Good story about the 1973 Sugar Bowl

Bruce014

1st Team
Aug 29, 2012
752
82
52
Alabama
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.
 

CrimsonEyeshade

Hall of Fame
Nov 6, 2007
5,410
1,521
187
Bruce, Rutledge got sacked on third down. Maybe the rule has been changed, but at the time the explanation is it would have 4th and 2 or 3. Still, it was an interesting decision by the coach.

Another mistake in the story: Clemens was only a junior. Sonovagun beat us again next year, too.

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.
 
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4Q Basket Case

FB|BB Moderator
Staff member
Nov 8, 2004
9,568
12,865
237
Tuscaloosa
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.
 

TrueGritnPluck

Suspended
Nov 21, 2011
1,658
0
0
RTP was not an automatic first

Today we would have been awarded 30 yards and the punter would have been out for 4 weeks battling "Concussion-Like" symptoms
 

banjeaux

All-American
Jun 6, 2007
2,131
1
0
Slidell, Louisiana
This was an interesting writeup about the classic 1973 Sugar Bowl. Appears quite accurate except that John Mitchell was not on the 73 team. I did not know the story about Parseghian and the punter before the game.
Thanks for the link, TD10.

I attended that milestone game. Tickets were not hard to get. A large local New Orleans bank had plenty. I was able to make several purchases and send to a friend in Mobile for her company associates. I was her hero. Now, I would scalp them. :biggrin:

The weather was much as described, i.e., rain off & on. But, not bitterly cold. Large black trash bags made good raincoats, by cutting a head hole. We stayed pretty dry.

Oh! I still have my rain stained pennant from the game. Roll Tide!
 

TrueGritnPluck

Suspended
Nov 21, 2011
1,658
0
0
Thanks for the link, TD10.

I attended that milestone game. Tickets were not hard to get. A large local New Orleans bank had plenty. I was able to make several purchases and send to a friend in Mobile for her company associates. I was her hero. Now, I would scalp them. :biggrin:

The weather was much as described, i.e., rain off & on. But, not bitterly cold. Large black trash bags made good raincoats, by cutting a head hole. We stayed pretty dry.

Oh! I still have my rain stained pennant from the game. Roll Tide!
KO temps were around 40 with a stiff breeze
 

Bama1985

1st Team
Jan 18, 2006
794
126
62
61
Calhoun County
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.
Roughing the punter was not an automatic first down in 1973. It would have been 4th down and 5 to go for a first if Coach Bryant had accepted the penalty--or--decline the penalty and try to pin Notre Dame against their end zone following a long punt.
 
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tidegrandpa

All-American
Roughing the punter was not an automatic first down in 1973. It would have been 4th down and 5 to go for a first if Coach Bryant had accepted the penalty--or--decline the penalty and try to pin Notre Dame against their end zone following a long punt.
Yep, remember it well, I was in the far end zone and still remember predicting Bear would decline it. Still hate the third down pass.............
 

jcabama

1st Team
Jul 19, 2004
499
243
62
Bonaire GA
Was watching the game while shooting pool on my friends new Christmas present--remember thinking the missed PAT could come back to haunt!
 

ND1976

BamaNation Citizen
Dec 4, 2012
31
10
27
I was at that game. I think the rule in 1973 was an automatic first down, but I could be wrong. However, my recollection was that Alabama could have accepted the penalty and had a first down. Again, I could be wrong. The buzz in the stands was that it was a brilliant call that also took guts on Bryant's part. We were very worried that the strategy would work.

Tom Clements was a junior, not a senior.

Robin Weber is my classmate, a good guy, self-effacing, and funny. I'm pretty sure he is joking about not having a pass thrown to him in practice. The way he tells the story about looking up and seeing the ball coming toward him in private is funnier than what was written in the NYT.

Had not heard about Coach Bryant coming into our locker room before. That was a high class move.
 

1958againbear

1st Team
Jan 27, 2011
693
0
0
It was a 5 yard penalty and not an automatic 1st down unlike now when it's an automatic 1st down 15 yard PF. Bear would not have declined a 1st down in the middle of the field; hence there really wasn't a decision other than kick it and try to pin them deep.

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2
 

Bama1985

1st Team
Jan 18, 2006
794
126
62
61
Calhoun County
It was a 5 yard penalty and not an automatic 1st down unlike now when it's an automatic 1st down 15 yard PF. Bear would not have declined a 1st down in the middle of the field; hence there really wasn't a decision other than kick it and try to pin them deep.

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2
It was a 15 yard penalty but not an automatic first down in 1973. Alabama needed 20 yards for a first down because Gary Rutledge was sacked on 3rd down. That is why even with the penalty it was not a first down but 4th and 5. By today's rules it would have been an automatic first down.
 

1958againbear

1st Team
Jan 27, 2011
693
0
0
It was a 15 yard penalty but not an automatic first down in 1973. Alabama needed 20 yards for a first down because Gary Rutledge was sacked on 3rd down. That is why even with the penalty it was not a first down but 4th and 5. By today's rules it would have been an automatic first down.
At that time there were both a 5 yard and 15 yard penalty, the latter for the more flagrant roughing the kicker (it was a subjective call; hence the single 15 yard penalty today). Whichever it wouldn't give us a 1st down; therefore taking the kick was the best choice.

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2
 

Alasippi

Suspended
Aug 31, 2007
12,875
2
57
Ocean Springs, MS
Coach Bryant chose to take the punt to the one rather than going for it on fourth down. He weighed his options and chose to put the game in the hands of his defense.
The debatable decision was brought up right after Notre Dame made the first down to clinch the game. Howard Cosell was doing the color commentary and he simply said, "Yes, it was a risky decision but who could ever doubt this man"? Remember it like it was yesterday. Sip
 

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