The touchdowns by George Gipp | |
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In 1919 Rockne put Gipp in the starting line-up in the opening game against Kalamazoo. They weren´t considered one of the better sides so Rockne didn´t want to roll up a big score and told the officials before the game to call penalties very strictly against Notre Dame.
Early in the first quarter, Gipp blazed seventy-five yards for a touchdown, but an official detected an Irish lineman offside and called back the TD. Three minutes later, Gipp raced sixty-eight yards for another apparent score but an official detected Notre Dame holding and nullified the touchdown.
Gipp by then was seething inwardly but Rockne said nothing to him during half-time. Early in the third quarter, Gipp fielded a towering punt and cut left, then back up the middle seventy yards for a touchdown. Holding on the line of scrimmage, said an official. No score.
As Gipp walked past the referee, he said plaintively: "Listen - from now on, give me one whistle to stop and two to keep going".
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