[13] WVU scored late for the 34-21 final. 59,075 on their feet. Penn State was Senior Day, and the Nits put up the usual fight, being outgained 502-179, but being begrudging on the scoreboard.Rice scored in the first quarter, Mark Green in the seond, and a last second field goal by Penn State made the halftime score Notre Dame 14-Penn State 3. Conference: Ind. [16] Air Force quarterback Dee Dowis took his team inside the Irish 20 on the game's first offensive drive. For the first time, the Irish were facing an extremely athletic quarterback, Darnell Dickerson. [12] The Irish defense stymied the Cardinal, holding them to just 111 yards in the first half. The Trojans were listless, committing four turnovers, including a back-breaking Rodney Peete interception to Stan Smagala for another Notre Dame touchdown. Brown 8-yard pass from Walsh (Huerta kick), Pat Terrell 60-yard interception return (Ho kick), Conley 23-yard pass from Walsh (Huerta kick), C. Gary 15-yard pass from Walsh (Huerta kick), A. It was also the 24th time No. [13] The Panthers came out strong early, starting the game with an impressive drive, but before the Panthers could score, Irish cornerback Todd Lyght forced a fumble, which Chris Zorich recovered. [9] The star of the game was Notre Dame's defense, which held the Spartans to 89 yards rushing for the game. The following is a list of Notre Dame players that would go on to play or be drafted to play in the National Football League over the next four years. Lou like the way his team looked in the Spring. They stayed in the parties and the bars, and a surprising number looked up at the TV screen that night to see Kirk Gibsons marvelous home run against Rollie Fingers and the As Scully offered In a year that has been so improbable, the impossible has happened One quote, dual application. Signup for our newsletter to get notified about our next ride. The Irish scored early and often as Notre Dame dazzled their home crowd of 59,075 with a 54-11 victory. [13] But a late 12 men on the field penalty against the Panthers gave the Irish new life. The Irish had just one more game before Miami, a trip to Pittsburgh to play Mike Gottfrieds Panthers. The most comprehensive coverage of The Fighting Irish Football roster, schedule game summaries, scores, highlights on the web. The Irish, coached by Lou Holtz, ended the season with 12 wins and no losses, winning the national championship. The best GIFs are on GIPHY. Pitt never rolled over, but the Notre Dame defense tightened in the second half and held the Panthers to two field goals while touchdowns by Braxston Banks in the third quarter and steady Mark Green in the fourth quarter brought the Irish the 30-20 win. In the second half, running back Mark Green added the final touchdown of the day(aided by a key 22-yard gain on a 3rd down screen play by Anthony Johnson) to help defeat the Trojans. [1] The 1988 squad is best remembered for its 31-30 upset of No. Holtz was less than excited by enteringthe record book in this way. It was cooked up by the two defenders who had converted from offense Walsh dropped back, heavily harassed by Frank Stams got a little too much air under the ball and swooping in, with a receivers stride, hands and fluidity, Pat Terrell snatched the ball out of the air, and raced into the south eend zone from 60 yards out and a magnificent and delirious 21-7 lead. 108 ocean avenue, amityville, ny owners May 2, 2022. borders books locations January 21, 2022. In the fourth quarter after another Irish touchdown, Rice blocked the extra point, and Billy Stone took it into the Notre Dameend zone for 2 points, the first such defensive conversion for two in NCAA history. Or write about sports? Later in the third quarter, Jeff Alm dropped into a lane and intercepted a pass, and the Irish marched down close enough for a Reggie Ho field goal as the third quarter waned for a 31-21 lead. Associated Press (1988-09-18). [13] After an Anthony Johnson touchdown gave the Irish a 14-7 lead, Dickerson scored his second touchdown to tie the game again at 14-14. Notre Dame 9-WVU 0 at the quarter break. [22], The 1988 Irish squad won their 11th consensus national title in Lou Holtz's third year as an Irish head coach, equaling the trend of Irish coaches winning the title in their third year. [18] The Irish offense quickly followed with three touchdowns on their first three offensive possessions. Watters would also spend time as a wideout with Yalie Pat Eilers and Steve Alaniz. [16] Of main concern was Air Force's wishbone ground attack, which came into Notre Dame Stadium averaging 46 points and 432 rushing yards a game. Rodney Peete-meet Stan Smagala. [13] But a late 12 men on the field penalty against the Panthers gave the Irish new life. The 1988 squad, one of 11 national title squads for the Irish, is considered to be one of the best undefeated teams in the history of college football. hot topic assistant manager job description; Tags . [11] 3rd-string quarterback Steve Belles hit running back Tony Brooks for a 34-yard score to put the Irish up 42-0 at half-time. [11] Tony Rice's first passing touchdown on the year was an 8-yarder to freshman tight end Derek Brown. Eight members of Notre Dame's 1988 national championship football team including '88 tri-captain Mark Green and standout inside linebacker Wes Pritchett help comprise the list of 55 former Irish football players who will participate in Charity Bowl 2000. [21] In the second quarter, Notre Dame drove 60 yards in five plays to go ahead, 14-0. Holtz, five years later, would use this unexpected weapon ploy in a big game sending little-used Adrian Jarrell around right end on a thirty yard reverse against Florida State. On the very next play, Tony Rice optioned left for a 65-yard touchdown play. Irish 28-Canes 21. Midway through the third quarter, Johgnson let impatience and hubris get the best of him. [11] Purdue's lone touchdown was a fourth quarter 7-yard pass from Brian Fox to Calvin Williams. Final score: Notre Dame 19-Michigan 17. Our offensive line got beat up, we couldn't run inside. In the locker room, Holtz got sanctimonious and warned his players about fighting and threatened dismissal if anyone brawled.But, never one to let a crisis go to waste (cf. Lou would be ready and would ensure that his team would be. In the third quarter Rice tossed a 67 yarder to Ismail, and the final margin was 21-3. Coach: Lou Holtz (12-0) Touring the world with friends one mile and pub at a time; which yttd character are you uquiz. We present them here for purely educational purposes. [21] Five plays later, Notre Dame scored from Penn State's two. Lou was comfortable with his quarterback, Tony Rice. On September 13, 1986, Notre Dame lost to No. Cerrato was busy recruiting, and Lou had mentioned he could use some extra speed, so Vinnie, working east to west, stopped in Wilkes-Barre, more accustomed to producing those heavy of thigh rather than swift of foot, but he snagged a player by the name of Raghib Ismail, nicknamed Rocket.. [12], Notre Dame, a loser to Pittsburgh three years in a row, narrowly avoided another such upset as the Irish improved to 5-0 on the season. [17] "We couldn't throw consistently, we weren't mentally alert and that's my fault. [11] It was one of the worst losses by Purdue in the history of the series, and its worst loss since a 48-0 drubbing in 1970. Notre Dame 52-Purdue 7, embarassing both the Boilers and the besotted Illuminati. While it would start out 0-2, the two losses would be to Notre Dame and Miami,and the Wolverines would not lose again, including a season-ending Rose Bowl win over USC. 1988. Warming up on the field that day were Maurice Crum, a linebacker from Miami, and Andre Jones, an OLB for Notre Dame. [11] The Irish improved to 3-0 while the Boilermakers dropped to 1-2 on the year. [21] In the second quarter, Notre Dame drove 60 yards in five plays to go ahead, 14-0. Miami and Jimmy Johnson. [16] But Pat Terrell, the defensive hero of last week's victory over Miami, stepped into the spotlight again, this time with Stan Smagala. Pritchett earned second-team All-America honors in 88 while making 112 tackles. [11] The second half saw the Irish score ten points with back-ups, a 44-yard field goal by Billy Hackett and a 36-yard run from freshman fullback Rodney Culver. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. The Irish offense had now hit its stride and had Stanford by 28-7 at halftime before closing the deal at 42-14. Read more about our data coverage. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. [21] Penn State's only score came on the last play of the first half, when Eric Etze kicked a 52-yard field goal.[21]. [7] Lou Holtz's concerns about his youthful offense and green receivers were realized as the Irish offense did not score a single offensive touchdown. Alvarez thought not only that the move would not be problematic, but also that either or both might be playmakers. The Irish had struggled with Darnell Dickerson. 10. He and Lou had been assistants, at different times, under Woody Hayes. Rocket Ismail was the fastest human ever to play at Notre Dame, he was elusive, and he loved the game. We're not a very good team right now. Rice seemed to be improving as a passer. [16] The flanker took the ball inside the Air Force 10 and battled his way just over the goal line late in the third quarter. [12], Notre Dame, a loser to Pittsburgh three years in a row, narrowly avoided another such upset as the Irish improved to 5-0 on the season. With the game less than 5 minutes old, Holtz called a bread and butter play, the option to the left. The 1988 regular season would end in the Coliseum, where Rodney Peete was getting ready to lead the Trojans to glory. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. We belonged on the same field with the mighty Canes. They were the defending National Champions. [11] Tailback Mark Green added a 7-yard touchdown run and Ricky Watters returned a punt 66 yards for a score. More significantly, there was one play that made Irish fans say Its different this time. With Notre Dame sharp with a 14-0 lead at the end of the first quarter, the issue was yet in doubt. Derek Brown was a thoroughbred at Tight End. The former Irish players will travel to Hamburg, Germany, for a July 8 game against the Hamburg Blue Devils football club, at Volkspark Stadium. [13] The 15-yard penalty gave Notre Dame the ball on its 48-yard line, and 11 plays later Mark Green ran for an 8-yard touchdown with 4:30 left in the game to put victory out of reach for the Panthers. [1] They also won 10 of 12 games by double digits. But they sure belonged on the field with Notre Dame. Moment of truth. Johnson and Walsh turned up the jets and put up 14 points against a proud Notre Dame defense in just 2 minutes and 30 seconds. Starters are marked with an asterisk (*). [13], The October 15, 1988, game between Notre Dame and the University of Miami Hurricanes is colloquially referred to as the "Catholics vs. Convicts" game. [16] In the second quarter, The Irish continued to run the ball, with quarterback Tony Rice and running back Anthony Johnson both running for touchdowns. Staying home, the Irish entertained Stanford, coached by Jack Elway, more noted as a sire than as a football coach. Posted on . [11] It was one of the worst losses by Purdue in the history of the series, and its worst loss since a 48-0 drubbing in 1970. 2 in college football history. [16] Air Force answered before the end of the half with a touchdown to cut Notre Dame's lead to just seven points. The Irish ran it out after the onside kick was recovered by South Bend Adams Anthony Johnson. The Irish were National Champions of 1988. We should too! The Fighting Irish won the title by defeating the previously unbeaten and No. These were the ones you kept. It was the first big game on the campus since the 1980 Michigan game and would be for the pole position in the polls. . A let down was not in the cards. "[17] Favored to beat Navy by five touchdowns, the Irish dropped five passes, lost two fumbles, shanked a punt for a mere 10 yds., and got whistled for having twelve men on the field - all before winning the game 22-7. The preseason polls in 1988 reflected that sentiment, ranking ND #13. The Irish next traveled to East Lansing to meet the Spartans, and confront George Perles beloved stunt 4-3. [16] In the end, the Irish defense held the explosive Falcons to 54 yards rushing in the second half and 195 for the game, 237 yards below its season average. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. Later in the quarter the Irish marched to the USC goal line and Mark Green punched it in for the 14-0 lead. [7] In addition to Reggie Ho's game winner, the Irish kicker scored 3 other field goals. [9] Reggie Ho tied the game with 31-yarder in the second quarter and put the Irish ahead 6-3 at the half with a 22-yard field goal. Now, in 1988, they were. Rice optioned left, froze the Penn State linebacker Eddie Johnson with a pump-fake, then ran into the end zone. [9] Running back Mark Green led the Irish rushing attack with 125 yards on the ground. In the 80s the irish had made bowl heroes out of the previously undistinguished Buck Belue of Georgia and Bucky Richardson of the Aggies. 3 ranked West Virginia Mountaineers in the Sunkist Fiesta Bowl in . Won Fiesta Bowl 34-21 versus West Virginia. opposite swift Stan Smagala. [1] The 1988 squad is best remembered for its 3130 upset of No. The Irish just had to hang on in the second half. Tony Rice was now comfortable after 87s baptism by fire, and Braxston Banks and Anthony Johnson were now the junior stabilizing forces with Mark Green with the hotshot sophs Tony Brooks and Ricky Watters. [13] Notre Dame answered back with a 52-yard Tony Brooks run to the 2-yard line. Alvarez defense was no mystery to Dickerson and Gottrfried, and the Irish offense, complemented by the consistent Hos late field goal, gave Notre Dame a nervous 17-14 lead at halftime in rainy Pitt Stadium. [16] Of main concern was Air Force's wishbone ground attack, which came into Notre Dame Stadium averaging 46 points and 432 rushing yards a game. [23] The USC Trojans were having a great season under head coach Larry Smith and standout quarterback Rodney Peete. 1 Miami 31-30", "25 years of college football's memorable games", "COLLEGE FOOTBALL; Unbeaten Notre Dame Posts 7th Victory", "2006 USC Media Guide: USC Football History", "SPORTS OF THE TIMES; Lou Holtz of Notre Dame Raps the Gavel Again", "2007 Notre Dame Media Guide: 2007 Supplement (page 165)", "Paul "Bear" Bryant College Football Coaching Awards", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=1988_Notre_Dame_Fighting_Irish_football_team&oldid=1149805683, Stonebreaker 39 yard interception return (Ho kick), Brooks 34-yard pass from Belles (Ho kick), C. Williams 10-yard pass from Fox (Sullivan kick), A. [16], Although unbeaten and No. The letdown came the following week against Navy in rickety old Memorial Stadium in Baltimore. The Mountaineers got their first score, but a mere 29 yard field goal. During the pre-game warmups the Canes ran through the Notre Dame team and bumped into a number of Notre Dame players. [13] The 15-yard penalty gave Notre Dame the ball on its 48-yard line, and 11 plays later Mark Green ran for an 8-yard touchdown with 4:30 left in the game to put victory out of reach for the Panthers. [7] In a 19-17 thriller, walk-on kicker Reggie Ho kicked a 26-yard field goal winner with 1:13 remaining. [21] After making the catch at Penn State's 20-yard line, Ismail broke Eddie Johnson's attempted tackle and jogged into the end zone. [18] Junior fullback Anthony Johnson rushed for two of Notre Dame's seven TDs, while Tony Brooks and Rodney Culver also added touchdowns. Roster includes most starters and key reserves. [8] Michigan's Mike Gillette, who had given the Wolverines the lead with 5:34 left by kicking a 49-yard field goal, had one final chance to give Michigan the win, narrowly missing from 48 yards as the final gun sounded. The 1988 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame during the 1988 NCAA Division I-A football season. Roster includes most starters and key reserves. The Irish continued to work through the schedule with a month to go before the third head of the three headed monster on the regular season schedule, (USC, in the Coliseum, following Michigan and Miami). [21] Ismail was so wide open, he scored even though he had to wait for Rice's underthrown pass. [16], Air Force opened the game with an impressive ground attack. [21] On second-and-5 from Penn State's 48-yard line, Tony Rice threw a 17-yard pass to Ricky Watters, who was wide open 15 yards downfield. notre dame football roster 1988. All players listed played for the 1988 team. The Hurricanes had destroyed Notre Dame in their last four meetings by a combined total of 132-20. [22] The Irish came into the game as underdogs, but spectacular play of defensive end Frank Stams and cornerback Stan Smagala aided the Irish offense, led by Tony Rice, to an Irish victory. "We could have won the game," said Panther coach Mike Gottfried, "but we made just enough mistakes to lose it. [12] The Irish defense stymied the Cardinal, holding them to just 111 yards in the first half. Sheesh! [18] After Rice scored an early field goal in the first quarter, Rocket Ismail returned his first of two kickoffs, a 78-yard return for a score. But Rice, under duress from future Cane coach Randy Shannon, coughed up the ball inside the 20. This season, in some fashion, Notre Dame will celebrate the Silver Anniversary of this team. 1 Miami the previous week never materialized for the now 2nd ranked Irish, who used a second half onslaught of power running to down the Falcons 41-13. But the Noles will always have that rap video!! Fiutak, Pete; Cirminiello, Richard; Harris, John; Zemek, Matthew (2006-08-28). August 4, 2020. [16] One of the highlights was a 50-yard halfback pass late in the third quarter thrown by 3rd-string quarterback Steve Belles. Bright, sunny, football time in Michiana. The Irish rang the bell three more times in the second quarter for a 42-0 halftime lead. [16] Other scores included a Tony Brooks 42-yard touchdown in the third quarter and another Ricky Watters touchdown catch; this time a 28-yarder from Rice. Nevertheless the schedule looked daunting. And Louis Leo Holtz, an underdog his whole life, loved being thrown into the briar patch from whence underdogs sprang. Brown 11-yard pass from Walsh (pass failed), Smagala 64-yard interception return (kick failed). notre dame football roster 1988. [7] In a 19-17 thriller, walk-on kicker Reggie Ho kicked a 26-yard field goal winner with 1:13 remaining. Notre Dame got started early, scoring on their first possession, an 87-yard on 12 play drive. See our list of forfeits and vacated games for more details. [20] After Notre Dame's final touchdown, Rice LB Billy Stone returned the blocked extra-point all the way for two points to account for the final score of 54-11. [21] Penn State's only score came on the last play of the first half, when Eric Etze kicked a 52-yard field goal.[21]. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. [21] Rice set up the score with another pass to Watters - a 27-yard play that moved the ball to Penn State's 33-yard line. [10], Tony Rice passed for two touchdowns and ran for another as Notre Dame shredded Purdue 52-7. [18] Junior fullback Anthony Johnson rushed for two of Notre Dame's seven TDs, while Tony Brooks and Rodney Culver also added touchdowns. Carrier, caught between Scylla and Charybdis, chose Mark Green and Rice sauntered in 65 yards for the 7-0 lead. punched it in. Others from the 88 championship roster headed to Hamburg are FL/TB Steve Belles, FL Pat Eilers, DL Bryan Flannery, DL Andre Jones, DL George Marshall and DB Brandy Wells. [16] The flanker took the ball inside the Air Force 10 and battled his way just over the goal line late in the third quarter. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. Or write about sports? Eight members of Notre Dames 1988 national. The secondary was the best the Irish had had in a while. Miami would be arriving with great players, swagger and a 36 game regular season winning streak. [13] Tony Rice went 8-14 passing for the game and a third quarter Braxston Banks touchdown gave the Irish the lead for good. NOTRE DAME, Ind. Also participating are DL Alton Maiden, DL George Marshall, LB Karl McGill, DB Mark Monahan, RB Emmett Mosley, LB Jeremy Nau, OL Brendan OConnor, P Scott Palumbo, OL Mike Perrino, OL Ron Plantz, DB Stephen Pope, LB Jeremy Sample, LB Jack Shields, RB Chris Smith, DL Darnell Smith, OL Jon Spickelmier, WR Charles Stafford and OL Greg Stec. Objective Keith Jackson got apoplectic and insisted that Rice was out of the end zone. Before the 1988 season. Previous Year Next Year. Read more about our data coverage. [7][22] In a controversial move, coach Lou Holtz took his 10-0 Irish squad to L.A. without stars Ricky Watters and Tony Brooks, whom he suspended for disciplinary reasons. [23] The USC Trojans were having a great season under head coach Larry Smith and standout quarterback Rodney Peete. Terms & Conditions! With a fourth and three at his own 46, Johnson went to an old standby, the fake punt. 8 Irish Leave Spartans Smartin', "Pluck of the Irish Spunky Notre Dame laid claim to the top spot in the national rankings by outlasting No. George Williams pressured Steve Walsh, and Pat Terrell easily batted the ball away from Leonard Conley. Hope Springs Eternal: Can Speed and Youth Boost Notre Dame in 2023? 1 faced No. The Irish rushing attack for the year was balanced, and the season end totals would show Rice with 700 yards, Brooks with 667 and Green with 646. Holtz marhaled his troops at halftime and the Irish generated nearly 200 yards rushing yards in the second half, with Rice streaking in from the 8 in the third quarter for a 13-3 working margin. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Do you have a sports website? Record: 12-0 (1st of 105) (Schedule & Results), Bowl Game: Won Fiesta Bowl 34-21 versus West Virginia. [20] After Notre Dame's final touchdown, Rice LB Billy Stone returned the blocked extra-point all the way for two points to account for the final score of 54-11. But Lou Holtz went back to work with a vengeance in the Spring. Ho had now accounted for the last six Notre Dame scores. The Official Athletic Site of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. The later banned Catholics versus Convicts t-shirts were a big seller. "[17] Favored to beat Navy by five touchdowns, the Irish dropped five passes, lost two fumbles, shanked a punt for a mere 10 yds., and got whistled for having twelve men on the field - all before winning the game 22-7. Find GIFs with the latest and newest hashtags! The following is a list of Notre Dame players that would go on to play or be drafted to play in the National Football League over the next four years. There were wonderful undercurrents when Bo played Holtz. Fighting Irish. It was a twin gusher of testosterone and adrenaline. 1988 Notre Dame Football Roster 1988 Notre-dame Football Roster National Championship; 1988 Notre-dame Football Schedule; 1988 Notre-dame Football Coaching Staff; 1988 Notre-dame Roster; 1988 Notre-dame Fighting Irish; 1988 Chevy Truck Wiring Diagram. [13] Reggie Ho scored a 37-yard field goal to give the Irish a 17-14 half time lead. We present them here for purely educational purposes. [11] The Irish exploded for 28 points in the second quarter, highlighted by a 54-yard Rice touchdown pass to Rocket Ismail. [11] Coach Lou Holtz used three separate quarterbacks in the second quarter and four total in the game. [16], The third quarter was all Irish, as five Irish running backs combined for 283 yards, all running for 23 yards or more. [8], MSU threatened Notre Dame early with a 1st-quarter field goal, but that would be the only points of the day the Notre Dame defense would allow as the Irish downed MSU 20-3. Or not. They started slowly, driving for a 45 yard field goal by Billy Hackett. People who had watched Miami come back in Ann Arbor for a 31-30 victory by overcoming a 30-14 deficit with 5 minutes to go, then suffered deja vu. Record: 12-0 (1st of 105) (Schedule & Results), Bowl Game: Won Fiesta Bowl 34-21 versus West Virginia, Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Monday, May 1, 6:49AM. There are four former Notre Dame captains on the roster Green (1988), Becton (1994), DL Brian Hamilton (1994) and DL Melvin Dansby (1997). Manage all your favorite fandoms in one place! The large run was the result of a failed Panther blitz attempt. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. [1] The team was coached by Lou Holtz and played its home games at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana . We feel fortunate to win. "Undefeated Irish Avert an Upset". The score was 21-21 at the half, and serious, not morose, fans wandered the concourse at halftime. Find out more. [12] Despite the lopsided score, Stanford did mount two of the longest scoring drives against the Irish to date, with a 68-yard drive by quarterback Brian Johnson and a 73-yard drive by back-up quarterback Jason Palumbis. [16] Holtz's fears seemed to be valid during the rain in the first half as Notre Dame only held a 7-point lead at the half. Lat in the second quarter the Trojans punched in their first score on a short run by Scott Lockwood. Notre dame football roster 1988. Starters are marked with an asterisk (*). [11] Coach Lou Holtz used three separate quarterbacks in the second quarter and four total in the game. Seizing the moment, on the next play, Rice went long to Watters to the 3 yard line. With a little over 3 minutes left, Stams banged Walsh again, forcing a fumble which Zorich recovered. In the second half, running back Mark Green added the final touchdown of the day(aided by a key 22-yard gain on a 3rd down screen play by Anthony Johnson) to help defeat the Trojans. He trusted Defensive Coordinator Barry Alvarez. One made Holtz chortle with glee, the other made him gag. Lous way or the highway! There was a swirl of emotions on the Notre Dame campus, not all of them good. On Wednesday, Freeman took his mother to the White House for a state dinner where they will meet President Joe Biden who was a 15 year veteran of the United States Senate in 1988. [16] Holtz's fears seemed to be valid during the rain in the first half as Notre Dame only held a 7-point lead at the half. Two kids from Catholic schools, Tim Grunhard from St. Laurence, and Tim Ryan from Rockhurst in Kansas City, were the guards flanking Mike Heldt. We weren't good enough to beat them inside. The scoreboard changed to Notre Dame 14-USC 7 as Traveler executed that haughty equine prance. [19] Rodney Culver and Ryan Mihalko ran for touchdowns as Notre Dame opened up a 22-0 lead early in the third quarter en route to reaching an 8-0 record for the first time since 1973. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? The Fighting Irish drew first blood, with Stams slapping the ball out of Walshs hand, but the Irish could not convert. The rout was on! The 1988 Irish national championship team was the highest-rated Notre Dame team to make the list, coming in at No. OU-Arkansas 1977, ND-SC later in the year-Brooks/Watters) Holtz offered thatif Miami started a fight after the game, that it was fair game for the Irish to fight back-and win, subject to one proviso-Save Jimmy Johnson for me. The players went ballistic and left the locker room and charged onto the field. [16] But Pat Terrell, the defensive hero of last week's victory over Miami, stepped into the spotlight again, this time with Stan Smagala. Site Last Updated: Sunday, April 30, 6:46AM Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? [13] The 30-20 victory in the rain did little to inspire confidence that Notre Dame could beat No. [7], Paul "Bear" Bryant Award Coach of the Year, Notre Dame leads all universities in players inducted.[27].