When last Notre Dame appeared on this fabled stretch of grass framed by the San Gabriel Mountains, the Four Horsemen of lore took their last ride in Irish uniforms on New Year’s Day 1925.
Contrary to widespread belief, it only seems like it has been that long since the team’s last victory.
This time, outlined against a blue, semi-smoggy October sky, Notre Dame sought to end a five-game, season-starting losing streak. If things went well in the late Saturday night game, the Irish might even wake up the echoes. If not, the Irish were facing their equal longest losing streak ever.
Notre Dame came into the game 0-5 in 2007. UCLA of the Pac-10 was 4-1.
After a lifeless first half against Purdue the previous weekend, the Irish’s entire workweek centered around a fast start — something of special import against UCLA, given the Bruins’ motivation stemming from a last-second loss in South Bend a year ago.
It was hardly a full sprint out of the gate. Notre Dame managed just two non-penalty first downs on its first three offensive possessions, both of which occurred on the Irish’s first series of the game. Notre Dame did not convert on any of their first five third-down attempts.
But UCLA was more than charitable with both its own misdeeds and its own misfortunes. A promising Bruins drive that had a first-and-goal at the Irish 9-yard line fizzled thanks to penalties on consecutive plays, resulting in a Kai Forbath field goal and a 3-0 lead with three minutes left in the first quarter.
Then disaster struck in a decidedly more foreboding way. On UCLA’s next possession, quarterback Ben Olson was sacked on the first play, fumbling as Irish safety Tom Zbikowski slapped the ball out of his hands.
Irish linebacker Kerry Neal recovered and returned to the Bruins 1-yard line — but almost as critically, Olson was injured on the play and did not return for the half.
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Of course, Notre Dame followed with its own serious injury: Bullet wound to the foot.
On a first-and-goal play from the 1 after the turnover, Irish coach Charlie Weis opted for a bootleg pass, on which Jimmy Clausen was sacked for a 7-yard loss. Two incompletions later, the Irish took the disheartening consolation prize of a Brandon Walker field goal and a 3-3 tie.
Still, from that point, UCLA had to go with McLeod Bethel-Thompson at quarterback — a junior who was the third-stringer at the start of the year, now forced into duty with Olson and original No. 2 Patrick Cowan both injured.
The effect was obvious, with Bethel-Thompson barely able to complete screen passes and dropping snaps from center. But he was mildly competent at times, and near the end of the first half he moved the Bruins effectively enough to let Forbath drill a 49-yard field goal with 32 seconds left that gave UCLA a 6-3 edge.
The Irish simply could not take advantage at all on offense, slowed by UCLA’s speedy defense, which both applied consistent pressure to Clausen and kept pace with any perceived Notre Dame deep threats at receiver. The three possessions directly after that turnover? Just two first downs total for the Irish, including two three-and-outs.
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