THE BOWL GAMES : FIESTA BOWL : After 11-Year Drought, Notre Dame Eyes No. 1

Notre Dame tradition, which has had a free ride the last decade, goes back to work today when mystique meets the mesquite here in the Arizona desert. The Irish have endured a spell of mediocrity so profound that Touchdown Jesus, the mosaic that overlooks their field, was thought to be signaling for mercy and not another score. But finally top-ranked again, they are poised to burnish their legend, not tarnish it.

It has been 11 years since the Irish last won a national championship, beating Texas in the Cotton Bowl. Soon thereafter, they went into a mini-decline, something on the order of Rome’s (see: Fall of). After Dan Devine, the last championship coach, bowed out in 1980 with a 9-2-1 record, Notre Dame has gone 43-36-1, with an unthinkable 3 losing seasons. The mystique, you might say, was wearing thin and Notre Dame football didn’t mean what it did.

And now Lou Holtz, in only his third season, has the Irish undefeated and No. 1. And all you hear about as the Fiesta Bowl is about to begin is that wonderful Notre Dame tradition.

Of course, all are mindful that since that Cotton Bowl 11 years ago, history has not been nice to top-ranked teams, only 3 of which have survived their postseason bowl games atop a poll (not, for example, Texas in 1978). More to the point, opponent West Virginia, unburdened by tradition, has not been nice to anybody. Notre Dame’s return to greatness, in other words, remains incomplete.

Still, the Mountaineers, also 11-0 but third-ranked, are accorded the roles of supporting players in this drama. They, after all, need to make history, not just recall it. They have acquired a grudging respect with a flashy sophomore quarterback and a stolid senior offensive line, but detractors still crop up, people who decry the ease of their schedule, far more regional in scope than Notre Dame’s. Also, in the area of mystique, nobody credits West Virginia with anything more colorful than moonshining.

“People think we don’t wear shoes or have indoor plumbing,” sighs West Virginia defensive back Willie Edwards.

Parties from both sides allow that this game is at least partly about mystique, Notre Dame recovering its own and West Virginia correcting its. West Virginia has often been in the news as an example of economic disrepair and the players keenly feel a responsibility to provide a rallying point for their misunderstood state.

“We’re not just playing for ourselves,” says Chris Parker, one of the team’s huge fifth-year seniors. “We’re playing for the state, which has nothing else to cheer for. We take pride in that.”

These are just talking points, though, in a game that will probably provide a national champion (clear-cut if Notre Dame wins, arguable if West Virginia wins and Miami wins its Orange Bowl game). There are other angles.

Notre Dame, despite victories over Michigan, Miami and USC, is hardly a complete team. Holtz, though a champion poor-mouther, insists his team is one-dimensional and mistake-prone, and he’s right. West Virginia, on the other hand, is considered unproven, an East Coast phenomenon, really. And that’s true, too.

The Mountaineers may not have ranged coast to coast as the Irish have, but their dominance where they have played is unarguable. With the development of quarterback Major Harris and an offensive line of 5 fifth-year seniors that averages 271 pounds and has 13 years experience as starters among them, they have been the nation’s No. 2 offensive team, averaging 43 points a game.

“Harris averages 5 yards a rush,” says Holtz, throwing up his hands. In fact, all West Virginia’s backs average 5 yards. “They have 3 tailbacks that could rush for 1,000 yards on any other team.”

Holtz, meanwhile, would have people believe that Notre Dame has nothing to contend with that. His own quarterback, Tony Rice, is not a picture passer.

“He’s not ready to play on Sundays, by any means,” Holtz said. But Rice’s option offense, though one-dimensional, has been obviously effective. And anyone willing to disregard Rice’s passing will pay a price. Remember Rice passing 55 yards to Raghib Ismail from his own 2-yard line in the USC game?

However not even Holtz doubts the Irish defense, third in scoring defense with 12.3 points a game. A trio of defenders, linebackers Mike Stonebreaker and Wes Pritchett and end Frank Stams, has even managed a level of zaniness this week, which has enjoyed absolutely no controversy.

Pritchett claimed they liked to unwind with old movies, Velcro darts and tetherball, his personal favorite. Still, the one to watch may be defensive tackle Jeff Alm, who leads the team in interceptions with 3. Now that’s zany.

For many, whether Notre Dame fans or not, the wonder of this game is that the Irish, 5-6 only 2 years ago, have come to this precipice. West Virginia may or may not push them off it, but Holtz’s turnaround remains spectacular. It is a curious thing that this little man, who can enliven a news conference with some sleight of hand (he did a few coin tricks the other day), can also strike fear in his players and enforce a discipline that keeps his rugged players quaking. Stams has called him a “hard, mean, mean man.”

West Virginia Coach Don Nehlen has not been nearly as interesting going into this game. Except for reacting to Holtz’s hyperbole from time to time (even he can’t believe West Virginia is as awesome as Holtz says), he has gladly played second fiddle to Holtz.

However his case is more desperate than Holtz’s. He fields a team that has peaked, with 24 fifth-year seniors. All the important players are veterans but Harris. Holtz, on the other hand, will lose only a handful from this team.

And he’ll always have that mystique.

BATTLE FOR NO. 1

Annual winner of the Associated Press college football poll’s top ranking:

Year School 1987 Miami, Fla. 1986 Penn State 1985 Oklahoma 1984 Brigham Young 1983 Miami, Fla. 1982 Penn State 1981 Clemson 1980 Georgia 1979 Alabama 1978 Alabama 1977 Notre Dame 1976 Pittsburgh 1975 Oklahoma 1974 Oklahoma 1973 Notre Dame 1972 USC 1971 Nebraska 1970 Nebraska 1969 Texas 1968 Ohio State 1967 USC 1966 Notre Dame 1965 Alabama 1964 Alabama 1963 Texas 1962 USC 1961 Alabama 1960 Minnesota 1959 Syracuse 1958 Louisiana State 1957 Auburn 1956 Oklahoma 1955 Oklahoma 1954 Ohio State 1953 Maryland 1952 Michigan State 1951 Tennessee 1950 Oklahoma 1949 Notre Dame 1948 Michigan 1947 Notre Dame 1946 Notre Dame 1945 Army 1944 Army 1943 Notre Dame 1942 Ohio State 1941 Minnesota 1940 Minnesota 1939 Texas A&M; 1938 Texas Christian 1937 Pittsburgh 1936 Minnesota