Notre Dame Awaits First-Time Visitor New Mexico
Installed as an early 37-point underdog at Notre Dame by OddSharks, New Mexico will be the first of three consecutive Irish opponents visiting Notre Dame Stadium for the first time over a four-week span.
Following the Lobos’ debut at the edifice Sept. 14 and Notre Dame’s showdown at Georgia Sept. 21, Virginia (Sept. 28) and Bowling Green (Oct. 5) likewise will be making their initial trips to play at Notre Dame.
Over the last 10 years, the Irish have not fared well in such first-time meetings. It started in 2009 with a 33‑30 double-overtime loss to Connecticut in head coach Charlie Weis’ final game at home.
It continued with stunning defeats to Tulsa in 2010 (28-27), South Florida in the 2011 season opener (23-20), Louisville in 2014 (31-28), Virginia Tech in 2016 (34-31) and Georgia in 2017 (20-19).
Last year, first-time visitor and heavy underdog Ball State — which was an early 35.5-point underdog by OddSharks before the line moved down to 34 — also provided much more resistance in game two than expected before losing 24-16. Some of it was attributed to Notre Dame having the letdown hangover following its season-opening 24-17 win over Michigan by nearly the identical score (24-16).
This year the Fighting Irish did not play the weekend prior to the meeting with New Mexico (the Lobos did not either) after opening with a 35-17 victory at Louisville on Labor Day night.
The top storyline for the New Mexico game was supposed to be eighth-year head coach Bob Davie returning to Notre Dame Stadium after having been the head coach of the Irish (1997-2001) for five years, and the defensive coordinator the three years prior (1994-96).
However, a major health scare for Davie, who will turn 65 on Sept. 30, in this year’s season-opening 39-31 win over Sam Houston State will preclude him from making the trip while concentrating first on his health.
Maybe it is just coincidence with a tad of irony, but Davie’s road to the Notre Dame head coaching position also somewhat began with a health issue — mainly Lou Holtz’s neck surgery in September 1995 that forced him to stay home for the Vanderbilt game that season while Davie served as the acting head coach during the 41-0 victory.
Davie released the following statement last week: “While I will be around for next week and involved, I have decided not to make the trip to South Bend. After receiving advice from my doctors and wife, I wanted to make this decision now so our team and coaching staff could go into the weekend with clarity and consistency.
“My doctors have said that with no setbacks I can expect a full recovery with no limitations.”
Named the acting head coach in charge of game management was Saga Tuitele, the Lobos’ run game coordinator.
After not coaching for 10 years from 2002-11, Davie took on the challenge of reviving perhaps the worst Football Bowl Subdivision program in the country in 2012 after New Mexico had posted three consecutive 1-11 campaigns from 2009-11 under Mike Locksley, now the head coach at Maryland.
By Davie’s fourth season in 2015 the Lobos finished 7-6 for their first winning season in eight years, and he peaked in 2016 with a 9-4 ledger and the school’s first bowl victory since 1961. Interestingly, Davie’s best season in 2016 occurred when Notre Dame finished 4-8 and questions about Fighting Irish head coach Brian Kelly’s future were prevalent.
In the next two seasons, Kelly and Co., would turn their fortunes around with a 22-4 mark and a 2018 College Football Playoff berth — while Davie and the Lobos fell back to consecutive 3-9 seasons that now leave their future murky, even more so with the health setback.
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