For USC fans, a reairing of the “Bush Push” game might be a much-needed elixir for the quarantine blues. For Notre Dame fans? Not so much.
On Oct. 15, 2005, ninth-ranked Notre Dame and top-ranked USC met for the 77th time, with this matchup for the Jeweled Shillelagh going down in South Bend. Trailing 31-28, Trojans quarterback Matt Leinart scored from one-yard out on the game’s final play from scrimmage.
It was how Leinart scored, though, that was the cause of controversy. And, in it, “The Bush Push” moniker was born.
Of course, a penalty should’ve been called on the “Bush Push” play. As the Los Angeles Times wrote at the time, "[I]n the NCAA football rules book, under the section titled “Blocking, Use of Hands or Arms’ and the subsection titled ‘Interfering for or Helping the Runner or Passer,’ Article 2.b. states: ‘The runner shall not grasp a teammate; and no other player of his team shall grasp, push, lift or charge into him to assist him in forward progress.’”
Bush should’ve been penalized. The game-winning touchdown should’ve been negated, with the Trojans being pushed back five yards and replaying the down with three seconds remaining. Of course, that never happened. And the rest, as they say, is history.
Tonight, on NBCSN
And, if you’d like to relive that history, tune in to NBCSN tonight at 10 p.m. ET as NBC will replay the 2005 USC-Notre Dame game. Prior to that, NBCSN will reair the 1993 Florida State-Notre Dame classic at 7 p.m. ET. That matchup featuring the No. 1 Seminoles versus the No. 2 Fighting Irish was one in a long line of “Games of the Century.” This one, though, lived up to that billing.
Additionally, the 1999 Oklahoma-Notre Dame game will be shown at 1 a.m. ET Thursday morning. That one featured the Fighting Irish’s comeback from a 16-point third-quarter deficit.
Those games can also be streamed by clicking HERE, for those so inclined.