OT. 79 Houston v ND Cotton Bowl

[SMU89]

On ESPN Classic.

Steve O. (edit. Think Steve graduated in 78)

Montana.

[MrMustang1965]

Joe Montana was not battling the flu/cold during that game. He was hungover. They were trying to sober him up.

[Stallion]

I used to be a bar tender at the Waterhole which was right next to Jennie Bear's on Greenville. I had gone to St. Marks along with another bartender with Tommy Ebner who played for UH. There was a bunch of UH starters getting loaded every Nite before that game at the Waterhole. Plus if you remember that UH punter I think his name was Jay something had a key punt blocked which really turned around the game. Probably because his hands were shaking from alcohol intake. UH was leading 34-12 before the blocked punt. Ha watching the repay I forgot the punter-it was Jay Wyatt- got a second punt blocked and on the 3rd he bounced one for about 25 yards. Then on the 4th Punting situation in the 4th Q they decided to go for it on 4th and 1 from their OWN 30 with only 30 seconds left. They didn't make it. That was a brutal game with not only temperatures in the Teens but also gusting winds. I forgot how much I hated Lindsay Nelson and Paul Hornung.

[MrMustang1965]

I knew the late David Huffman (ND center) thru mutual friends from Thomas Jefferson High (Dallas) where he had played before being recruited by the Fightin' Irish. The team was lodging at the Marriott Hotel on Stemmons Freeway. David called us up and told us to come over and 'party' with them in their room. We drove over to the hotel and knocked on their door. David opened it and there was Joe Montana sitting up in the king-size bed with a naked brunette and a naked blonde under each arm, smoking a cigar and drinking. The bathroom lavatory and bathtub were both filled with ice and loaded down with beer and there were hard liquor bottles on the bathroom counter. I asked Montana if he was thinking about what they were playing for the next day and his c0cky, inebriated response was, "No problem. We're gonna kill 'em!" The next day - when my buddies and I were watching the game on TV - and we heard that they were 'pouring chicken soup' down Montana to help him overcome a cold/flu attack, we all busted out laughing. We knew the REAL story. And now...so do you!

Thank you, Stallion, for also confirming further reports that I had heard about Cougars who were in the same condition.

[ponyboy]

We were so cold that we left that game early only to find out we lost power at home from the ice. Listened to Montana's miracle comeback on a battery powered transistor radio.

[SMU89]

I was supposed to go to the game but watched at home instead with the flu

My family went, stayed until the end, and froze

Love the old graphics - especially the one about the NFC Championship game between Cowboys and The Raiders.

[ponyscott]

Wow guys that is great football lore..I was at that 79' game and always thought that JM was really sick and that he brought the boys back from the deathbead....I still hate ND anyway. I think I was at Randy Tar or Madisons the night before the game getting in the same mode as Montana...it was a cold a%^ day for a bowl game.

[OR-See-Nee]

Great insight to the "official" story from ND.