Four times before…
The Sugar Bowl holds a special place in the hearts of Notre Dame fans and players alike, representing moments of triumph, determination, and unyielding spirit. For this week’s throwback column, we take a stroll down memory lane with Oscar McBride, Martin Scruggs, Pete Bercich, and Marv Russell as they share their unforgettable experiences from the Sugar Bowl. From the witty brilliance of Coach Lou Holtz’s predictions to the team’s ability to rise above adversity and negative press, these memories showcase the enduring legacy of Notre Dame football and its tradition of excellence.
Oscar McBride:
“In December of 1991 we were down in New Orleans getting ready to play in the Sugar Bowl. No one expected us to win this bowl. No one even thought we belonged in this bowl. They kept telling us that we belonged in a cereal bowl. Our last team practice before the game was held in the convention center in full pads, on concrete, because it was raining outside. Coach Holtz calls us together after practice and gives us his rallying pep talk. Lou began, ‘We have a big game coming up and I want to tell you about Steve Spurrier and our opponent. Now here is what is going to happen tomorrow. We are going to get the ball on offense, we are going to give the ball to Jerome Bettis, and he is going to score on the first drive. Then we are going to come out on defense, we are going to get the ball back on a turnover, Jerome is going to get the ball back on offense, and he is going to score again. Then I want you to look across the field and you will see Steve Spurrier throw his headset on the ground and start to pout.’”
“January 1, 1992 … we take the field and Jerome gets the ball on offense. Jerome then scores on a 45 yard touchdown play. The Gators get the ball back on offense, and Demetrius DuBose gets the interception giving us the ball back. Then Jerome comes back out and scores again. We look across the field and right before our eyes Spurrier throws down his headset, crosses his arms and starts to pout.”
“We all look at each other and say … ‘What just happened??’”
“After that moment, my level of respect for Coach Holtz went through the roof. I knew that not only had he studied the team and knew their tendencies, studied what they were going to do on offense, defense, and special teams; but he also had studied the manners of Coach Spurrier as well. He really went above and beyond in doing his job.”
Martin Scruggs:
“On a more positive note, another one of my favorite Notre Dame memories was the Sugar Bowl (Notre Dame vs. Florida, 1992). Even through all of the negative press we were receiving – that Cheerios belonged in the bowl more than Notre Dame did – Coach Holtz kept us together and kept us positive the whole time. We couldn’t practice on the field because of all the rain New Orleans was getting, so we had to practice in our socks on the cement floor in the convention hall. As always, Coach had us prepared for Florida and we went out there and showed the world that we did indeed belong in the bowl game. The Mass before that game was quite memorable as well. They knew exactly how to center us and ready us for our big moment.”
Pete Bercich:
Pete’s time at Notre Dame had its share of successes as well as bumps in the road. His senior year he played on the team that many say should have won it all. But like so many stories, the 1993 team did not get the fairy tale ending. “After we beat Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl, we thought we’d win the coaches poll and Florida State would win the AP poll, and that we’d be conational champions. We didn’t think we’d win it outright, but we did feel slighted that we got nothing at all. We had a good idea of what the media felt about us during the week going into the Notre Dame – FSU ‘Game of the Century.’ There was a certain color that everything was looked through. ‘There is no way ND can beat FSU. Why do they think they can beat FSU?’ That week was a bit of an awakening for a lot of us. The great football minds at large didn’t give us any chance to beat FSU. Just like when we played Florida in the Sugar Bowl in ’92. The big joke was, ‘What’s the difference between Notre Dame and Cheerios? Cheerios belong in the bowl.’ And that team did not let the media stop them from getting the job done either.”
Marv Russell:
Being a football player at Notre Dame has a certain amount of camaraderie, tradition and lore that comes along with it. But being a part of a national championship team has a spirit all its own. “As a freshman, and being one of the few freshmen who was able to play that year, it was a pretty special experience for me. I had never been on a winning team the whole time I played football. As we kept winning games I was thinking, ‘Wow … is this what it’s really like?’” Marv was a freshman when Notre Dame played Southern Cal at home in 1973. “Winning that game was when we started to believe. We looked at the rest of the schedule, and how up to that point we were just dominating teams, and we just knew we could continue to roll. Our last game of the regular season was against Miami; we played them in the old Orange Bowl. Coach (Ara) Parseghian reminded us that we still had one more game to go, and that we had better not forget this team because we were in their house and were ripe for the picking. We had no problem beating Miami, but those are the games that tend to upset apple carts.”
At the end of the 1973 season Notre Dame was ranked third, and headed to the Sugar Bowl to play No. 1 ranked Alabama. Oklahoma was No. 2, but was ineligible to play in a bowl game. “There were three undefeated teams that year, and yet the championship game ended up being No. 1 playing No. 3. How fortunate were we? And we proved to the nation that we deserved to be there, narrowly defeating them in a tremendous game, 24-23.
The memories shared by Oscar McBride, Martin Scruggs, Pete Bercich, and Marv Russell remind us why the Sugar Bowl remains such an iconic chapter in Notre Dame’s storied history. Through grit, preparation, and the unwavering belief instilled by their coaches, these teams defied the odds and left a lasting mark on college football. As we look back on these moments, we celebrate not only the victories on the field but also the camaraderie, faith, and indomitable spirit that define what it means to be part of the Fighting Irish.
(For deeper insights into these remarkable men and their stories, explore the first two volumes of the Echoes From Notre Dame books series.)
Cheers & GO IRISH!