Familiar Foe for Erickson

There is a juicy history to games involving Notre Dame and Dennis Erickson-coached teams. In 1989 and ‘90, when the current Oregon State coach was at Miami, his teams played two games against the Irish that were dubbed by the press “Catholics versus Convicts.” In ‘89, Miami upset then-No. 1 Notre Dame, 27-10, ending its 23-game winning streak. Then in 1990, the No. 6 Irish upset the No. 2 Hurricanes, 29-20.

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Erickson and Irish Coach Bob Davie were rewarded for successful seasons with new contracts. Davie, who reportedly was in trouble at the beginning of the season, guided the Irish to a 9-2 season and the $13.5-million Fiesta Bowl. His reward was a contract taking him through the 2005 season.

Erickson, whose team went 10-1, got an even bigger reward, at least in terms of longevity. With the apparent help of some courtship by USC and Athletic Director Mike Garrett, Erickson was extended for seven years. Because Oregon State is a public school, terms were announced that gave Erickson $625,000 next year and incentives that could make it as much as $800,000. He also has incentives on a sliding scale that could make the entire package worth as much as $7 million.

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Oregon State’s injury situation is much better than Notre Dame’s. The Beavers lost backup quarterback Shane House before the season began, and he used the 2000 season to redshirt. Oregon State had all players healthy for its final game against Oregon, and all came out of the Civil War game fine. In the Sept. 21 game against Nebraska, Notre Dame lost two key players for the season, defensive end Grant Irons and then-starting-quarterback Arnaz Battle. In the Nov. 19 game against Rutgers, tight end Jabari Holloway and cornerback Shane Walton each suffered injuries serious enough to make them questionable for the Fiesta Bowl.