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Memorable games in the Michigan-Notre Dame rivalry

By WTOP Staff

TOM COYNE
Associated Press

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — The Michigan-Notre Dame rivalry has matched iconic coaches, launched players into national prominence, featured thrilling victories, heart-breaking defeats and more than its share of hard feelings.

It’s been Fielding Yost vs. Knute Rockne — even though their teams never met — as well as Fritz Crisler against Frank Leahy and Bo Schembechler facing Lou Holtz. It’s been Angello Bertelli, Tim Brown and Rocket Ismail for Notre Dame and Elroy “Crazy Legs” Hirsch, Anthony Carter and Desmond Howard for Michigan.

It’s had all the ingredients that make a great rivalry, with some long gaps in between games to allow resentment to simmer.

Even as the rivalry prepares for the last scheduled game Saturday, fuel is still being added. Last year. Michigan coach Brady Hoke accused the Fighting Irish of chickening out of the series and the “Chicken Dance” was played over the Big House sound system following a win by the Wolverines. Then, the Irish who say they have no room on their schedule for Michigan, announce this week a two-game series with Ohio State.

The rivalry started in 1887 when a group of Michigan students traveled to South Bend to teach the sport to students at the Catholic school. The history includes Michigan canceling the 1910 game — the year after Notre Dame won for the first time — because Notre Dame wouldn’t play without two players Michigan contended were ineligible.

The bad blood escalated when Yost left Rockne off his All-American team in 1913. It grew even fiercer when Yost and Rockne had a dispute at a track meet in 1923, and then Yost urged Big Ten teams not to play Notre Dame because he said they didn’t follow Big Ten eligibility rules.

The two schools played in 1942 and 1943, splitting the games, but Crisler accused the top-ranked Irish of playing dirty. He vowed never to play them again after the second-ranked Wolverines lost 35-12 in the second game.

The winner of the Saturday’s game will have college football’s best winning percentage for at least a week. It will have bragging rights for the foreseeable future.

Memorable games in the series:

2011 — Michigan 35, Notre Dame 31. The Irish jump to a 24-7 lead late in the third quarter, but can’t hang on as the teams trade three touchdowns in the final 72 seconds. The Wolverines took their first lead of the game at 28-24 when Denard Robinson threw a 21-yard TD pass to Vincent Smith. The Irish answered five plays and 42 second later. But Robinson threw a 16-yard scoring pass to Roy Roundtree with 2 seconds left for the win.

1994 — No. 6 Michigan 26, No. 3 Notre Dame 24. Remy Hamilton kicked four field goals, including a 42-yarder with 2 seconds left, to give the Wolverines the victory after the Irish had taken the lead with 52 seconds left.

1993 — No. 11 Notre Dame 27, No. 3 Michigan 23: Unheralded quarterback Kevin McDougal ran for two touchdowns, and Mike Miller scored on a 56-yard punt return as the Notre Dame surprised the Wolverines, ending Michigan’s 20-game unbeaten streak in regular-season games. The victory came shortly after the release of the book, “Under the Tarnished Dome: How Notre Dame Betrayed Its Ideals for Football Glory.”

1991 — No. 3 Michigan 24, No. 7 Notre Dame 14: Desmond Howard scored on a 29-yard reverse and a diving 25-yard reception midway through the fourth quarter that ended a Notre Dame rally. Elvis Grbac set a school record for accuracy by completing 20 of 22 passes The Wolverine defense held the Irish to 78 yards rushing.

1988 — Notre Dame 19, Michigan 17: Reggie Ho kicked four field goals, the final one a 26-yarder with 73 seconds left, as the 13th-ranked Irish beat No. 9 Michigan. Michigan had a chance to win on the final play, but Mike Gillette narrowly missed a 48-yard field goal in a season-opening win that sparked a national championship.

1980 — No. 8 Notre Dame 29, No. 14 Michigan 27: Phil Carter scores on a 4-yard run on third down to give the Fighting Irish a 26-21 lead with just over three minutes left. With 41 seconds to go, John Wangler threw a 1-yard TD pass to Craig Dunaway to give the Wolverines the lead. Both teams failed on 2-point conversion tries. A stiff wind blowing against Notre Dame Stadium suddenly stopped as Harry Oliver kicked a 51-yard field goal that barely made it over the crossbar as time ran out. Schembechler said in 2002 interview it was the most memorable game for him, but not because of the kick, but Tony Hunter’s catch on the previous play.

“They caught the ball out of bounds. The game should have been over,” Schembechler said. “Go look at the tape. He caught the ball out of bounds.”

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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