A couple of exceptions were Dean Smith and Bill Guthridge.

Those patriarchs of Carolina basketball knew a good deal about Montana, who was an early 1970s basketball recruiting target as a prep standout in Pennsylvania.

A guard with decent outside shooting range, Montana was liked enough for N.C. State, Maryland and Virginia to pursue him.

After leading the Irish to the dramatic 21-14 comeback win in Kenan Stadium that marked the beginning of the "Joe Cool" legend, Montana talked with the media about his prep visions of playing for Smith in the light blue.

Guthridge recalled that while Montana was on the Carolina recruiting radar, an official scholarship offer wasn't extended. With George Karl, Walter Davis, Phil Ford, Brad Hoffman, Tony Shaver, Ray Harrison and Darrell Elston on campus during that general period, the Heels weren't exactly hurting for backcourt supplies.

Carolina made the correct decision on Montana, and he made the correct decision on football. The sports world would have been a worse place with Montana sitting on Carolina's basketball bench and later sitting out Super Bowl games.

None of which made much difference that afternoon in Kenan Stadium, when Montana entered the game late and engineered a win that then-Notre Dame coach Dan Devine described as the "best" of his career.

Lots of Irish fans didn't much care for that comment. "Best" football wins at Notre Dame don't come against Carolina, much less against a Carolina team that would finish the season 3-7-1. "Best" Notre Dame wins are against Purdue or Southern California or Michigan.

A little-remembered fact about the '75 game is that Montana had to share the winning spotlight with running back Al Hunter, who also came close to playing in Chapel Hill.

As one of the nation's most heavily recruited football players out of Greenville Rose High, Hunter's final three choices were East Carolina, North Carolina and Notre Dame.

His kickoff return for a touchdown against Alabama in the Sugar Bowl after the 1973 season keyed a 24-23 win that secured the national title for a team coached by Ara Parseghian.

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