At the advice of his players, Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman wore a green jacket to his press conference on Monday.
It's the theme of the week for the Irish. No. 6 Ohio State visits No. 9 Notre Dame at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, and Freeman is hoping the Buckeyes see green, quite literally. The Irish will wear green jerseys and green pants as part of a tradition that dates back to Knute Rockne.
"We want to see a lot of green in here," Freeman said. "That's the cool thing about Saturday. We've got green jerseys. I don't know if we're calling it a 'Green Out', but we want to see a lot of green here. I think our players notice that and appreciate that, especially in pregame. We want to make sure there are as many Notre Dame fans here as we can."
What's the big deal? A look at the green jersey tradition at Notre Dame and whether it works against ranked opponents.
Will the "Green Jersey" game work for Notre Dame?
BENDER: A win over Ohio State would be Notre Dame's biggest since 1993
When did Notre Dame start wearing green jerseys?
Legendary coach Knute Rockne – who had a 105-12-5 record at Notre Dame from 1918-31, used the green jerseys in the 1920s. The first known green jersey game was against Iowa on Oct. 8, 1921. The Irish lost 10-7. Rockne, however, would use the green jerseys again on Oct. 15, 1927. According to Fighting Irish.com: "The green jerseys were used for both player distinction and also for the first time as a motivational tactic. Rockne started his second-stringers in that game, and only five minutes in, Notre Dame already trailed Navy, 6-0. Down but not out, Rockne had his powerful starting lineup make a grand and green entrance onto the field."
Notre Dame won 19-6. The Irish also wore green jerseys periodically under coach Frank Leahy, but it wasn't until 1977 that the mystique took on a whole new meaning.
The legendary 1977 'Green Jersey' game
The most-famous "Green Jersey" game was on Oct. 27, 1977. Dan Devine pre-ordered the green jerseys before the matchup with No. 5 USC, and showed the captains the jerseys the Tuesday before the game. Notre Dame warmed up in their traditional blue uniforms before emerging from the tunnel with a "Trojan Horse" in their green jerseys.
The ploy worked. Joe Montana passed for two TDs and ran for two more, and the Irish won 49-19. Notre Dame wore the green jerseys 42 times with Devine and finished 32-9-1 in those games.
Notre Dame history in 'Green Jersey' games
(Getty Images)
On3.com's Tyler Horka showed the history of Notre Dame in "green jersey" games since 1983 before the Irish's game against Cal. The Irish won that game 24-17 to improve to 10-6 with five straight victories in those games.
Notre Dame has played five ranked opponents in green jerseys since 1983 and is 1-4 in those games. A look at those results:
1991: No. 18 Notre Dame 39, No. 3 Florida 28
This game is known for Notre Dame wearing white jerseys with green numbers, but it's legendary for Lou Holtz's quip to his team ahead of a matchup with the Gators. Three-loss Notre Dame beat Florida. So, what did Holtz tell his team a waiter said to him before the game? "What's the difference between Cheerios and Notre Dame?" Holtz said. "Cheerios belong in a bowl."
1994: No. 4 Colorado 41, Notre Dame 24
The Irish could not slow down the tandem of Kordell Stewart and 1994 Heisman Trophy winner Rashaan Salaam – who combined for 226 rushing yards and four TDs in the 1995 Fiesta Bowl.
1998: No. 12 Georgia Tech 35, No. 17 Notre Dame 28
Bob Davie tried the green jerseys this time against Georgia Tech and coach George O'Leary in the 1999 Gator Bowl. The Yellow Jackets won a back-and-forth game on a fourth-quarter TD pass from Joe Hamilton to Dez White.
2005: No. 1 USC 34, No. 9 Notre Dame 31
This is the legendary "Bush Push" game. Tom Zbikowski's punt return for a TD gave the Irish a 21-14 lead in the first half, and Notre Dame led 31-28 in the final minutes. Matt Leinart, however, led a game-winning TD drive with the help of a push from Reggie Bush with three seconds left for the victory.
2007: No. 13 USC 38, Notre Dame 0
Charlie Weis tried the green jerseys again, but it did not work against USC. Mark Sanchez threw four TDs, and the Trojans cruised to their largest margin of victory in the rivalry, which still stands today.
MORE: Week 4 slate is loaded with elite matchups
Notre Dame vs. Ohio State: 'Show me the green jerseys!'
Notre Dame unveiled the green jerseys for this year's Ohio State game with a parody from the "Jerry McGuire" on July 21, 2023. Freeman played along, and running back Audric Estime and quarterback Sam Hartman in the skit.
You had me at hello.#IrishWearGreen | #GoIrish☘️ pic.twitter.com/2qyCus58bH
— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) July 31, 2023Will it work for the Irish? We'll find out how money those jerseys are against the Buckeyes.
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