After a little bit of time off, the Watch ND team brought us another awesome top 10 video of Notre Dame football plays. This time, it’s the top 10 blocked kicks in Fighting Irish history. Number 1 shouldn’t have been a surprise to anyone, but the rest of the list was a lot of fun to relive.
10. Shaun Crawford’s blocked PAT to tie 2016 Texas game
9. Blocked punted sets up TD in an upset win over Michigan in 2004
8. Isaiah Foskey’s blocked punt turns momentum in 2019 win at Stanford
7. Reggie blocks punt and recovers in the endzone for a TD versus Pitt in 1991.
6. Robert Blanton channels Brooks and does the same in an upset win over Utah in 2010
5. Blocked punt in rout of USC in 1977
4. Everyone breaks USC’s “blocking” in 2015 to block punt with Amir Carlisle converting to a touchdown
3. Glen Earl saves 2000 season with blocked PAT to force overtime
2. Blocked punt starts rally against Houston in 1977 Cotton Bowl
1. Bob Crable jumps off someone’s back to block Michigan’s winning FG attempt
No one should have been surprised by the number one play on the list. Bob Crable’s play directly led to an NCAA rule change preventing someone from jumping off of someone else’s back to block a kick. When your block beats Michigan and forces an NCAA rule change, it’s an all-time great.
Outside of Crable’s heroics, there were some plays in this list that brought back a ton of memories. I still vividly remember watching Earl block that PAT and force OT after it sure as hell looked like Bob Davie was going to blow another one in 2000. Had Earl not blocked that kicked, Notre Dame doesn’t go to the Fiesta Bowl and get blown out by Oregon State that year.
Robert Blanton’s block in 2010 might have saved Brian Kelly’s first year at Notre Dame. Until that point, it looked like the Irish would miss a bowl game altogether in Kelly’s first year at Notre Dame. The Irish ended up blowing out Utah that day, and the Blanton blocked helped swing the game.
Reggie Brooks sporting #41, instead of the #40 most remember him wearing during his senior year, was a fun play to watch. Everyone remembers Brooks’ heroics against Michigan in 1992 with his tackling breaking madness, but most forget this play.
I was in the stands for Crawford’s blocked PAT and can confirm it was one of those instances where I went from devastatingly low to near euphoric in moments. Of course, I went back to devastated pretty quick since Brian Vangorder was an incompetent buffoon who couldn’t contain a mediocre Texas offense that night. Still, that Crawford block was pretty awesome.
Frank Vitovitch has been Co-Owner and Editor in Chief of UHND.com since joining forces with Kyle Flavin in 1999. Since that time, he has written over 2,000 articles covering Notre Dame football, recruiting, and basketball. He also works with all staff and external writers on all articles published on UHND.com. Frank's love for Notre Dame football started at a young age watching Rocket Ismail give opposing coaches ulcers in the late 1980's. By day Frank works in marketing and holds a degree in Digital Media from Drexel University. Frank's work has been cited by online/print editions of NBC Sports, ESPN, and Sports Illustrated and has been quoted on air by ESPN's Collin Cowherd. He's conducted interviews with Notre Dame legends Rocket Ismail, Randy Kinder, Lee Becton, Reggie Brooks, Michael Stonebreaker, and Ned Bolcar among others over his 20+ years of covering Notre Dame football. He's also been published in the print edition of USA Today Sports Weekly and the USA Today College Football Preview multiple times. Other Published Works/Citations for Frank Three Reasons Notre Dame Will Beat Alabama - USA Today Notre Dame Suspends WR Kevin Stepherson, RB C.J. Holmes Indefinitely - Bleacher Report Notre Dame / Ohio State Fiesta Bowl Preview - Eleven Warriors Brace Yourself: The Fighting Irish are Relevant Again - Sports on Earth Interviews with the Enemy: A Q&A with Frank Vitovitch of UHND - Yahoo! Sports Five Good Minutes: Notre Dame Football Preview With UHND.com - BC Interruption Vicious Electronic Questioning with UHND - MGO Blog
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Although it was a game we lost, during the 1975 game against USC ND blocked a punt and returned it for a TD. A penalty was called against ND (offside, I think). USC still had to punt; it was blocked again and returned for a TD. I don;t recall ever seeing anything like that in a game since.