Outlined against a blue-gray October sky, the City of Troy fell again last Saturday. In dramatic lore, Troy was sacked by Greek soldiers hidden inside a large statue of a horse — perhaps the most unwelcome gift in history.
On Saturday, as low hanging clouds portended an epic struggle on the gridiron, the present day Gaelic warriors of Notre Dame delivered a stunning defeat to the new men of Troy. While the ancient battle may have been more sanguineous, Saturday’s defeat of the Trojans at the hands of the Fighting Irish was no less devastating. The Trojans were obliterated by a tandem of Irish backs — Wimbush and Adams — whose remarkable efficiency of effort harkened back to the legends of George Gipp and the Four Horsemen. The lads on the offensive and defensive lines resembled the famous Seven Blocks of Granite chiseled by coach Jim Crowley, one of the Four Horsemen and an ardent disciple of Rockne. On this day, the Irish awakened the echoes with a vengeance and the ultimate victory — 49 to 14 — was not only a foregone conclusion by the mid-point in the second quarter but also carried with it a strong sense of deja vu of the Green Jersey game from two score ago. In a conclusion evocative of the legendary fall of Troy, Notre Dame exorcized two decades of frustration by overwhelming the unsuspecting men of Troy. Both Rockne and Homer would have been impressed.Michael G. Gotsch, Sr. class of 1979 assistant adjunct professor of law Oct. 26
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
