Notre Dame Week is Special for Tulsa

The game against the Fighting Irish is more than just another Saturday. When the Golden Hurricane visits South Bend this weekend, it will be something to remember forever.

Thursday, May 26th 2011, 12:00 pm

By: News On 6

Originally Published: Oct 25, 2010 5:24 PM CDT

Bobby Lewis
Oklahoma Sports Reporter

TULSA, Oklahoma – The Golden Hurricane nearly had a shot at playing Notre Dame once before. After cruising to a 10-0 record in 1916, Tulsa, then called Kendall College, claimed itself the unofficial ‘state champions’ with wins over Oklahoma and Oklahoma State (which was actually called Oklahoma A&M at the time).

Many of the players had traded in their football cleats for basketball sneakers, but a few local businessmen had plans for an 11th game. They wanted to battle the Irish.

Through the grapevine, the schools inquired about the game. Kendall wanted to play it. Notre Dame did too, but seemed hesitant. A win over a smaller school was not big deal for the Irish. It would have been huge for Kendall.

In the end, the game never happened. Notre Dame pulled out because the guaranteed money they requested to play the game in Oklahoma wasn’t possible on Kendall’s budget.

Many speculated it was because the Irish were afraid of what a loss to ‘tiny’ Kendall would look like on the mighty Notre Dame resume. Kendall had outscored its opponents 566-40 in ten games that season.

This weekend, the two teams will finally meet. Tulsa travels to South Bend to take on the Irish in a battle that quarterback G.J. Kinne called “the biggest in school history”. Both teams have underachieved in 2010. Both need this win.

“This game is special,” said head coach Todd Graham. “I’m not going to sit up here and tell you it’s just another game. It’s a really, really special game for our kids. This is a game where, if our guys can figure out a way to come out on top, it’s a game they’ll be talking about 50 years from now.”

The Golden Hurricane will get a chance to make a big national statement as well. Players and coaches used the phrase ‘marquee win’ to describe what a victory over the Irish would be to the program. The opportunity to beat a team with that kind of tradition doesn’t come around too often.

“It will be probably the most memorable win we’ve had here at TU during my era,” said senior defensive back Charles Davis. “Last year we had a lot of TV games. This year, not as many, and this is just one opportunity to overshadow those games last year where we came up short.”

The two teams are pretty similar. Both have outstanding offenses and defenses that are improving. Both have lost close road games that they could have won.

Kickoff is set for 1:30 from Notre Dame Stadium. The game can be seen on NBC.