ND roughed our punter on the kick that put ND on their 1-yard-line.
Bryant declined the penalty, thinking our defense would hold them.
The roughing call was a personal foul, so our offense would've gotten an automatic first down.
I don't think I have seen a game before or since where a coach declined an automatic first down.
Truly, truly strange.
I am glad, though, the NYT had the decency to describe the circumstances surrounding the 1973 championship.
It was earned. I do not know how many times I have tried to describe this to the auburn rats I work with. Since earning a regular season national championship is not something they've been brainwashed to understand, they simply cover their ears and say "La La La La." Very strange people.
Not so sure about the roughing the kicker.
You're essentially saying that Bryant passes up a first down at roughly midfield, hoping to pin the opponent and eventually get the ball back at not too far from that position? Three downs, whatever the opponents do with them, and about two minutes later? With about four minutes left when he makes the decision? That just doesnt pass the smell test.
At the time, there were two varieties of the penalty...a five-yard version, and a 15-yarder. As I remember it, we had 4th and 10 or so, and the call was running into the kicker, 10 yards and a first down different from roughing the kicker. We had a choice of 4th and 5, or the Irish pinned at their own two.
We properly (in my untutored opinion) took the play over a one-time shot at a first down that, even if we had made it, would have guaranteed nothing.
It was a great game. And at 24-23, there are at least a dozen woulda-coulda-shouldas that would have turned it the other way...for either team. Nobody made any illogical coaching decisions. The Irish just made a play when they had to.
Hats off, and curses under the breath. But hats off.