Tradition Is On Their Side

The biggest obstacle Oregon State may face in the New Year’s Day Fiesta Bowl is the same obstacle most teams face when playing Notre Dame. It’s a cliche, but it is always there: tradition.

When the Irish take on the higher-ranked, favored-by-three-points Beavers in Tempe, Ariz., they will be playing in their 33rd bowl game, and their 27th on New Year’s Day (or later). The Beavers will be playing in their sixth bowl game, and their fourth on New Year’s Day.

In the ‘90s alone, Notre Dame played in eight New Year’s Day (or later) bowl games. That included three Orange Bowls, two Cottons, one Sugar, one Fiesta and one Gator.

Senior receiver Joey Getherall from Bishop Amat High in La Puente, a speed demon likely to be a major factor against Oregon State, talked about how, even if you come from Southern California and most of your family, including your father, has gone to USC, you still get hooked on it.

“It really is hitting me this last year,” Getherall said recently. “Walking past the Grotto, walking to classes on the quad, going to Plymouth with the team the night before home games. I wouldn’t trade this for anything.”

Getherall told a story that indicated it even rubs off on opponents in interesting ways.

“One of the places I wanted to go out of high school was Wisconsin,” Getherall said. “But when I talked to the coach, Barry Alvarez, and he found out I was also interested in Notre Dame, he told me, if I had any chance at all of playing there, to give it my best shot, because it was just a special place.”

Alvarez was once an assistant coach at Notre Dame.