsh and Jimmy Johnson, the man Notre Dame fans detested because of his 58-7 sendoff for Coach Faust. As long as Walsh could still throw passes, he and Johnson could find a way to beat us. Down 31-21, the Hurricanes drove deep into Notre Dame territory, but had to settle for a field goal by Carlos Huerta. After Notre Dame punted, Steve Walsh drove Miami downfield again. After catching a pass over the middle, Cleveland Gary fumbled at the goal line, and Mike Stonebreaker recovered at the one. Deep in our own territory, the Irish couldn’t do much, and punted a few plays later. The clock was under four minutes when Chris Zorich was called for a late hit on Rob Chudzinski, moving the ball near the ND 35. Zorich redeemed himself on the very next play, when he recovered a fumble caused by Frank Stams. With about three and half minutes to play, the Irish were up seven, and needed some first
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downs to burn the clock. The great Miami defense, led by Randy Shannon, Bernard Clark, and a young Russell Maryland, was not about to allow first downs at this point in the game. Facing a passing situation on third down with 2:10 to play, Tony Rice was hit and fumbled. Although the ball dropped only to the ground at his feet, it was immediately covered by Miami’s Greg Mark. The Hurricanes were in the driver’s seat to score a touchdown. It took four plays for Miami to score, with Walsh finding Andre Brown in the corner of the end zone. 31-30. Jimmy Johnson could kick the extra point and tie, or try to go for two and get the win. Johnson said later that he never had any doubt about what he would do. He sent in the play to try to win the game. The ball was placed on the left hash, with the wide side of the field to Walsh’s right. Taking the snap, he dropped straight back to pass. George Williams made a very strong rush, and Walsh was forced to throw sooner than he wanted. He threw a fade deep to the corner of the end zone, which Pat Terrell batted down to secure the Notre Dame victory.
On the day, Steve Walsh was 31 for 50 for 324 yards, with four touchdowns and three interceptions. Miami outgained Notre Dame by 150 yards, but they turned the ball over seven times. After the game, Coach Holtz spoke about the Notre Dame spirit. “It was a win by the spirit of a group of guys who just refused to fold. You can’t pick out a hero. Notre Dame was the hero today.“ While the win required a total team effort, this was the day that many individual legends were made. Pat Terrell will be forever remembered for his long interception, and his knockdown of the two-point play. Frank Stams’ dogged pursuit of the previously untouchable Steve Walsh etched his name into Irish lore. Chris Zorich, George Williams and Jeff Alm stood up to the great Miami Offensive line. Dean Brown, Tim 72
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Grunhard, Andy Heck, Mike Heldt and Winston Sandri protected Tony Rice. Coach Holtz didn’t award individual game balls after the game. He gave one to everybody.
Back at the dorm that night, my roommates and I were on an adrenaline rush. We went to dinner at a Pizza Hut up on US-31, not far from campus. We knew that we had just witnessed a special game, possibly one of the greatest college football games of all time. We didn’t know what the big picture would look like for the Irish, for there was still a lot of football to be played. The week after we beat Miami, Notre Dame was ranked second behind UCLA in the polls. We knew that as long as we kept winning games, we would be in the national championship picture at the end of the season. After Miami, we played Air Force at home. Coming off such a high, we were ripe for a letdown, but we stayed strong and beat the Falcons 41-13. The letdown did come one week later, in Baltimore against Navy. Against the Midshipmen, Notre Dame had 90 yards in penalties, three fumbles, five dropped passes, and played poorly on special teams. I did not make the trip to Baltimore. It was the only game I missed all season. Maybe my absence had something to do with the letdown, but I doubt it. We won 22-7. Strangely, our lackluster performance did not prevent the pollsters from elevating us to the number one ranking, after UCLA lost to Washington State. At 8-0 we still had to get past Rice, Penn State and our archrival, USC. The defense had turned in some super performances, and the offense had been improving all year, thanks to a strong and consistent running game. While some people find it hard to prepare for, the triple option offense is beautiful in its simplicity. There are a series of binary decisions (hand to fullback? pitch to tailback? cut back inside or run to the edge?) that have to be made each time you run the option, and once you master that decision tree, you can execute the option over and over again. In 1988 it was our safety net. Whenever Tony Rice would get to the line of scrimmage and see something he didn’t like, he could check out of the called play into the option. We would hear “West 18 West 18” and wait for the magic. During the Rice game I worked footballs, similar to what I had done at Pittsburgh. We blew out the Owls handily, 54-11. A funny play happened near the end of the game. While Notre Dame was attempting an extra point, Rice players blocked the kick and returned it all the way into the endzone. Under a newly enacted NCAA rule, that play was scored a safety. It was the first time such a play had ever happened. The Penn State game was special for me, for it brought to mind memories of the 1984 trip with my dad, when I yelled at the guy behind me for not knowing Frank Stams. The week of the Penn State game Frank and I laughed about that story. Each of our junior managers had a favorite player who we made sure had everything he needed. Tom Nevala took care of Tony Brooks, Greg Leininger kept an eye out for Mike Stonebreaker, and I took care of Frank. Even before the 1988 season, he was high on my list of all-time favorite Notre Dame players. After the Miami game, Frank had the top spot for life!
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During the Penn State game, once again I was assigned ball duty. It was a cold rainy day, so it would be a challenging job to keep the footballs dry. Before the game, CBS sideline reporter Lesley Visser was walking around talking to people, looking for stories to fill her sideline snippets. I noticed that although she was trying hard to initiate conversations, none of the other managers would talk to her. So I walked up and told her what I would be doing that day, that I’d be sending in a different ball for each play and keeping the balls out of the rain between plays. When we were done talking she said, “Look for me in the second quarter.” The game rolled along and sure enough, early in the second quarter I heard “Manager!” After a Tony Brooks run up the middle, the cameras cut to Lesley, and I stood next to her while she explained my role to the television audience. It was another nice gift for my friends and family back home, and it came about because I was the only manager who wasn’t too shy to talk to the sideline reporter! I had another nice experience that afternoon. Before the game, Penn State Coach Joe Paterno walked over and shook my hand. He also shook hands with all of the other managers, players and assistant coaches who were standing nearby. The gesture took only a few seconds, but he made me feel special. Coach Paterno is one of the jewels of college football, and his longevity is a product of his humility and humanity. Penn State stubbornly fought hard to avoid its first losing season in 50 years, but Notre Dame proved too strong, beating the Lions 21-3 and sending them home 5-6. Along the way, Notre Dame racked up 502 yards in total offense and controlled time of possession by a nearly twoto-one margin. The win over Penn State did two things for the top-ranked Irish: it secured an official invitation to the January 2 Fiesta Bowl, and it set the stage for the final regular season game, a confrontation with the unbeaten University of Southern California Trojans at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
Steve Walsh was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the 1989 NFL Supplemental Draft. He played for six teams in an eleven-year NFL career. He is currently the head football coach at Cardinal Newman High School in West Palm Beach, Florida. Coach Jimmy Johnson had a 52-9 record over five years at Miami. In 1989 Jerry Jones hired him to be head coach of the Dallas Cowboys. Together, Jimmy and Jerry won Super Bowls XXVII and XXVIII. Johnson was the first coach ever to win an NCAA division I-A championship and a Super Bowl. He is currently an analyst for Fox NFL Sunday. Rob Chudzinski is currently an assistant coach in the National Football League. In 2008 he was Offensive Coordinator for the Cleveland Browns. Russell Maryland was selected by the Dallas Cowboys as the first overall pick in the 1991 NFL Draft. He played for three teams over ten years. Randy Shannon was an eleventh-round draft choice of the Dallas Cowboys. He played two NFL seasons. He is currently the head football coach at the University of Miami.
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Miami Game Program Cover
Dad’s Rice Ticket
On the sidelines during Penn State Keeping the footballs dry
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Terry Pringle’s Miami Field Pass
Tony Talarico
On camera with Lesley Visser during the Penn State game
With Mark Byrne before our 1988 Manager’s Game
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