Western PA: Football Country
Facing the University of Pittsburgh always conjures up the tremendous role western Pennsylvania has played in North Dame football over the years.
The football-rich region has produced literally dozens of Fighting Irish players down through the decades.
So many big names. Start with Heisman Trophy winners Leon Hart (Turtle Creek) and Johnny Lujack (Connellsville). In addition to Lujack, other legendary quarterbacks such as Joe Montana (Monongahela), Terry Hanratty (Butler) and Tom Clements (McKees Rocks).
The 1950s brought star end Jim Mutscheller (Beaver Falls), ’57 center and co-captain Ed Sullivan (McKeesport) and Bill “Red” Mack (Allison Park).
Joe Azzaro (Pittsburgh) was the kicker on the 1966 national championship team which celebrated its 45th anniversary last weekend on campus. Linebacker Marv Russell (Ford City) recently published a book Linebacker in the Boardroom: Lessons in Life and Leadership, which plays tribute to
his years with the Fighting Irish (1973-74-75) under Ara Parseghian.
Ray Zellars was a hard-working fullback on Lou Holtz’s team in the early 1990s. And there was an associate head coach and defensive co-ordinator in 1988 named Barry Alvarez, who first made a name for himself in Burgettstown, PA.
More recently, Travis Thomas (Washington) served as a co-captain and versatile performer, while Darrin Walls (Pittsburgh) developed into a capable defensive back.
And on this year's team, freshman tight end Ben Koyack is from Oil City, just a jaunt north of the Steel City.
And of course Pittsburgh also brings to mind great Irish-turned-Steelers Rocky Bleier and Jerome Bettis and their Super Bowl triumphs.
This week, Pitt is also in the news for its application, along with Syracuse, for admission to the Atlantic Coach Conference. The cannibalization of college football continues apace, with all signs pointing to four mega-conferences (Big 10+, Pac-whatever, SEC and ACC) when it’s all over.
College football history and geography is being torn apart in the insane scrap for dollars (and in some folks’ minds, a platform for a playoff system).
It would be too bad if, in future years, Notre Dame and Pittsburgh could no longer play each other because they had games scheduled for them against, say, Minnesota and North Carolina State.
| Sept. 3 | S. FLORIDA | L, 20-23 |
| Sept. 10 | @Michigan | L, 31-35 |
| Sept. 17 | MICH. ST. | W, 31-13 |
| Sept. 24 | @Pittsburgh | W, 15-12 |
| Oct. 1 | @Purdue | W, 38-10 |
| Oct. 8 | AIR FORCE | W, 59-33 |
| Oct. 15 | -- | -- |
| Oct. 22 | USC | L, 17-31 |
| Oct. 29 | NAVY | W, 56-14 |
| Nov. 5 | @Wake Forest | W, 24-17 |
| Nov. 12 | Maryland (FedEx) | W, 45-21 |
| Nov. 19 | BOSTON C. | W, 16-14 |
| Nov. 26 | @Stanford | L, 14-28 |
| Dec. 29 | Florida St. (Champs Sports Bowl) | L, 14-18 |
(All times Eastern)
| Sept. 4 | Purdue | W, 23-12 |
| Sept. 11 | Michigan | L, 24-28 |
| Sept. 18 | @MSU | L, 31-34 |
| Sept. 25 | Stanford | L, 14-37 |
| Oct. 2 | @BC | W, 31-13 |
| Oct. 9 | Pittsburgh | W, 23-17 |
| Oct. 16 | W.Mich. | W, 44-20 |
| Oct. 23 | Navy (M'lands) |
L, 17-35 |
| Oct. 30 | Tulsa | L, 27-28 |
| Nov. 13 | Utah | W, 28-3 |
| Nov. 20 | Army (NYC) | W, 27-3 |
| Nov. 27 | at USC | W, 20-16 |
| Dec. 31 | Miami (Sun Bowl) | W, 33-17 |