Let's break the 33 game streak and make history!

[77fan88warrior]

Let's quit the complaining and focus on beating these.........

Courtesy of The Observer.

By Chris Khorey, The Observer
February 8, 2008

(UWIRE) SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Last-second shots.

Technical fouls.

Crazy coaches.

 

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Packets of mustard.

Notre Dame and Marquette have played 109 times, but they share 1,000 games worth of history.

The Irish have played the Golden Eagles more than any other opponent. The series between the two teams used to be an annual affair -- often with an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament on the line for the two independents.

But since 1995, when Notre Dame joined the Big East and Marquette joined Conference USA, the teams have met only eight times.

Reunited in the Big East, the Irish and Golden Eagles are back at each other's throats. During Marquette's 92-66 win at the Bradley Center on Jan. 12, Notre Dame sophomore forward Luke Harangody could feel the emotion emanating from the crowd.

"It's definitely different," he said. "We're both Catholic schools ... but we could definitely feel the rivalry."

GEOGRAPHY AND RELIGION

The Notre Dame-Marquette series began in the early 20th century, at a time when the Irish scheduled mostly regional Catholic schools.

"They played Marquette, they played DePaul, they played Detroit-Mercy, they played Saint Louis," said Mike Coffey, author of the book, "Echoes on the Hardwood."

But while the other schools were generally competitive, games between the Irish and Warriors -- Marquette changed its mascot in 1993 -- often decided who played the best basketball among Midwest Catholic schools.

What's more, Marquette and Notre Dame were similar in their residential and community atmospheres.

"While DePaul is closer, it's more a commuter school, especially back in those days," Coffey said. "Marquette, on the other hand, was a more residential campus. It was a little more similar to Notre Dame."

HICKEY CANCELS THE SERIES

The series took on a more antagonistic nature in the late 1950s, when Marquette hired Saint Louis coach Eddie Hickey to lead the team.

Coffey said Hickey hated Notre Dame, an emotion traced back to the 1940s when Hickey and then-Irish coach Moose Krause were both recruiting St. Louis-area high school star Dick Rosenthal. Rosenthal chose to play for the Irish and would eventually become Notre Dame's athletic director.

"That drove Hickey crazy, and he ended up canceling the Notre Dame-Saint Louis series," Coffey said.

Hickey got the Marquette job in 1958 and canceled that series with Notre Dame.

In the mid-1960s, the rivalry restarted when Marquette hired Al McGuire as its new coach. McGuire was known as much for his showman's antics as his winning basketball teams -- and his team's won a lot.

AL VERSUS DIGGER

In 13 years in Milwaukee, McGuire went 295-80, winning an NIT championship in 1970 and a national title in 1977.

McGuire's flair for showy tactics added another legend in the rivalry's history. Before every Marquette game, the Warriors' starters would shake hands with the opposing coach. Irish coach Johnny Dee saw this as a "hot dog" gesture and, before one game, he handed each Marquette starter a packet of mustard.

The rivalry reached its peak when Digger Phelps replaced Dee after the 1970-71 season. Phelps, nearly as big a showman as McGuire, added to the craziness that had already been part of Notre Dame-Marquette games.

"The most colorful time of the rivalry was when Maguire was at Marquette and Digger was at Notre Dame," Coffey said. "It almost seemed, when Notre Dame would play Marquette in those days, that they would get into a race to see who could get a technical first. It created a great subplot to some great games."

The games were exciting on the court. In 1973, Notre Dame ended Marquette's 81-game home-court winning streak on a buzzer beater by Dwight Clay.

By the late 1970s, both teams were fixtures in nation top 10. Marquette's title in 1977 came in McGuire's final game and Notre Dame got to the only final four in school history in 1978.

DRIFTING APART

Throughout the 1980s, the teams continued to play a home-and-home every year, entering into a deal with Dayton and DePaul to play a four-way round robin.

But the landscape of college basketball was changing.

With more and more independents joining an ever-increasing number of conferences, at-large bids for nonconference members were becoming scarce.

In 1995, the Irish and the newly-christened Golden Eagles joined separate conferences. Between that year and 2006, when Marquette joined the Big East, the teams played only four times.

"They fell off the schedule entirely for a good part of the '90s," Coffey said.

BACK TOGETHER

Since joining the Big East, Marquette is 3-1 against Notre Dame.

On Jan. 20, 2006, the first meeting of the two teams as conference brethren, the Golden Eagles topped the Irish 67-65 on a last-second runner by guard Steve Novak.

Later that year, Marquette won again, this time by eight at the Joyce Center.

Last season, Notre Dame got its revenge with an 85-73 win in the only meeting.

Marquette's win earlier this season was the widest margin of victory in series history, at 26 points.

Saturday, with both teams ranked and the 33-game Irish home winning streak on the line, the series is back to the stakes it had in the 1970s. What's more, the game is being played during ESPN's "Rivalry Week."

Marquette and Notre Dame are back together again, and the forgotten rivalry is back in the national spotlight.


Rivals.com from Y! Sports delivers expert analysis and exclusive member forums for hardcore college sports fans. Start your free trial today!

[4everwarriors]

Doc Rivers have any eligibility remaining?

[romey]

I didn't know Steve Novak was a guard and that three pointer from the corner sure didn't look like a "runner."

Maybe some of the older alum can help me out here.  This article mentions that Notre Dame broke MU's 81 game home win streak in 1973.  I was in my teens in the mid seventies and I thought I remember Creighton breaking the home winning streak and I actually thought it was later than 1973.  Does anyone have access to the media guide or some other resource that could confirm or deny that?  My dad is an alum, and we had season tickets throughout the 70's but my memory could be failing!
Thanks,

[reesiecup210]

It definitely wasn't a runner, but it also wasn't a three, although it was close to one. Steve took the shot falling away so I guess that's how the guy came up with "runner". Regardless, just calling it a "runner" definitely takes away from one of the most amazing shots I've ever seen made; especially in such a pressure-packed situation.

[romey]

hey reesie, you're right, it wasn't a three.  but when I think of a "runner" I picture a player coming toward the basket, like down the lane, and releasing the ball while on the move.

[4everwarriors]

I was there. Dwight "Iceman" Clay of ND made the winning shot that snapped the Warriors home win streak.

[denverMU]

The BEST game I ever saw, Doc Rivers hits a "runner" from half court to be Kelly "pukeface" Trapuka and the Irish, who were ranked in the top ten.

[TallTitan34]

Great article 77fan88warrior! 

As a younger Marquette fan the Steve Novak shot is my Notre Dame highlight.

From everything I have heard though, the Doc Rivers halfcourt shot sounds like the best moment by far.  Was the game televised?  Is there footage?

[Daniel]

Someone has to break their streak - it will happen. So why not us and why not now?!

GO MARQUETTE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Pardner]

The BEST game I ever saw, Doc Rivers hits a "runner" from half court to be Kelly "pukeface" Trapuka and the Irish, who were ranked in the top ten.

That was an all-time great shot--he banked it in too.  Maybe Doc's best MU moment.  I was sitting with some Domer friends who were acting obnoxious b/c they thought they had won it.  I will never forget all the Domers sitting in stunned silence as we jumped over rows of seats at a time to storm the court. 

Some good games at the ACC/Joyce Center with MU wins.  Al cut down the nets one year on their court (and we are whipping TC for not shaking a few hands--lol).  I vaguely remember a band incident where the drummer in the band took his sticks and was poking our in-bounder in the back (I am thinking Boylan).  It was either Al or Hank but they were going nuts.  The leprechaun always seemed to provide some extra baseline "help" as well.   The craziest game was a snowed-in game at the end of break I think in '79 at the MECCA.  Our place was half full but they just opened the doors for free to fill up the place the best they could .  The crowd was all students.  ND was loaded--I think it was their F4 team.  It was as loud a game as I remember...but somehow ND pulled out a win...and Digger decided to return the favor and cut down our nets.  They literally had to call in the riot police to escort them out.

After Al retired he was announcing a game at ND and attended a pep rally.  They booed him wildly.  So, he responded:  "You better be quiet or I will go back to Marquette to start a football team."   They then went crazy for Al.  Al got the last jab in at Digger by one-upping him on his home turf.

[TallTitan34]

After Al retired he was announcing a game at ND and attended a pep rally.  They booed him wildly.  So, he responded:  "You better be quiet or I will go back to Marquette to start a football team."   They then went crazy for Al.  Al got the last jab in at Digger by one-upping him on his home turf.

One of the greatest AL stories I have ever heard Pardner.

While not the calibur of the glory days, last year at the Joyce had some moments as well:

1) Fans throwing trash at Fitz while he was on the baseline
2) Leprechaun shooting cannon at Marquette banner
3) Leprechaun grabbing mic asking where the MU fans were only to be drown out in noise by the MU faithful
4) Tom Crean grabbing basketball, slaming basketball, and refusing to give up basketball (all w/o getting a technical)
5) MarqPTM getting a Bible waved at him (probably deserved but not sure what it meant)
6) I closked Wolskis stickers everywhere around the Joyce

While I disliked Notre Dame before, the majority of my Norte Dame hate stems from my trip to the Joyce last year.

[77fan88warrior]

Great article 77fan88warrior! 

As a younger Marquette fan the Steve Novak shot is my Notre Dame highlight.

From everything I have heard though, the Doc Rivers halfcourt shot sounds like the best moment by far.  Was the game televised?  Is there footage?

The game was televised and I remember celebrating at my sister's house.
 
The Novak shot was definitely not a runner.
 
I enjoyed that one immensely with my best friend who happens to be an ND fan. He also happens to be the biggest Al fan I know. He used to drive AL around for all the NBC games in Chicago.

My personal dislike of ND stems from Digger's arrogance.