October 20, 2007, Notre Dame trails the USC Trojans 31-0 with 11:09 left in a game all Irish fans wanted to nothing more than to end. It’s first and ten on USC’s 49-yard line after USC accepted a face mask penalty on a 1-yard run.
USC lines up in the I-formation and sends the tight end in motion. Mark Sanchez snaps the ball and hands number four, Joe McKnight, the ball behind the full-back. McKnight takes off outside the tackle. No stopping him. For the first time in my life, I hated Joe McKnight.
I still remember the words I said when I watched him sprint into the end zone and the commentators talk of how Pete Carroll knew he was going to be special.