Notes on a Scorecard - Oct. 19, 1995

Craig Fertig already has his game face on. . . .

“I’m set,” he says. “Unfortunately, I’m too slow to run out of the tunnel with the team in South Bend.” . . .

Instead, Fertig will be in the broadcast booth at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, sitting next to Tom Kelly and doing the commentary on the Prime Sports telecast of the USC-Notre Dame game that will be shown on Sunday morning at 10:30. . . .

If Fertig needs any more inspiration between now and kickoff time, he need merely look at the football in the den of his home in Irvine. . . .

“USC 20, Notre Dame 17, Nov. 28, 1964,” it says. . . .

Fertig and Rod Sherman received game balls from Coach John McKay after Fertig threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to Sherman with 1:33 left at the Coliseum to spoil what had been an unbeaten, untied season for the Irish. . . .

“I didn’t even see Rod make the catch,” Fertig said. “The Supreme Court justice of the state of Minnesota made sure I didn’t. Alan Page pounded me to the ground. But I heard the roar of the crowd and knew that something good must have happened.” . . .

The play that capped a Trojan comeback from a 17-0 halftime deficit was known as Haw 84 Z delay. . . .

“We used it two or three times a game, but I think it had worked for a touchdown only once before,” Fertig said. “We put Mike Garrett in motion to Sherman’s side and Notre Dame tried to cover Rod man-to-man, but he got open.” . . .

Afterward, Fertig answered endless questions from reporters. Then he walked to the Notre Dame locker room to pay his respects to John Huarte, the Irish quarterback who won the Heisman Trophy that year. . . .

“We were good friends and still are,” Fertig said. “We used to throw balls to each other during the summer in Orange County. He was the only player still in his uniform. He looked so forlorn. We talked for a while and then the conversation continued in the shower room. Yeah, I actually showered in the Notre Dame locker room.” . . .

The Irish had planned a victory party at the home of actor Scott Brady, but, instead, it was the Trojans who celebrated at Heckle Lynn’s restaurant. . . .

They thought they were going to the Rose Bowl. . . .

The vote that night would be merely a formality even though USC and Oregon State had identical 7-3 records overall and 3-1 in the conference. . . .

But they turned on the TV set in the restaurant and heard the announcer say, “What a travesty.” Oregon State had gotten the nod to represent what was then known as the AAWU against Michigan on New Year’s Day. . . .

“The conference was split into divisions then,” Fertig said. “It wasn’t until I was head coach at Oregon State years later that I found out that a 10-7 win over Idaho was critical for the Beavers.” . . .

Oregon State lost to Michigan, 34-7, and USC sat home because AAWU schools weren’t allowed to participate in other bowl games. . . .

It turned out that Haw 84 Z delay was the last big play of Fertig’s career. . . .

On his way up the Coliseum tunnel after the game, he was told by a Pittsburgh scout named Fido Murphy that the Steelers had drafted him on a low round. . . .

But on Monday morning, Fertig accepted an offer to become an assistant coach on the USC staff. He wouldn’t have to worry about what to do for an encore. . . .

*

That’s some clinic that Greg Maddux and Orel Hershiser, two of the smartest pitchers ever, figure to put on Saturday at Atlanta. . . .

Thumbs down on those criticizing Lou Piniella for leaving Randy Johnson in too long in Game 6 of the Seattle-Cleveland series. I still haven’t seen a batter I thought Johnson couldn’t strike out. . . .

Bobby Valentine discovered that Chiba Lotte Marine management has a lot less patience than Texas Ranger management. . . .

Without Steve Young, the San Francisco 49ers will face the Rams at St. Louis and then New Orleans and Carolina at Candlestick Park. . . .

I don’t know whether to applaud the NHL for suspending Tie Domi for eight games or Domi for flattening cheap-shot artist Ulf Samuelsson. . . .

Chris Berman’s favorite hockey player has to be Zdeno (Close But No) Ciger of the Edmonton Oilers. . . .

There is no truth to the rumor that the Baseball Network will split its coverage between the World Series and the Japanese World Series.