RUDY! RUDY! RUDY! was offside

On this day in 1975, Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger etched his name in to the rich history of Notre Dame football. The walk-on from Joliet, Illinois took down the Georgia Tech QB in what would become one of the most recognized plays in Notre Dame football history. Through all of the celebration and remembrance of that specific play, one question remains: Was Rudy offside?

Play Breakdown

Georgia Tech is starting in a simple wishbone formation. The QB takes the snap and progresses into his three-step drop. Both RB’s swing to the outside, and the fullback steps down to block. The left tackle keeps the defensive end on the outside, but the end sneaks by and makes the quarterback step up in the pocket a little bit. The Fighting Irish dropped back into coverage and the Yellow Jackets had no options. One thing I noticed is the corner on Notre Dame’s right side did a great job of staying with the receiver, then dropping him off when the back came on the wheel. The fullback that stepped down to block made no attempt to touch anyone on this entire play. As the QB looked left for his target, he felt some pressure from the right side, and decided to scramble out of the pocket. As soon as he did…. BOOM! He felt the 5’6″ walk-on Rudy Ruettiger lay the hammer down as he rushed by the clueless blocker.

Was Rudy Offside?

The Legend of Rudy Ruettiger was created from this play (1:26), but should it have ever happened? Many have argued that Rudy was lined up offside before the play even began. Let’s take a look: If you go back and watch the video, you can see the center’s arms extended to where the ball is lined up on the 19 1/2 or maybe even the 20 yard line. All of Notre Dame’s defensive lineman are standing a little bit more upright, but Rudy is leaned all the way down in his three-point stance. Ruettiger’s head and left arm both seem to be well over the 20 yard line and line of scrimmage. So this answers the age old question of “Was Rudy offside?” The answer: Yes, Rudy was offside.

All in all, this really did not matter. The Fighting Irish were up 24-3 in the closing minutes against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. The only thing that mattered was a legend was born when the 5’6″ walk-on from Joliet, Illinois, Rudy Ruettiger, got the sack and went down as one of the most storied football players in Notre Dame history.