Countdown to kickoff: Notre Dame vs. Ohio State only 14 days away
To preview one of the most anticipated games for Notre Dame this century and the official start of the Marcus Freeman era, BlueandGold.com is counting down the days to the matchup against Ohio State on Sept. 3.
This daily series of 99 stories celebrates by the numbers some of the most notable names, dates, moments and memories related to the past and present of Notre Dame football.
Today, with 14 days remaining until kickoff, we look at the Notre Dame career of Gary Godsey, who wore the number from 1999-2002.
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Notre Dame started the 2000 season unranked before beating a ranked Texas A&M team and falling just short of upsetting No. 1 Nebraska in overtime. But after those two contests, head coach Bob Davie didn’t have a quarterback.
Arnaz Battle, who started the first two games for the Irish that season, broke his wrist against the Cornhuskers. Thanks to recruiting blunders and additional injuries, Davie had to go outside of the quarterback room to find a starter for the rest of the year, one which was clearly salvageable given Notre Dame’s early success. Davie was also on the hot seat.
Enter a 6-7 tight end. Hello, Godsey.
The sophomore’s first task? Attempt to take down in-state rival and 13th-ranked Purdue, who had future NFL Hall of Famer Drew Brees under center. Talk about being thrown into the fire.
Notre Dame jumped out to an early lead after blocking a punt and turning it into a rushing score courtesy of Godsey. Defensive back Shane Walton retuned an interception for a second touchdown. It was 14-0 in favor of the Irish.
The scoring nearly stopped there, as Godsey went 14-25 with 158 yards and an interception. It was not terrible for someone who had gotten the nod that week, but it was also not enough to stave off a surging Purdue offense. The Boilermakers charged back and made it 21-20 in their favor; Notre Dame had a pair of field goals by kicker Nick Setta to earn its six additional points.
Godsey took the field once again and attempted to get things going for the Irish offense with just over a minute to play. He completed three straight passes of at least nine yards, putting the Irish in field goal range. Setta took the field and made a 38-yard kick to top the Boilermakers 23-21 and forever solidify the legend of Godsey.
The clearly versatile Irish player finished the season with just a 46.3 competition percentage, 224 passing yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. Notre Dame went 9-3 that year, ending with an embarrassing 41-9 loss to Oregon State in the Fiesta Bowl.
Godsey played tight end for his final two seasons at Notre Dame, recording 18 catches for 205 yards. He never caught a touchdown pass, but his name certainly lives on.
