1988 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team
Encyclopedia
The 1988 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame
during the 1988 college football season
. The Irish, coached by Lou Holtz
, ended the season with 12 wins and no losses, winning the national championship. The Fighting Irish won the title by defeating the previously unbeaten and No. 3 ranked West Virginia Mountaineers
in the Sunkist Fiesta Bowl
in Tempe, Arizona by a score of a 34-21. 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. The Irish beat the Nos. 1, 2 and 3 teams in the country at the time they played them. They also won 10 of 12 games by double digits. The 1988 squad is best remembered for its 31-30 upset of No. 1 ranked Miami
, ending their 36-game regular season winning streak
. The game is remembered to this day as one of the most memorable games in all of college football.
's concerns about his youthful offense and green receivers were realized as the Irish offense did not score a single offensive touchdown. In addition to Reggie Ho's game winner, the Irish kicker scored 3 other field goals. The lone touchdown from Notre Dame came from a Ricky Watters
punt return, an 81-yard runback. 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 give Michigan the win, narrowly missing from 48 yards as the final gun sounded.
led the Irish rushing attack with 125 yards on the ground.
. The Irish exploded for 28 points in the second quarter, highlighted by a 54-yard Rice touchdown pass to Rocket Ismail
. Tailback Mark Green added a 7-yard touchdown run and Ricky Watters returned a punt 66 yards for a score. Coach Lou Holtz used three separate quarterbacks in the second quarter and four total in the game. Back-up quarterback Steve Belles hit running back Tony Brooks for a 34-yard score to put the Irish up 42-0 at half-time. 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 tailback Rodney Culver. Purdue's lone touchdown was a fourth quarter 7-yard pass from Brian Fox to Williamson. The Irish improved to 3-0 while the Boilermakers dropped to 1-2 on the year.
"We could have won the game," said Panther coach Mike Gottfried
, "but we made just enough mistakes to lose it."
Notre Dame struggled to contain Panther quarterback Darnell Dickerson, who at times had 10 seconds or more per play. 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. After a stalled Irish drive, the Panthers got the ball back and took a 7-0 lead on a Dickerson touchdown. Notre Dame answered back with a 52-yard Tony Brooks run to the 2-yard line. The large run was the result of a failed Panther blitz attempt. Tony Rice scored on a 2-yard keeper to tie the game 7-7. 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. Reggie Ho scored a 37-yard field goal to give the Irish a 17-14 half time lead.
The critical moment of the game came in the second half, when late into the fourth quarter the Irish were clinging to a 23-20 lead when the Panthers forced the Irish into a 4th and long from their own 23-yard line. But a late 12 men on the field penalty against the Panthers gave the Irish new life. 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. Tony Rice went 8-14 passing for the game and a third quarter Braxston Banks touchdown gave the Irish the lead for good.
ground attack, which came into Notre Dame Stadium averaging 46 points and 432 rushing yards a game. Falcons coach Fisher DeBerry
's squad had the best ground gaining offense in the nation. 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.
Air Force opened the game with an impressive ground attack. Air Force quarterback Dee Dowis took his team inside the Irish 20 on the game's first offensive drive. But Pat Terrell
, the defensive hero of last week's victory over Miami, stepped into the spotlight again, this time with Stan Smagala. Albert Booker, an Air Force halfback, was carrying the ball on second down when Smagala hit him hard. The ball popped free and Terrell recovered the fumble at the Notre Dame 16. After the turnover, Air Force answered with its first field goal by Steve Yarborough from 22 yards out. But Notre Dame matched that by going 71 yards to score on Mark Green's 7-yard touchdown run. In the second quarter, The Irish continued to run the ball, with quarterback Tony Rice and running back Anthony Johnson both running for touchdowns. Air Force answered before the end of the half with a touchdown to cut Notre Dame's lead to just seven points.
The third quarter was all Irish, as five Irish running backs combined for 283 yards, all running for 23 yards or more. One of the highlights was a 50-yard halfback pass late in the third quarter thrown by 4th-string quarterback Steve Belles. In at running back, Belles took a pitch from Tony Rice, stepped back to his right and threw to a wide open Ricky Watters. The flanker took the ball inside the Air Force 10 and battled his way just over the goal line late in the third quarter. 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. 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.
After leading by 14-3 at halftime, Notre Dame struck quickly for its final score in the third quarter. On first down after a Penn State punt, Tony Rice threw a 67-yard touchdown pass to Raghib Ismail. It was the first time the Fighting Irish had thrown deep all game, and the long pass caught Penn State defensive backs off guard. Ismail was so wide open, he scored even though he had to wait for Rice's underthrown pass. After making the catch at Penn State's 20-yard line, Ismail broke Eddie Johnson's attempted tackle and jogged into the end zone. The win set the stage for the next week's showdown vs. USC, the final hurdle to the national championship game.
. 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. Notre Dame started out fast with Tony Rice surprising the crowd by throwing deep to Raghib Ismail on the first play of scrimmage. On the very next play, Tony Rice optioned left for a 65-yard touchdown play. The Trojans were listless, committing four turnovers, including a back-breaking Rodney Peete interception to Stan Smagala for another Notre Dame touchdown. 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. The sellout crowd of 93,829 was the largest in this rivalry since 1955.
, Ara Parseghian
and Dan Devine
also won titles in their third years as head coach. Holtz was named national coach of the year for taking the Irish squad from a 8-4 record the previous year to national title winners the following year. His 1989 and 1993 squads narrowly missed repeating the feat.
As of 2010, the 1988 Irish squad is also the most recent to win the national title. This title drought looms large as Notre Dame is currently in its 21st year going without winning a title, the longest such streak since they won their first in 1924.
{| border="0" width="100%"
| valign="top" |
{| cellpadding="1" border="1" cellspacing="0" width="80%"
!bgcolor="#C5B358"| Name
!bgcolor="#C5B358"| AP
!bgcolor="#C5B358"| UPI
!bgcolor="#C5B358"| NEA
!bgcolor="#C5B358"| FC
!bgcolor="#C5B358"| SN
!bgcolor="#C5B358"| FW
!bgcolor="#C5B358"| FN
!bgcolor="#C5B358"| WCF
!bgcolor="#C5B358"| CW
|- align="center"
| Frank Stams
, DE || 1 || 1 || 2 || || 2 || || 1 || ||2
|- align="center"
| Andy Heck, OT || 1 || 1 || 1 || || 1 || || 1 || ||2
|- align="center"
| † Michael Stonebreaker, LB || 1 || 2 || 1 || || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1
|- align="center"
| Chris Zorich
, DT || || || 1 || || || || 3 || ||
|- align="center"
| Wes Pritchett, LB || || || || || 2 || || || ||
|- align="center"
| Ricky Watters
, FL || || || || || || || || ||2
|- align="center"
| colspan=10 bgcolor="#000033"| †denotes consensus selection Source:
|}
Paul "Bear" Bryant Award Coach of the Year
Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year
Award
College Football Hall of Fame
inductees
{| class="wikitable sortable"
!Name
!Position
!Year Inducted
|- align="center"
| Lou Holtz
|| Coach ||2008
|- align="center"
| Chris Zorich
|| Defensive Tackle ||2007
|}
Notre Dame leads all universities in players inducted.
over the next four years. All players listed played for the 1988 team.
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|- align="center"
! Name
! Year
! Team
! Round
! Pick
|- align="center"
| Jeff Alm
| 1990
| Houston Oilers
| 2
| 41
|- align="center"
| Ned Bolcar
| 1990
| Seattle Seahawks
| 6
| 146
|- align="center"
| Mike Brennan
| 1990
| Cincinnati Bengals
| 4
| 91
|- align="center"
| Tony Brooks
| 1992
| Philadelphia Eagles
| 4
| 92
|- align="center"
| Dean Brown
| 1990
| Indianapolis Colts
| 12
| 316
|- align="center"
| Derek Brown
| 1992
| New York Giants
| 1
| 14
|- align="center"
| Rodney Culver
| 1992
| Indianapolis Colts
| 4
| 85
|- align="center"
| Bob Dahl
| 1991
| Cincinnati Bengals
| 3
| 72
|- align="center"
| D'Juan Francisco
| 1990
| Washington Redskins
| 10
| 262
|- align="center"
| Mark Green
| 1989
| Chicago Bears
| 5
| 130
|- align="center"
| Tim Grunhard
| 1990
| Kansas City Chiefs
| 2
| 40
|- align="center"
| Andy Heck
| 1989
| Seattle Seahawks
| 1
| 15
|- align="center"
| Mike Heldt
| 1991
| San Diego Chargers
| 10
| 257
|- align="center"
| Raghib Ismail
| 1991
| Los Angeles Raiders
| 4
| 100
|- align="center"
| Anthony Johnson
| 1990
| Indianapolis Colts
| 2
| 36
|- align="center"
| Andre Jones
| 1991
| Pittsburgh Steelers
| 7
| 185
|- align="center"
| Mirko Jurkovich
| 1992
| Chicago Bears
| 9
| 246
|- align="center"
| Scott Kowalkowski
| 1991
| Philadelphia Eagles
| 8
| 216
|- align="center"
| Todd Lyght
| 1991
| Los Angeles Rams
| 1
| 5
|- align="center"
| Gene McGuire
| 1992
| New Orleans Saints
| 4
| 95
|- align="center"
| Wes Pritchett
| 1989
| Miami Dolphins
| 6
| 147
|- align="center"
| Rod Smith
| 1992
| New England Patriots
| 2
| 35
|- align="center"
| Frank Stams
| 1989
| Los Angeles Rams
| 2
| 45
|- align="center"
| Mike Stonebreaker
| 1991
| Chicago Bears
|
|
|- align="center"
| Tommy Thomas
| 1989
| Chicago Bears
| 11
| 304
|- align="center"
| Pat Terrell
| 1990
| Los Angeles Rams
| 2
| 49
|- align="center"
| Ricky Watters
| 1991
| San Francisco 49ers
| 2
| 45
|- align="center"
| George Williams
| 1992
| Cleveland Browns
| 6
| 163
|- align="center"
| Chris Zorich
| 1991
| Chicago Bears
| 2
| 49
|- align="center"
| Pat Eilers
| 1990
| Minnesota Vikings
|
|
|}
Source:
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
during the 1988 college football season
1988 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 1988 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with Notre Dame winning the national championship. The Fighting Irish won the title via a 34-21 defeat of previously unbeaten West Virginia in the Fiesta Bowl in Tempe, Arizona....
. The Irish, coached by Lou Holtz
Lou Holtz
Louis Leo "Lou" Holtz is a retired American football coach, and active sportscaster, author, and motivational speaker in the United States...
, ended the season with 12 wins and no losses, winning the national championship. The Fighting Irish won the title by defeating the previously unbeaten and No. 3 ranked West Virginia Mountaineers
1988 West Virginia Mountaineers football team
The 1988 West Virginia Mountaineers football team completed the regular season with a 11–0 and traveled to the Fiesta Bowl to decide the National Championship, where they lost to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish 34–21.-1988 Schedule:-1988 season:...
in the Sunkist Fiesta Bowl
Fiesta Bowl
The Fiesta Bowl, now sponsored by Frito-Lay and named with their Tostitos brand, is a United States college football bowl game played annually at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Between its origination in 1971 and 2006, the game was hosted in Tempe, Arizona at Sun Devil...
in Tempe, Arizona by a score of a 34-21. 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. The Irish beat the Nos. 1, 2 and 3 teams in the country at the time they played them. They also won 10 of 12 games by double digits. The 1988 squad is best remembered for its 31-30 upset of No. 1 ranked Miami
1988 Miami Hurricanes football team
The 1988 Miami Hurricanes represented the University of Miami in the 1988 NCAA College Football season. It would be Jimmy Johnson’s final season as the Hurricanes head coach.-Schedule & Results:-Team Players drafted into in the NFL:-External links:*...
, ending their 36-game regular season winning streak
Winning streak (sports)
In sports, a winning streak refers to a consecutive number of games won. A winning streak can be held by a team, as in baseball, football, basketball, hockey, or by an individual, as in tennis...
. The game is remembered to this day as one of the most memorable games in all of college football.
Schedule
Roster
Quarterback
Tailback
Fullback
Split End
Flanker
Tight End
Center
Offensive Guard
Offensive Tackle
Nose Tackle
Defensive End
Defensive Tackle
Cornerback
Strong Safety
Free Safety
Linebacker
Long Snapper
Punter
Place Kicker
Holder
Reserves: Offense: T – Marty Lippincott, Norm Balentine, Darryl Wodecki, Chuck Killian; G – Ted Healy, George Marshall, Brian Shannon, Shawn Anderson; C – Dave Prinzivalli, Jim Kinsherf, Karl Hickey; QB – Rick Ebert, Trevor Moriarty; TB – Rusty Setzer; FB – *Joe Jarosz, Mike Gatti, Ted McNamara; P – Sean Connor, Pete Hartweger; WR – Brad Alge, Ray Dumas, James Dillard, Jeff Baker, Patrick Fallon, Mike Denisoff, Steve Fortunato; Defense: E – Kevin McShane, Kurt Zackrison; T – Mike Callan, Steve Roddy, Mike Crounse, Ted FitzGerald; LB – Troy Ridgley, Joe Farrell, Michael Smalls; CB – David Jandric, Bob Satterfield, Antwon Lark; S – Doug DiOrio, Rich Earley, Mike McLoone; (DNP) – Mark Nigro, Scott Bufton Sources:http://www.cstv.com/auto_pdf/p_hotos/s_chools/nd/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/Football-Supplement-07 |
Coaching staff
| Name | Position | Year at Notre Dame | Alma Mater Alma mater Alma mater , pronounced ), was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele, and in Christianity for the Virgin Mary.-General term:... (Year) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lou Holtz Lou Holtz Louis Leo "Lou" Holtz is a retired American football coach, and active sportscaster, author, and motivational speaker in the United States... |
Head Coach | 3rd | Kent State Kent State University Kent State University is a public research university located in Kent, Ohio, United States. The university has eight campuses around the northeast Ohio region with the main campus in Kent being the largest... (1959) |
| Jim Strong Jim Strong (coach) Jim Strong is a former college football coach. He is best known for being the head coach of the UNLV Rebels, as well as serving as an assistant coach and offensive coordinator for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.... |
Offensive Coordinator | 2nd | |
| Vinny Cerrato Vinny Cerrato Vinny Cerrato is the former Executive Vice President for Football Operations for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League and actor in the feature film Kindergarten Ninja.-Playing career:... |
Recruiting Coordinator | 3rd | Iowa State Iowa State University Iowa State University of Science and Technology, more commonly known as Iowa State University , is a public land-grant and space-grant research university located in Ames, Iowa, United States. Iowa State has produced astronauts, scientists, and Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winners, along with a host of... (1982) |
| Pete Cordelli | Quarterbacks and Receivers | 3rd | N.C. State North Carolina State University North Carolina State University at Raleigh is a public, coeducational, extensive research university located in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Commonly known as NC State, the university is part of the University of North Carolina system and is a land, sea, and space grant institution... (1977) |
| Joe Moore | Tackles and Tight Ends | 1st | Penn State Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service... (1958) |
| Tony Yelovich | Guards and Centers | 3rd | Tampa University of Tampa The University of Tampa , is a private, co-educational university in Downtown Tampa, Florida, United States. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. In 2006, the University celebrated its 75th anniversary... (1964) |
| Barry Alvarez Barry Alvarez Barry Alvarez is a former American football player and coach and currently the Director of Athletics at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He served as the head football coach at Wisconsin for 16 seasons from 1990 to 2005, compiling a career college football record of 118–73–4... |
Defensive Coordinator Linebackers |
2nd | Nebraska University of Nebraska–Lincoln The University of Nebraska–Lincoln is a public research university located in the city of Lincoln in the U.S. state of Nebraska... (1968) |
| Chuck Heater | Defensive Backs | 1st | Michigan University of Michigan The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan... (1975) |
| John Palermo John Palermo -External links:*... |
Defensive Line | 1st | Florida State Florida State University The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation... (1974) |
Michigan
13th ranked Notre Dame debuted its season against No. 9 Michigan in Notre Dame Stadium. In a 19-17 thriller, walk-on kicker Reggie Ho kicked a 48-yard field goal winner with 1:13 remaining. Lou HoltzLou Holtz
Louis Leo "Lou" Holtz is a retired American football coach, and active sportscaster, author, and motivational speaker in the United States...
's concerns about his youthful offense and green receivers were realized as the Irish offense did not score a single offensive touchdown. In addition to Reggie Ho's game winner, the Irish kicker scored 3 other field goals. The lone touchdown from Notre Dame came from a Ricky Watters
Ricky Watters
Richard "Ricky" James Watters is a former American football running back who played for the San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles, and the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. Watters played college football at the University of Notre Dame where he played wide receiver on the...
punt return, an 81-yard runback. 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 give Michigan the win, narrowly missing from 48 yards as the final gun sounded.
Michigan State
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. Notre Dame struggled early in the contest, accumulating only 50 yards running on 21 carries. 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. The second half was a different story for the Irish offense, as quarterback Tony Rice and company amassed 195 yards on 33 carries in the second half. 156 yards came on 19 carries in the third quarter alone. Tony Rice ran for a 8-yard touchdown and Michael Stonebreaker added a 39-yard interception return for a touchdown in the final quarter to end any hopes of a Spartan upset. The star of the game was Notre Dame's defense, which held the Spartans to 89 yards rushing for the game. Running back Mark GreenMark Green (American football)
Mark Anthony Green is a former American football running back in the National Football League. He was a 5th round selection out of Notre Dame by the Chicago Bears in the 1989 NFL Draft....
led the Irish rushing attack with 125 yards on the ground.
Purdue
Tony Rice passed for two touchdowns and ran for another as Notre Dame shredded Purdue 52-7. 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 scored early and often, starting with a 38 yard Rice option run for a touchdown. Tony Rice's first passing touchdown on the year was an 8-yarder to freshman tight end Derek BrownDerek Brown (tight end)
Derek Vernon Brown is a former American football tight end in the National Football League. He was drafted 14th overall in the 1992 NFL Draft by the New York Giants. He also played for the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Oakland Raiders, and the Arizona Cardinals. He was selected by the Jacksonville...
. The Irish exploded for 28 points in the second quarter, highlighted by a 54-yard Rice touchdown pass to Rocket Ismail
Raghib Ismail
Raghib Ramadian Ismail is a retired professional American and Canadian football player, who played Wide receiver in both the Canadian Football League and National Football League. He played college football at Notre Dame...
. Tailback Mark Green added a 7-yard touchdown run and Ricky Watters returned a punt 66 yards for a score. Coach Lou Holtz used three separate quarterbacks in the second quarter and four total in the game. Back-up quarterback Steve Belles hit running back Tony Brooks for a 34-yard score to put the Irish up 42-0 at half-time. 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 tailback Rodney Culver. Purdue's lone touchdown was a fourth quarter 7-yard pass from Brian Fox to Williamson. The Irish improved to 3-0 while the Boilermakers dropped to 1-2 on the year.
Stanford
Tony Rice rushed for two touchdowns and passed for a third to lead the Fighting Irish to a 42-14 blowout of Stanford. Rice completed 11 of 14 passes for 129 yards and rushed for 107 yards. Rice scored runs of 30 yards and 6 yards while the Irish tailbacks added 3 other scores with touchdowns from Mark Green, Tony Brooks, and Anthony Johnson. 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. Freshman standout tight end Derek Brown added the Irish's sole passing touchdown in the 3rd quarter. The Irish defense stymied the Cardinal, holding them to just 111 yards in the first half.Pittsburgh
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. The 30-20 victory in the rain did little to inspire confidence that Notre Dame could beat No. 1 Miami the following week. The Panthers made a number of critical mistakes that led the Panthers to believe they did more to lose the game more than Notre Dame did to win it."We could have won the game," said Panther coach Mike Gottfried
Mike Gottfried
-External links:*...
, "but we made just enough mistakes to lose it."
Notre Dame struggled to contain Panther quarterback Darnell Dickerson, who at times had 10 seconds or more per play. The Panthers came out strong early, starting the game with an impressive drive, but before the Panthers could score, Irish cornerback Todd Lyght
Todd Lyght
Todd William Lyght , is a former professional American football player who was selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the 1st round of the 1991 NFL Draft. A 6'0", 191-lb. cornerback from the University of Notre Dame and Flint Powers Catholic High School, Lyght played in 12 NFL seasons from 1991 to 2002...
forced a fumble, which Chris Zorich
Chris Zorich
Christopher Robert Zorich is a former American football defensive tackle in the National Football League for the Chicago Bears and Washington Redskins.-Early life:...
recovered. After a stalled Irish drive, the Panthers got the ball back and took a 7-0 lead on a Dickerson touchdown. Notre Dame answered back with a 52-yard Tony Brooks run to the 2-yard line. The large run was the result of a failed Panther blitz attempt. Tony Rice scored on a 2-yard keeper to tie the game 7-7. 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. Reggie Ho scored a 37-yard field goal to give the Irish a 17-14 half time lead.
The critical moment of the game came in the second half, when late into the fourth quarter the Irish were clinging to a 23-20 lead when the Panthers forced the Irish into a 4th and long from their own 23-yard line. But a late 12 men on the field penalty against the Panthers gave the Irish new life. 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. Tony Rice went 8-14 passing for the game and a third quarter Braxston Banks touchdown gave the Irish the lead for good.
Miami
The October 15, 1988 game between Notre Dame and the University of Miami Hurricanes is colloquially referred to as the Catholics vs. Convicts game. The University of Notre Dame was dubbed the "Catholics" and the University of Miami was dubbed as "the Convicts".Air Force
A potential letdown after defeating No. 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. Coach Holtz admitted he was scared all week of a potential upset of his young Notre Dame squad. Of main concern was Air Force's wishboneWishbone formation
The wishbone formation, also known simply as the ’bone, is an offensive formation in American football. The style of attack to which it gives rise is known as the wishbone offense...
ground attack, which came into Notre Dame Stadium averaging 46 points and 432 rushing yards a game. Falcons coach Fisher DeBerry
Fisher DeBerry
Fisher DeBerry is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the United States Air Force Academy from 1984 to 2006, compiling a record of 169–109–1. DeBerry led 17 of his 23 Air Force Falcons squads to winning records and 12 captured a bowl...
's squad had the best ground gaining offense in the nation. 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.
Air Force opened the game with an impressive ground attack. Air Force quarterback Dee Dowis took his team inside the Irish 20 on the game's first offensive drive. But Pat Terrell
Pat Terrell
Patrick Christopher Terrell is a former American football safety in the NFL for the Los Angeles Rams, New York Jets, Carolina Panthers, and Green Bay Packers...
, the defensive hero of last week's victory over Miami, stepped into the spotlight again, this time with Stan Smagala. Albert Booker, an Air Force halfback, was carrying the ball on second down when Smagala hit him hard. The ball popped free and Terrell recovered the fumble at the Notre Dame 16. After the turnover, Air Force answered with its first field goal by Steve Yarborough from 22 yards out. But Notre Dame matched that by going 71 yards to score on Mark Green's 7-yard touchdown run. In the second quarter, The Irish continued to run the ball, with quarterback Tony Rice and running back Anthony Johnson both running for touchdowns. Air Force answered before the end of the half with a touchdown to cut Notre Dame's lead to just seven points.
The third quarter was all Irish, as five Irish running backs combined for 283 yards, all running for 23 yards or more. One of the highlights was a 50-yard halfback pass late in the third quarter thrown by 4th-string quarterback Steve Belles. In at running back, Belles took a pitch from Tony Rice, stepped back to his right and threw to a wide open Ricky Watters. The flanker took the ball inside the Air Force 10 and battled his way just over the goal line late in the third quarter. 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. 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.
Navy
Although unbeated and No. 2 Notre Dame posted its 25th consecutive victory of the Naval Academy, coach Lou Holtz was not happy. "We couldn't control the line of scrimmage," Holtz said after the victory. "We couldn't throw consistently, we weren't mentally alert and that's my fault. Our offensive line got beat up, we couldn't run inside. We weren't good enough to beat them inside. We're not a very good team right now. We feel fortunate to win." 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 Midshipmen fumbled on their second play from scrimmage and six plays later Notre Dame led 7-0 on a 10-yard touchdown pass from Rice to Derek Brown, before a crowd of 54,926 at Memorial Stadium. 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. One positive Lou Holtz saw was the play of the defense. "Our defense played really well, but was on the field too long." Notre Dame amassed 396 total yards and held Navy to 192 yards, the lowest for an Irish opponent this year.Rice
The Irish scored early and often as Notre Dame dazzled their home crowd of 59,075 with a 54-11 victory. 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. The Irish offense quickly followed with three touchdowns on their first three offensive possessions. Junior fullback Anthony Johnson rushed for two of Notre Dame's seven TDs, while Tony Brooks and Rodney Culver also added touchdowns. Late in the game, Rocket Ismail returned an 83-yard kick off return for a touchdown. Ismail became the first Notre Dame player to return two kick-offs for touchdowns in a game since Paul Castner in 1922 against Kalamazoo.Penn State
The Irish came into the game at 10-0 while Penn State was 5-5, on the verge of their first losing season in 50 years. Notre Dame got started early, scoring on their first possession, an 87 yard on 12 play drive. 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. Five plays later, Notre Dame scored from Penn State's two. Rice optioned left, froze the Penn State linebacker Eddie Johnson with a pump-fake, then ran into the end zone. Reggie Ho's extra point made it 7-0. In the second quarter, Notre Dame drove 60 yards in five plays to go ahead, 14-0. 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. Two plays later, running back Mark Green took a handoff up the middle, then found daylight to his right and ran 22 yards for a touchdown. Penn State's only score came on the last play of the first half, when Eric Etze kicked a 52-yard field goal.After leading by 14-3 at halftime, Notre Dame struck quickly for its final score in the third quarter. On first down after a Penn State punt, Tony Rice threw a 67-yard touchdown pass to Raghib Ismail. It was the first time the Fighting Irish had thrown deep all game, and the long pass caught Penn State defensive backs off guard. Ismail was so wide open, he scored even though he had to wait for Rice's underthrown pass. After making the catch at Penn State's 20-yard line, Ismail broke Eddie Johnson's attempted tackle and jogged into the end zone. The win set the stage for the next week's showdown vs. USC, the final hurdle to the national championship game.
USC
Notre Dame and USC entered the game undefeated and ranked number one and two respectively for the first time ever in their storied series. It was also the 24th time No. 1 faced No. 2 in college football history. In a controversial move, coach Lou Holtz took his 10-0 Irish squad to L.A. without stars Ricky Watters and Tony Brooks, who he suspended for disciplinary reasons. The USC Trojans were having a great season under head coach Larry Smith and standout quarterback Rodney PeeteRodney Peete
Rodney Peete is a former American football quarterback from the University of Southern California who played in the National Football League for 16 years. He retired in 2004 and is now in broadcasting.-Early life:...
. 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. Notre Dame started out fast with Tony Rice surprising the crowd by throwing deep to Raghib Ismail on the first play of scrimmage. On the very next play, Tony Rice optioned left for a 65-yard touchdown play. The Trojans were listless, committing four turnovers, including a back-breaking Rodney Peete interception to Stan Smagala for another Notre Dame touchdown. 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. The sellout crowd of 93,829 was the largest in this rivalry since 1955.
Fiesta Bowl
Aftermath
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. Irish head coaches Frank LeahyFrank Leahy
Francis William Leahy was an American football player, coach, college athletics administrator, and professional sports executive...
, Ara Parseghian
Ara Parseghian
Ara Raoul Parseghian is a former American football player and coach of Armenian descent. He served as the head football coach at Miami University , Northwestern University , and the University of Notre Dame , compiling a career college football record of 170–58–6...
and Dan Devine
Dan Devine
Daniel John Devine was an American football player and coach. He served as the head coach football coach at Arizona State University from 1955 to 1957, the University of Missouri from 1958 to 1970, and the University of Notre Dame from 1975 to 1980, compiling a career college football mark of...
also won titles in their third years as head coach. Holtz was named national coach of the year for taking the Irish squad from a 8-4 record the previous year to national title winners the following year. His 1989 and 1993 squads narrowly missed repeating the feat.
As of 2010, the 1988 Irish squad is also the most recent to win the national title. This title drought looms large as Notre Dame is currently in its 21st year going without winning a title, the longest such streak since they won their first in 1924.
Awards and honors
All-Americans{| border="0" width="100%"
| valign="top" |
{| cellpadding="1" border="1" cellspacing="0" width="80%"
!bgcolor="#C5B358"| Name
!bgcolor="#C5B358"| AP
!bgcolor="#C5B358"| UPI
!bgcolor="#C5B358"| NEA
!bgcolor="#C5B358"| FC
!bgcolor="#C5B358"| SN
!bgcolor="#C5B358"| FW
!bgcolor="#C5B358"| FN
College Football News
College Football News is a magazine and website published by College Football News, Inc., headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. News coverage includes scores, statistics, rankings, and reports on college football games. Analysis includes comparisons between teams, predictions of game outcomes and...
!bgcolor="#C5B358"| WCF
!bgcolor="#C5B358"| CW
College Football All-America Team
The College Football All-America Team is an honor given annually to the best American college football players at their respective positions. The original usage of the term All-America seems to have been to the 1889 College Football All-America Team selected by Casper Whitney and published in This...
|- align="center"
| Frank Stams
Frank Stams
Francis Michael Stams is a former American football defensive lineman who played at the University of Notre Dame. He played on the 1988 National Championship team. He would later play in the NFL, where he was converted to linebacker....
, DE || 1 || 1 || 2 || || 2 || || 1 || ||2
|- align="center"
| Andy Heck, OT || 1 || 1 || 1 || || 1 || || 1 || ||2
|- align="center"
| † Michael Stonebreaker, LB || 1 || 2 || 1 || || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1
|- align="center"
| Chris Zorich
Chris Zorich
Christopher Robert Zorich is a former American football defensive tackle in the National Football League for the Chicago Bears and Washington Redskins.-Early life:...
, DT || || || 1 || || || || 3 || ||
|- align="center"
| Wes Pritchett, LB || || || || || 2 || || || ||
|- align="center"
| Ricky Watters
Ricky Watters
Richard "Ricky" James Watters is a former American football running back who played for the San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles, and the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. Watters played college football at the University of Notre Dame where he played wide receiver on the...
, FL || || || || || || || || ||2
|- align="center"
| colspan=10 bgcolor="#000033"| †denotes consensus selection Source:
|}
Paul "Bear" Bryant Award Coach of the Year
- Lou Holtz
Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year
Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year
The Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year award is given annually to a college football coach by the Football Writers Association of America. The award honors Eddie Robinson, former coach at Grambling State who holds the second best record for most Division I wins with 408 behind only Joe...
Award
- Lou Holtz
College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
inductees
{| class="wikitable sortable"
!Name
!Position
!Year Inducted
|- align="center"
| Lou Holtz
Lou Holtz
Louis Leo "Lou" Holtz is a retired American football coach, and active sportscaster, author, and motivational speaker in the United States...
|| Coach ||2008
|- align="center"
| Chris Zorich
Chris Zorich
Christopher Robert Zorich is a former American football defensive tackle in the National Football League for the Chicago Bears and Washington Redskins.-Early life:...
|| Defensive Tackle ||2007
|}
Notre Dame leads all universities in players inducted.
Future NFL Players
The following is a list of Notre Dame players that would go on to play or be drafted to play in the National Football LeagueNational Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
over the next four years. All players listed played for the 1988 team.
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|- align="center"
! Name
! Year
! Team
! Round
! Pick
|- align="center"
| Jeff Alm
Jeff Alm
Jeffrey Lawrence Alm was an American football player who played defensive tackle for the Houston Oilers of the National Football League.-Death:...
| 1990
| Houston Oilers
| 2
| 41
|- align="center"
| Ned Bolcar
Ned Bolcar
Ned Francis Bolcar is a former American football linebacker. He played three seasons in the NFL, one with the Seattle Seahawks and two with the Miami Dolphins....
| 1990
| Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
| 6
| 146
|- align="center"
| Mike Brennan
| 1990
| Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
| 4
| 91
|- align="center"
| Tony Brooks
| 1992
| Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
| 4
| 92
|- align="center"
| Dean Brown
| 1990
| Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
| 12
| 316
|- align="center"
| Derek Brown
| 1992
| New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
| 1
| 14
|- align="center"
| Rodney Culver
| 1992
| Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
| 4
| 85
|- align="center"
| Bob Dahl
| 1991
| Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
| 3
| 72
|- align="center"
| D'Juan Francisco
| 1990
| Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
| 10
| 262
|- align="center"
| Mark Green
| 1989
| Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
| 5
| 130
|- align="center"
| Tim Grunhard
Tim Grunhard
Timothy Gerard Grunhard is a former American football center in the National Football League. A second-round draft choice in the 1990 NFL Draft for the Kansas City Chiefs, Grunhard went on to play 169 games in all with Kansas City, the fourth most ever by a Chiefs offensive lineman, and was...
| 1990
| Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
| 2
| 40
|- align="center"
| Andy Heck
Andy Heck
Andrew Robert Heck is a former American football offensive lineman in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins, Chicago Bears, and Seattle Seahawks. He is the current offensive line coach for the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars. He attended W.T. Woodson High School...
| 1989
| Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
| 1
| 15
|- align="center"
| Mike Heldt
| 1991
| San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
| 10
| 257
|- align="center"
| Raghib Ismail
Raghib Ismail
Raghib Ramadian Ismail is a retired professional American and Canadian football player, who played Wide receiver in both the Canadian Football League and National Football League. He played college football at Notre Dame...
| 1991
| Los Angeles Raiders
| 4
| 100
|- align="center"
| Anthony Johnson
Anthony Johnson (football player)
Anthony Scott Johnson is a former professional American football running back for eleven seasons in the National Football League for the Indianapolis Colts, the New York Jets, the Chicago Bears, the Carolina Panthers, and the Jacksonville Jaguars. Johnson now ministers as the chaplain to the...
| 1990
| Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
| 2
| 36
|- align="center"
| Andre Jones
| 1991
| Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
| 7
| 185
|- align="center"
| Mirko Jurkovich
| 1992
| Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
| 9
| 246
|- align="center"
| Scott Kowalkowski
Scott Kowalkowski
Scott Thomas Kowalkowski is a former American football linebacker who played for the Philadelphia Eagles and the Detroit Lions in a ten year career that lasted from 1991 to 2001 in the National Football League....
| 1991
| Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
| 8
| 216
|- align="center"
| Todd Lyght
Todd Lyght
Todd William Lyght , is a former professional American football player who was selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the 1st round of the 1991 NFL Draft. A 6'0", 191-lb. cornerback from the University of Notre Dame and Flint Powers Catholic High School, Lyght played in 12 NFL seasons from 1991 to 2002...
| 1991
| Los Angeles Rams
| 1
| 5
|- align="center"
| Gene McGuire
| 1992
| New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
| 4
| 95
|- align="center"
| Wes Pritchett
| 1989
| Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
| 6
| 147
|- align="center"
| Rod Smith
Rod Smith (defensive back)
Rodney Marc Smith is a former American football cornerback and safety in the National Football League for the New England Patriots, the Carolina Panthers, and the Green Bay Packers...
| 1992
| New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
| 2
| 35
|- align="center"
| Frank Stams
Frank Stams
Francis Michael Stams is a former American football defensive lineman who played at the University of Notre Dame. He played on the 1988 National Championship team. He would later play in the NFL, where he was converted to linebacker....
| 1989
| Los Angeles Rams
| 2
| 45
|- align="center"
| Mike Stonebreaker
Mike Stonebreaker
Mike Stonebreaker is a former professional American football player who played linebacker for two seasons for the Chicago Bears and New Orleans Saints. Played high school football at John Curtis Christian High School in River Ridge, Louisiana and graduated in 1986...
| 1991
| Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
|
|
|- align="center"
| Tommy Thomas
| 1989
| Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
| 11
| 304
|- align="center"
| Pat Terrell
Pat Terrell
Patrick Christopher Terrell is a former American football safety in the NFL for the Los Angeles Rams, New York Jets, Carolina Panthers, and Green Bay Packers...
| 1990
| Los Angeles Rams
| 2
| 49
|- align="center"
| Ricky Watters
Ricky Watters
Richard "Ricky" James Watters is a former American football running back who played for the San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles, and the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. Watters played college football at the University of Notre Dame where he played wide receiver on the...
| 1991
| San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
| 2
| 45
|- align="center"
| George Williams
| 1992
| Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
| 6
| 163
|- align="center"
| Chris Zorich
Chris Zorich
Christopher Robert Zorich is a former American football defensive tackle in the National Football League for the Chicago Bears and Washington Redskins.-Early life:...
| 1991
| Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
| 2
| 49
|- align="center"
| Pat Eilers
Pat Eilers
Patrick Christopher Eilers is a former American football safety in the National Football League for the Minnesota Vikings, Washington Redskins, and Chicago Bears. He played college football at the University of Notre Dame on the 1988 Championship team.He is currently Managing Director of Madison...
| 1990
| Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
|
|
|}
Source: