1966 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team
The 1966 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame during the 1966 college football season. The Irish, coached by Ara Parseghian, ended the season undefeated with nine wins and one tie, winning a national championship. The Fighting Irish earned a consensus title after beating No. 10 Oklahoma 38–0 in Norman, tying unbeaten and No. 2 Michigan State 10–10, and ending the season defeating No. 10 USC, 51–0, in the Coliseum[1] The 1966 squad became the eighth Irish team to win the national title and the first under Parseghian. The Irish outscored its opponents 362–38.[1] The 10–10 tie between The Spartans and the Irish remains one of the controversial games of college football, and is considered today to be one of the great "games of the century".[2]
Season
Schedule
Date |
Opponent# |
Rank# |
Site |
Result |
Attendance |
September 24 |
No. 8 Purdue |
No. 6 |
Notre Dame Stadium • Notre Dame, IN (Shillelagh Trophy) |
W 26-14 |
59,075 |
October 1 |
at Northwestern |
No. 4 |
Dyche Stadium • Evanston, IL (Rivalry) |
W 35-7 |
55,356 |
October 8 |
Army |
No. 3 |
Notre Dame Stadium • Notre Dame, IN (Rivalry) |
W 35-0 |
59,075 |
October 15 |
North Carolina |
No. 2 |
Notre Dame Stadium • Notre Dame, IN |
W 32-0 |
59,075 |
October 22 |
at No. 10 Oklahoma |
No. 1 |
Oklahoma Memorial Stadium • Norman, OK |
W 38-0 |
63,439 |
October 29 |
vs. Navy |
No. 1 |
JFK Stadium • Philadelphia, PA (Rivalry) |
W 31-7 |
70,101 |
November 5 |
Pittsburgh |
No. 1 |
Notre Dame Stadium • Notre Dame, IN |
W 40-0 |
59,075 |
November 12 |
Duke |
No. 1 |
Notre Dame Stadium • Notre Dame, IN |
W 64-0 |
59,075 |
November 19 |
at No. 2 Michigan State |
No. 1 |
Spartan Stadium • East Lansing, MI (Megaphone Trophy) |
T 10-10 |
80,011 |
November 26 |
at No. 10 USC |
No. 1 |
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum • Los Angeles, CA (Jeweled Shillelagh) |
W 51-0 |
88,520 |
#Rankings from AP. All times are in Eastern Time. |
Roster
Roster
Quarterback
Left Halfback
Right Halfback
Fullback
- 31 Paul May
- 32 Larry Conjar
- 38 Ron Dushney
Left End
- 49 Brian Stenger
- 85 Jim Seymour
- 86 Curt Heneghan
- 89 Kevin Rassas
Right End
- 78 Mike Kuzmicz
- 80 Don Gmitter
- 96 Jim Winegardner
Center
|
Offensive Guard
- 57 Tim Gorman
- 59 Dick Swatland
- 62 Steve Quinn
- 68 Roger Fox
- 69 Joe Marsico
- 76 Tom Regner
- 79 Tom McKinley
Offensive Tackle
Defensive Tackle
Defensive End
- 81 Alan Page
- 87 Tom Rhoads
- 88 Allen Sack
- 93 Chick Lauck
- 94 Bill Skoglund
|
LH (Left Cornerback)
- 19 Tom Quinn
- 40 Tom O’Leary
RH (Right Cornerback)
- 25 Jim Smithberger
- 34 Dan Harshman
Safety
Inside Linebacker
Outside Linebacker
- 41 John Lavin
- 56 Dave Martin
- 60 @Mike McGill
- 89 Al VanHuffel
Kicker
- 11 Jim Ryan
- 90 Joe Azzaro
|
*Bold denotes starter.
@ Starting OLB, injured in sixth game and sidelined for the year. John Pergine
became starter at OLB, and John Horney took Pergine’s ILB spot.
Reserves:
E – Mike Earley, Mike Heaton, Paul Snow; T – Ed Tuck, Gerald Wisne; G —
Angelo Schiralli, C – John Lium; QB – Bob Belden, Hugh O’Malley; HB —
Jim Kelly, Pete Lamantia, Tim Wengierski, Dave Zurowski; FB – Bob Hagerty
Defense:
E – Bob Zubek; LB – Leo Collins, Mike Holtzapfel
Source:http://www.cstv.com/auto_pdf/p_hotos/s_chools/nd/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/Football-Supplement-07
|
Coaching staff
Name | Position | Year at Notre Dame |
Ara Parseghian | Head Coach | 3rd |
Tom Pagna | Offensive Backs | 3rd |
George Sefcik | Receivers | 3rd |
Jerry Wampfler | Offensive Line | 1st |
John Ray | Defensive Line Linebackers | 3rd |
Paul Shoults | Defensive Backs | 3rd |
Joe Yonto | Asst. Defensive Line | 3rd |
Wally Moore | Freshmen | 3rd |
John Murphy | Asst. Freshmen | 5th |
Game summaries
Purdue
Purdue at Notre Dame
|
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|
Purdue |
7 |
0 | 0 | 7 |
14 |
• Notre Dame |
7 |
7 | 0 | 12 |
26 |
|
|
Scoring summary |
---|
|
1 |
| PUR | Leroy Keyes 94-yard fumble return (kick good) | PUR 7-0 |
|
1 |
| ND | Nick Eddy 96-yard kickoff return (kick good) | Tied 7-7 |
|
2 |
| ND | Jim Seymour 84-yard pass from Terry Hanratty (kick good) | ND 14-7 |
|
4 |
| ND | Jim Seymour 39-yard pass from Terry Hanratty | ND 20-7 |
|
4 |
| PUR | Percy Williams 1-yard run (kick good) | ND 20-14 |
|
4 |
| ND | Jim Seymour 7-yard pass from Terry Hanratty | ND 26-14 |
|
[3]
Oklahoma
|
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|
• Notre Dame |
0 |
17 | 21 | 0 |
38 |
Oklahoma |
0 |
0 | 0 | 0 |
0 |
|
|
Scoring summary |
---|
|
2 |
| ND | Nick Eddy 3-yard run (Joe Azzaro kick) | ND 7-0 |
|
2 |
| ND | Terry Hanratty 2-yard run (Joe Azzaro kick) | ND 14-0 |
|
2 |
| ND | Joe Azzaro 32-yard field goal | ND 17-0 |
|
3 |
| ND | Nick Eddy 1-yard run (Joe Azzaro kick) | ND 24-0 |
|
3 |
3:30 | ND | Rocky Bleier 9-yard run (Joe Azzaro kick) | ND 31-0 |
|
3 |
| ND | Coley O'Brien 5-yard run (Joe Azzaro kick) | ND 38-0 |
|
[4]
Navy
|
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|
• Notre Dame |
3 |
7 | 14 | 7 |
31 |
Navy |
0 |
0 | 0 | 7 |
7 |
|
|
Scoring summary |
---|
|
1 |
| ND | Azzaro 42-yard field goal | ND 3-0 |
|
2 |
| ND | Conjar 7-yard run (Azzaro kick) | ND 10-0 |
|
3 |
| ND | Hanratty 1-yard run (Azzaro kick) | ND 17-0 |
|
3 |
| ND | Gladieux 1-yard run (Azzaro kick) | ND 24-0 |
|
4 |
| NAVY | Bergner recovered blocked punt in end zone (Church kick) | ND 24-7 |
|
4 |
| ND | Hanratty 6-yard run (Azzaro kick) | ND 31-7 |
|
[5]
Michigan State
Notre Dame at Michigan State
|
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|
Notre Dame |
0 |
7 | 0 | 3 |
10 |
Michigan St |
0 |
10 | 0 | 0 |
10 |
|
|
Scoring summary |
---|
|
2 |
| MSU | Cavender 4-yard run (Kennedy kick) | MSU 7-0 |
|
2 |
| MSU | Kennedy 47-yard field goal | MSU 10-0 |
|
2 |
| ND | Gladieux 34-yard pass from O'Brien (Azzaro kick) | MSU 10-7 |
|
4 |
| ND | Azzaro 28-yard field goal | Tied 10-10 |
|
[6]
USC
|
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|
• Notre Dame |
14 |
17 | 13 | 7 |
51 |
USC |
0 |
0 | 0 | 0 |
0 |
|
|
Scoring summary |
---|
|
1 |
| ND | Larry Conjar 2-yard run (Joe Azzaro kick) | ND 7-0 |
|
1 |
| ND | Tom Schoen 40-yard interception return (Joe Azzaro kick) | ND 14-0 |
|
2 |
| ND | Joe Azzaro 38-yard field goal | ND 17-0 |
|
2 |
| ND | Jim Seymour 13-yard pass from Coley O'Brien (Joe Azzaro kick) | ND 24-0 |
|
2 |
| ND | Jim Seymour 39-yard pass from Coley O'Brien (Joe Azzaro kick) | ND 31-0 |
|
3 |
| ND | Dan Harshman 23-yard pass from Coley O'Brien (Joe Azzaro kick) | ND 38-0 |
|
3 |
| ND | Nick Eddy 9-yard run (kick failed) | ND 44-0 |
|
4 |
| ND | Dave Martin 33-yard interception return (Joe Azzaro kick) | ND 51-0 |
|
[7]
Post-season
Award winners
Heisman Voting:
- Nick Eddy, 3rd,[9]
- Terry Hanratty, 6th[9]
All-Americans:
Name |
AP |
UPI |
NEA |
FC |
SN |
L |
T |
CP |
FN |
† Nick Eddy, HB | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | | 1 | 1 |
† Jim Lynch, LB | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
‡ Tom Regner, G | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | | 1 | 1 |
Alan Page, DE | 2 | 2 | 1 | | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Pete Duranko, DT | 3 | 1 | | 1 | 2 | | | | |
Kevin Hardy, DT | 2 | 2 | 3 | | 1 | | 1 | | 1 |
Jim Seymour, E | 3 | 2 | 2 | | 3 | | | | 1 |
Paul Seiler, T | | 3 | | | 2 | | | | |
George Goeddeke, C | 3 | 2 | 3 | | 3 | | | | |
Tom Schoen, DB | 3 | 2 | | | | | | | |
Larry Conjar, FB | 3 | 3 | | | 3 | | | | 1 |
Terry Hanratty, QB | 3 | | 3 | | | | | | |
†denotes unanimous selection ‡denotes consensus selection Source:[1] |
College Football Hall of Fame Inductees:
[10] Notre Dame leads all universities in players inducted.
1967 NFL Draft
References
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Seasons | |
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National championship seasons in bold |
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1936–1949 |
- 1936: Minnesota (AP, DS) / Pittsburgh (BS, HS)
- 1937: Pittsburgh (AP, BS, DS, HS) / California
- 1938: TCU (AP) / Tennessee (BS, HS) / Notre Dame (DS)
- 1939: Texas A&M (AP, BS, HS) / USC (DS)
- 1940: Minnesota (AP, BS, DS, HS) / Stanford
- 1941: Minnesota (AP, BS) / Alabama (HS)
- 1942: Ohio State (AP, BS) / Georgia (HS)
- 1943: Notre Dame
- 1944: Army (AP, BS, HS) / Ohio State
- 1945: Army
- 1946: Notre Dame (AP) / Army (BS, HS)
- 1947: Notre Dame (AP) / Michigan (AP [post-bowl], BS, HS)
- 1948: Michigan
- 1949: Notre Dame
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1950s |
- 1950: Oklahoma
- 1951: Tennessee (AP, Coaches) / Michigan State / Maryland / Georgia Tech (BS) / Illinois (BS)
- 1952: Michigan State (AP, Coaches, BS) / Georgia Tech (INS)
- 1953: Maryland (AP, Coaches, INS) / Notre Dame (BS)
- 1954: Ohio State (AP, BS, INS) / UCLA (FWAA, Coaches)
- 1955: Oklahoma
- 1956: Oklahoma
- 1957: Auburn (AP) / Ohio State (Coaches, BS, FWAA, INS)
- 1958: LSU (AP, Coaches, BS, FN) / Iowa (FWAA)
- 1959: Syracuse
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1960s |
- 1960: Minnesota (AP, Coaches, FN, NFF) / Ole Miss (FWAA) / Iowa BS)
- 1961: Alabama (AP, Coaches, FN, NFF) / Ohio State (FWAA)
- 1962: USC
- 1963: Texas
- 1964: Alabama (AP, Coaches) / Arkansas (FWAA) / Notre Dame (FN, NFF)
- 1965: Alabama (AP, FWAA) / Michigan State (Coaches, FN, FWAA, NFF)
- 1966: Notre Dame (AP, Coaches, FN, FWAA, NFF) / Michigan State (NFF)
- 1967: USC
- 1968: Ohio State
- 1969: Texas
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1970s |
- 1970: Nebraska (AP, FN, FWAA) / Texas (NFF, Coaches) / Ohio State (NFF)
- 1971: Nebraska
- 1972: USC
- 1973: Notre Dame (AP, FN, FWAA, NFF) / Alabama (Coaches)
- 1974: Oklahoma (AP, FN) / USC (FWAA, NFF, Coaches)
- 1975: Oklahoma
- 1976: Pittsburgh
- 1977: Notre Dame
- 1978: Alabama (AP, FWAA, NFF) / USC (Coaches, FN)
- 1979: Alabama
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1980–1991 | |
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