Notre Dame and Northwestern used to play regularly, although not always annually. The teams met four times during Parseghian's time at Northwestern with the Wildcats taking each of those contests. When the time came for Notre Dame to hire a new coach following the disastrous 2-7 season of 1963,

In that blowout, the Irish lost two starting offensive linemen in center Ashton Craig and right guard Billy Schrauth. They are replaced by veterans with starting experience, Pat Coogan at center and Rocco Spindler at right guard, but Coogan has never started at center, and that is thus a new fulcrum next to Spindler.