In light of the recent passing of former Notre Dame running back Eric Penick, I wanted to share a look back at one of the games where his impact helped set the tone for a Fighting Irish victory. While Penick is most often remembered for his electrifying 85-yard touchdown run against USC in 1973 (you can read my story on the 1973 ND/USC game here), his steady and determined play throughout that season was critical to Notre Dame’s undefeated march to the national championship.
One such example came against Navy on November 3, 1973, when Penick’s early touchdown helped ignite a 44–7 rout.