Today we travel back to the magical 2012 regular season and yes it will always sting to have to preface this sentence with a disclaimer due to the post-season outcome. Yet, 2012 was real, so real. Dare I say this was the golden age of Fighting Irish Media? I know I’m not the only one who gets great feelings from hearing that 125th football season anniversary intro to all of these 2012 videos.

All 12 of the 2016 highlight videos from @WatchND totaled 178,419 views from their YouTube pages. Today’s video is inching close to 160,000 views.

The Irish headed into this one 8-0 and riding an incredible high following the defeat of Oklahoma in Norman. To this day, perhaps the best win for Notre Dame football stretching back over 10 years. Returning back home against a boring 4-4 Pitt team we should’ve seen this coming. Let down sandwich commence!

 

 

0:12 A nice wide panning of the crowd. #fakeselloutagain

0:30 Immediately we remember that Tyler Eifert is never really covered.

0:47 If you recall, Louis Nix was banged up and the Irish tried to get away with resting him during this game. That didn’t last very long after Ray Graham ripped off a long run. Bless this ’12 defense so much but they just didn’t have enough depth. Kona Schwenke might struggle to get quality snaps during any of the VanGorder defenses.

1:10 Ah, to sack quarterbacks in big moments.

1:44 I covered this in the 2012 Running Back Success Rate article from a couple months ago. I think if this Riddick play isn’t reversed–or the Irish punch it in for a touchdown on the next couple plays–they go on to sail to an easy win in this game. It’d be a 10-3 lead early with a defense only giving up 9.8 points per game up to this point in the season.

2:10 Tommy Rees appears!!! Man, I forgot how quick of a hook Golson got in this game. Following that failed goal line drive Everett saw one more full drive before Rees took over. The future QB coach played in 4 series culminating in zero points and this interception. I think we can all agree Rees overachieved relative to his skill-set but the audacity to even attempt this throw boggles the mind. If it wasn’t picked off the ball would’ve bounced 5 yards in front of T.J. Jones.

2:55 I have no idea how this field goal wasn’t blocked by Bennett Jackson. Ah, but the college football gods were saving a special teams play for later.

3:40 I thought the game was over at this point. Golson had come back in and was playing well almost assuredly going to make Kelly look silly for benching him earlier. And then this terrible end zone pick. Eifert looked open for an easy touchdown, too.

3:48 We miss it terribly now but tackling from the corners was so much better when Diaco was here.

4:00 Now we’re starting to see PCG (Peak College Golson). At his best the most entertaining player of my lifetime along with Rocket and Tate.

4:25 The Golson jump back move is the best. Also, the band is moving up into the stands after the Crossroads renovation and I can say without hesitation that this is the best and safest choice for everyone involved.

4:50 We’ll always have Super Golson. Always.

5:11 There’s Elijah Shumate playing nickel before he’d never be able to play safety all that well.

5:28 I was still emotionally prepared for a loss and a blown field goal at this point.

5:43 Once Cierre Wood fumbled crossing the damn goal line to win the game I really thought this was over. This is one of the most underrated “what if” scenarios from the entire Kelly era.

6:10 Our wonderful Deal with It Jesus moment forever enshrined by ndmspaint. To this day it’s my favorite work.

7:15 After all this craziness the game ended on a relatively simple and short quarterback draw from Golson. If you look closely, the ball almost starts to become dislodged as Golson begins ramming his whole being behind the buttocks of Chris Watt. However, Golson quickly covers the ball with his free arm and the good guys win. Phew.

Share your memories of this game with us!