1973 Sugar Bowl Notre Dame vs. Alabama

[jdailey19811]

@greymoose1000 I know you are going to try to use the thing in saying Kelly is a killer...blah blah blah after the US COURTS found him not guilty. Don't be mad the NCAA busted those little USC wanna be warriors and exposed them for the cheaters they really are.....good luck in many more sanction years at USC with a crybaby like Lane Kiffin at the helm.

[greymoose1000]

@jdailey19811 THE TWO TEAMS involved in this 1973 Sugar Bowl are both national disgraces and should close their doors. They are both evil and represent the most egregious acts known to the college football world. UAT and BEAR BRYANT were saved by USC and Coach John McKay who agreed to play them in Birmingham in 1970. ND has continued to get away with the egregious act of murdering one of their own students (YOUNG DECLAN) and have somehow managed to go about business AS USUAL.

[jdailey19811]

@greymoose1000 what has USC accomplished? Cheating, Getting a NC stripped from them, and making players like Matt Leinart who couldn't make it in the NFL. ND may have had some bad seasons, but we can at least play with our heads held high. Those USC cheaters should walk into every stadium with their heads hung low in shame!

[jdailey19811]

@greymoose1000 Its funny you are running your mouth considering your worthless little wanna be warriors have nothing on ND both past and present. Can't wait until ND humiliates them this season so we can hear southern Cal cry!

[jdailey19811]

Lol at bitter USC fans.....crying because their team is the property of ND. Those little wanna be warriors will never do what ND has done. USC=Notre Dame's bitch

[csnyder23]

I remember watching this as a kid, being an Indiana kid, I was screaming loud when he ran that back. I searched Utube and was glad it was here. My earliest college football memory.

[guyfroml]

Also, if Bama was the so called champs, then why is there another video here in Youtube showing Ara Parseghian being handed both the Sugar Bowl trophy and the "National Championship" trophy with the announcer saying "they are unanamous national champions."

Yeah right, Bama was champs....whew, I gotta stop laughing so hard or I'm gonna laugh myself right into cardiac arrest.

[suckygolfer19]

haha, they make fun of auburn fans because we got screwed out of a title in 04, but in reality, they got 6 legit titles, the other 6 are paper titles. haha

[jayfey77]

because alabama finished number one in the polls,but college football has always been a joke and will continue to be until they have a playoff,or at least have a final four site and invite the top 4 ranked teams it would just be one more game 1 plays 4 2 plays 3 and the winners meet in the championship and that would settle it.

[guyfroml]

triggert531...you can yack away all you want, all America is laughing at the notion of Alabama being the so called National Champs - what a joke! Hey, it's a good thing Bama wrote that down on their little thingy website, otherwise NO ONE would remember they were "declared" champs since what EVERYONE remembers was ND beating their ass.

"Paper champions" that's all Bama can claim.

[triggert531]

Bama has 3 solo wins that are unquestionable: 61 79, 92.....those are for real. I'm proud of those victories and championships for all you BAMA fans....all 3 of them....not 12. K?

[BAMAVADER]

36-0.

[triggert531]

Why was this game even played? Alabama and the Bear had been named National Champions the day before this game was played by The UPI. That's right...your 1973 National Champion: The Alabama Crimson Tide. You all thought that because ND won this game they would have been the champs? WRONG! ALabama was named champs before the game was even played and the thing that is hardest to believe is that the University of AL counts this as a NC title. This is one of 8 other mythical AL titles.

[randy28146]

Ara and Bear, along with Paterno, are the greatest college football coaches during the past fifty years. What a time for Notre Dame - only weeks later the Irish would defeat college basketball's greatest coach ever and end UCLA's 88 game win streak.

[Tidefan986]

Man the Irish knew how to own college football back then. I think the 2008 season for ND will mark the rebuilding of the football program. Weis can recruit and coach. I think ND will win a National Champion game in the next 9 years.

[ACamp1900]

class^^

well Saban, Brown, Carroll and Weis are the recruiters right now for sure... and every program in history has won when it recruits for four years plus (which ND has now done)

anyway, Bama and ND back on the scene would be HUGE for cfb... let's get Nebraska and Michigan back up and forget it... good stuff

[Tiderolls67]

What a contest. Heartbreaker for us though big time.

[triggert531]

This was not a hearbreaker for AL...they were declared National Champions. The year was 1973....the UPI voted them Champs the day before the game. The University counts it as a National Title on the website. This is one of the "12" championships Bama fans brag about.  So, no heartbreak here....just another Bama championship.

[Bamruff62]

I don't know why this game doesn't get more recognition. I believe this was the game of the decade and one of the best of 20th century CFB. This game was more exciting to me than the USC/Texas BCS championship. There was no defense in that game. This game had it all.

[edflhnd]

I totally agree. Believe me it was even better live!!

[politicalbeast1959]

@Bamruff62

I agree! Alabama-ND was a GREAT match. However, to this day I don't understand why Bear Bryant didn't start sophomore Richard Todd, who had much more speed than the other guy, whose name I think was Rutledge. I believe Bama would have taken this match had Todd been the no. 1 QB. I remember that Notre had a lot of trouble containing Todd's speed, but not the other guy. I was pulling for Notre Dame as I am not an Alabama fan.

[greymoose1000]

@politicalbeast1959 The MOOSE of USC was following your sense of logic until you said you once pulled for ND. ND and UAT from Tuscaloser are both shameful football factories. ND is no longer relevant since the last time they won any national title in football was when T. Rex roamed the Earth.

[PoliticalAnimal1959]

@greymoose1000

College football has become a big-time money-making racket. I've followed the sport since 1970 and there is no question that it has now hit the gutter. While an incredibly enjoyable spectator sport, I any many others do not advocate playing this game because injuries linger the rest of many players' lives; there is too much pounding and hence lingering effects of the CNS; and sometimes injuries will leave a player paralyzed. The thrill and glory in playing it isn't worth it.

[HERD69]

AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!

[NDSoxfan]

Love it

[SFFOOL76]

I know this sounds retroactively confusing.

Did that Al Hunter touchdown remind you of Rocket against michigan 1989

[NDMike]

The catch of the 2-point conversion was by one of the All-Time Greats in college football Pete Demmerle. He passed away May 24th, 2007 suffering from ALS (Lou Gehrigs Disease). An All American football player, Academic All American and more importantly one special human being. Pete Demmerle was everything you would want in a collegiate athlete. College football has lost one of its All-Time greats. May God Bless Him all those he loved!

[edflhnd]

Amen. From the Notre Dame Family.

[NDMike]

Another great play in the greatest college football game ever played! This game had everything with both teams playing as well as they can play. Howard Cosell and Chris Schenkel doing the play by play. This is a GREAT piece of college football history. Al Hunter was a freshman in this game. I will remember his kick-off return till the day I die. Every play was so critical in this game which makes this play all the more special.

[xrocinante1]

You're not kidding, an incredible game that I sure hope alot of people don't forget about. A heartbreaker for my Tide but give the Irish all the credit in the world...it wasn't luck.

[edflhnd]

Two great teams, Two great programs.

[edflhnd]

I especially agree with the comment "every play was so critical". The only other game I eas at which matched this game with the every play critical mantra was the 1988 ND v. Miami game.

[blueturfbronco]

That's my friends dad, oh yeah!

[NDMike]

Hey blueturfbronco,

Your friends dad made one of the great plays in Notre Dame History. Every point mattered in this National Championship game! The single greatest college football game I have ever seen! What memories!

[blueturfbronco]

I've seen the whole thing and I hate to tell you that the 07' Fiesta Bowl was the best game ever. Still a very good game, and Al is like lightning.

[NDMike]

Hey blueturfbronco,

You state that you have seen the whole game. Myself and thousands of other Notre Dame fans have been in search of the video of that 1973 National Championship Game for years. Can you share with us how you got a copy of this game to view? I have been looking for a complete copy of this game for over 30 years now. I have even written ABC Television trying to find a copy.