When asked Wednesday if he had any plans to have his team don green jerseys to take on No. 1 USC, Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis scoffed at the notion, saying the Irish needed top-notch execution, not emotion, to topple the mighty Trojans.
But Saturday the Irish ran out of the locker room with their gold numbers on new green jerseys, sending a roar through the sellout crowd at Notre Dame Stadium.
The green jerseys were worn by the Irish most famously on Oct. 22, 1977, when coach Dan Devine’s squad decimated the Trojans 49-19.
Notre Dame, clad in green the rest of the season, ran the table to claim the 1977 national championship.
Recent history has not been kind to green-shirted Notre Dame teams.
The last three times before Saturday’s 34-31 loss the Irish wore green, they lost.
Nov. 2, 2002: First-year coach Tyrone Willingham’s 8-0 Irish, who had risen to No. 4 in the polls with a victory the previous week at Florida State, lose 14-7 to Boston College at home.
Jan. 1, 1999: Coach Bob Davie’s Irish, 9-2 going into the game, were stung 35-28 by Georgia Tech in the Gator Bowl.
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Jan. 2, 1995: Lou Holtz’s Irish finished a disappointing 6-5-1 season with a 41-24 loss to Colorado in the Fiesta Bowl.
Notre Dame had won the last three times it donned green jerseys against USC.
Oct. 26, 1985: Though the year ended with the firing of coach Gerry Faust after a 5-6 campaign, the Irish changed into green jerseys at halftime and beat USC 37-3.
Oct. 22, 1983: After beating the Trojans 27-6, the Irish lost three of their last four to finish 7-5.
Oct. 22, 1977: The springboard to a national championship with that 49-19 victory.