Huntington Quarterly Autumn 2022

[ ed i t o r ] Marshall’s Greatest Win

Jack Houvouras

S ept. 10, 2022. It was simply a perfect day in South Bend, Indiana. The sun was shining, the football stadiumwas sold out andmy fiancéeTracy and I had seats on the 50-yard line. Marshall vs. Notre Dame. As I sat there waiting for the kickoff, I found myself feeling a bit conflicted. That’s because I grew up rooting for two football teams — Marshall and Notre Dame. Actually, I was a Fighting Irish fan before I started cheering for the ThunderingHerd due tomy parents longtime friendship withTom and Eleanor Conaty who lived in the beautiful Tudor home overlooking Ritter Park. Dr. Conaty and his six children all graduated from Notre Dame and St. Mary’s College in South Bend, so they were rabid fans of all things Irish. Along with the Conaty clan, I attended my first Notre Dame game when I was 8 years old. I still remember it like it was yesterday because Notre Dame crushed Northwestern 44-0. They would go on to record an undefeated season, upset Alabama 24-23 in the Sugar Bowl and win their ninth national championship. After an introduction like that, I was hooked; and I have rooted for the Irish ever since. Meanwhile back in Huntington I was attending my first Marshall games at the old Fairfield Stadium, which didn’t quite measure up to the lure of Notre Dame. The two programs couldn’t have been more diametrically opposed. Even as a young boy I recall thinking that these two teams would never meet on the field. But then something remarkable happened. Marshall University built a new football stadium in 1991 and hired two brilliant coaches in Jim Donnan and Bob Pruett, and star athletes started finding their way to Huntington. The Thundering Herd would go on the win two Division I-AA national championships, move up to the big leagues and post a long string of winning seasons. Sports fans around the nation started to take

notice of Marshall especially when they beat such teams as Clemson, South Carolina, Louisville, BYU and Maryland. And there was the 2003 upset win over No. 6-ranked Kansas State on their home field. Still, I never imagined that Notre Dame would ever invite Marshall to South Bend. When I first heard the news that the two teams would meet, I was both shocked and elated. I immediately circled that date on my calendar and began counting down the days. Back on the 50-yard line in South Bend, the game was underway and my emotional conflict quickly resolved itself. I was a Marshall alum who loved Herd football, and this was the one game in the history of the pro gram that I wanted to see us win. While everyone else was predicting that Marshall would get routed by No. 8-ranked Notre Dame, I had a feeling. I told friends before the game that Marshall could win. “Remember Kansas State,” I said knowingly. They all just shook their heads at me and smiled. Then it happened. Marshall outplayed one of the premier programs in the history of college football and won the game. As Notre Dame fans filed out of the stadium, I just sat there silently in the stands with my head in my hands. After everything the football pro gram has been through — from the dark days of 1970 to today — this, to me, was the greatest victory in the history of Marshall University sports. When I finally looked up, I saw several Thundering Herd players in the endzone hugging while others were lying on the ground taking in the historic victory. That moment really got to me, and tears ran down my face. I reluctantly left the stands and for the rest of the evening was imbued with the most tremendous sense of joy and pride I have known in years. It was the most surreal feeling, as if I was in the midst of a long dream. But I wasn’t, and that day will long be remembered as one of the greatest in my life.

A U T U M N 2 0 2 2

7

H U N T I N G T O N Q U A R T E R L Y