notre dame football roster 1988notre dame football roster 1988

The game was living up to the buildup. [7] Holtz was named national coach of the year for taking the Irish squad from an 8-4 record the previous year to national title winners the following year. Search, discover and share your favorite 1988 Notre Dame Football Roster GIFs. [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. We feel fortunate to win. Whew! [16], The third quarter was all Irish, as five Irish running backs combined for 283 yards, all running for 23 yards or more. Do you have a sports website? It had happened to Bo and Michigan only three times, in 75 and 82 to Ohio State and in 85 to Iowa. 1987 had ended with the taste of ashes. Derek Brown was a thoroughbred at Tight End. The 1989 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame in the 1989 NCAA Division I-A football season. [16] But Pat Terrell, the defensive hero of last week's victory over Miami, stepped into the spotlight again, this time with Stan Smagala. "Notre Dame (4-0) Rolls, 42-14". [21] The win set the stage for the next week's showdown vs. USC, the final hurdle to the national championship game. [11] The Irish exploded for 28 points in the second quarter, highlighted by a 54-yard Rice touchdown pass to Rocket Ismail. The Trojans were listless, committing four turnovers, including a back-breaking Rodney Peete interception to Stan Smagala for another Notre Dame touchdown. Do you have a sports website? [16] But Notre Dame matched that by going 71 yards to score on Mark Green's 7-yard touchdown run. Harris injured his shoulder. Associated Press (1988-10-02). 1 faced No. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. Then Reggie Ho, all 55 of him, added a field goal and the Irish had a 10-0 lead. [21] 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. [13] Tony Rice went 8-14 passing for the game and a third quarter Braxston Banks touchdown gave the Irish the lead for good. In the third quarter Rice tossed a 67 yarder to Ismail, and the final margin was 21-3. The 1988 went 12-0 and ranked No. [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. Seizing the moment, on the next play, Rice went long to Watters to the 3 yard line. [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. [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. [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. 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. Was named ACC Offensive Player of the Week (February 14). 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. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. Notre Dame got started early, scoring on their first possession, an 87-yard on 12 play drive. [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. [13] Notre Dame answered back with a 52-yard Tony Brooks run to the 2-yard line. On September 13, 1986, Notre Dame lost to No. [16] Falcons coach Fisher DeBerry's squad had the best ground gaining offense in the nation. [18] Ismail became the first Notre Dame player to return two kick-offs for touchdowns in a game since Paul Castner in 1922 against Kalamazoo. [17] "We couldn't control the line of scrimmage," Holtz said after the victory. In the second quarter the Irish had the best of it for most of the quarter, with a long 57 yard pass to Ismail setting up a drive capped by a nine yard pass from Rice on a delay to Braxston Banks for the score. Carrier, caught between Scylla and Charybdis, chose Mark Green and Rice sauntered in 65 yards for the 7-0 lead. [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. The Irish were 10-0, and so were the USC Trojans, Pac-X Champions , Rose Bowl bound, who had ridden Rodney Peetes arm to outscore opponents 346-135. 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. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. Read more about our data coverage. Led the Irish with 59 goals, had a .434 SOG percentage and had one game winning goal. 0. 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. [13] Tony Rice scored on a 2-yard keeper to tie the game 7-7. The Fighting Irish drew first blood, with Stams slapping the ball out of Walshs hand, but the Irish could not convert. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Monday, May 1, 6:49AM. Lou, in a move evocative of his player suyspensions before the Arakansas OU game in the the 78 Orange Bowl, sent Ricky Watters and Tony Brooks after they were late for a meeting. The Linebacker Illuminati assembled, bellied up to the bar, and declared, after two games, the Irish offense on life support. Notre Dame 52-Purdue 7, embarassing both the Boilers and the besotted Illuminati. Terms & Conditions! [10], Tony Rice passed for two touchdowns and ran for another as Notre Dame shredded Purdue 52-7. 2 in college football history. Nervous, but excited fans filed back into the stands. George Streeter started at safety opposite converted receiver Pat Terrell, with Corny Southall the lead backup. He trusted Defensive Coordinator Barry Alvarez. Lou was comfortable with his quarterback, Tony Rice. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. [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. They had hung 59 on Boston College and 51 on normally stingy Penn State. Notre Dame is well known for being the Irish football team and also for the achievments the team has accomplished. The 1988 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame during the 1988 NCAA Division I-A football season. This was the first time a team scored by returning a failed conversion in NCAA Div I history (the rule allowing for the defense to score this way instituted at the start of the 1988-89 season). Hatred makes you blind, Keith! And he kept insisting on it!! [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. [16] Falcons coach Fisher DeBerry's squad had the best ground gaining offense in the nation. Roster includes most starters and key reserves. [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. Lat in the second quarter the Trojans punched in their first score on a short run by Scott Lockwood. During the pre-game warmups the Canes ran through the Notre Dame team and bumped into a number of Notre Dame players. [16], Although unbeaten and No. The preseason polls in 1988 reflected that sentiment, ranking ND #13. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. 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. Roster includes most starters and key reserves. [11] Tony Rice's first passing touchdown on the year was an 8-yarder to freshman tight end Derek Brown. 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. Boy! See our list of forfeits and vacated games for more details. Objective Keith Jackson got apoplectic and insisted that Rice was out of the end zone. [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. [11] Tony Rice's first passing touchdown on the year was an 8-yarder to freshman tight end Derek Brown. [13] George Williams pressured Steve Walsh, and Pat Terrell easily batted the ball away from Leonard Conley. The fake punt. [11] Tailback Mark Green added a 7-yard touchdown run and Ricky Watters returned a punt 66 yards for a score. 1 Miami the following week. Punt block, not punt return. The University of Notre Dame was dubbed the "Catholics" and the University of Miami was dubbed as "the Convicts". Luther Bradley started at cornerback for the 1973 Notre Dame national championship team and ended his career a champion with Notre Dame's national crown in 1977. The 1988 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame during the 1988 NCAA Division I-A football season. [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. Nevertheless, the squad rushed out, touched the sign, exited the tunnel. The Canes had Steve Walsh, Randall Hill, Russell Maryland,Cleveland Gary, Rob Chudzinski, Greg Mark, Randy Shannon, Bernard Tiger Clark, and a guy named Maurice Crum. The Irish ground game, in their first outing under Joe Moores raspy-throated leadership, kept penetrating into Michigan territory, but could not punch the ball into the end-zone. Associated Press (1988-10-30). The vaunted USC rush defense got caught napping, with Mark Carrier confronting two players, Mark Green and Rice. But it was close enough for Reggie Ho, and he kicked another Field Goal for a 13-0 lead. 2 in college football history. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. notre dame football roster 1988. Ho had now accounted for the last six Notre Dame scores. He knew the state, he knew the culture, he knew a little about the option. 20-7 Notre Dame at the half. Starters are marked with an asterisk (*). The most comprehensive coverage of The Fighting Irish Football roster schedule game summaries scores highlights on the web. [13], 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. It was the first big game on the campus since the 1980 Michigan game and would be for the pole position in the polls. [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 offensive line was responding, in a fashion, to Joe Moore. [16] The ball popped free and Terrell recovered the fumble at the Notre Dame 16. Then we played Purdue, back in South Bend. Here we celebrate the Silver Anniversary team, Holtz champions of the 1988 season. [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. Categories . 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. The Spartans eked out an early field goal for a 3-0 lead. On the very next play, Tony Rice optioned left for a 65-yard touchdown play. "Undefeated Irish Avert an Upset". Pritchett earned second-team All-America honors in 88 while making 112 tackles. Required fields are marked *. [12] Freshman standout tight end Derek Brown added the Irish's sole passing touchdown in the 3rd quarter. 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. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 9 Michigan in Notre Dame Stadium. And a head coach who just loved the attention of being a lightning rod. [16] Coach Holtz admitted he was scared all week of a potential upset of his young Notre Dame squad. With the game less than 5 minutes old, Holtz called a bread and butter play, the option to the left. [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. ed bicknell wife; can i take melatonin during colonoscopy prep notre dame football roster 1988. The Irish doggedly ground on for Hos fourth field goal and a 19-17 Irish lead with 1:13 left. [7] In addition to Reggie Ho's game winner, the Irish kicker scored 3 other field goals. Not a lot of people in Mishawaka named Braxston.! Holtz long odyssey from West Virginia to Kent State to Ohio State to William and Mary to NC State to the Jets to Arkansas to Minnesota had wound up in South Bend, and the National Championship Trophy for 1988 wound up there too. [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. The Hurricanes had destroyed Notre Dame in their last four meetings by a combined total of 132-20. The large run was the result of a failed Panther blitz attempt. [16] Coach Holtz admitted he was scared all week of a potential upset of his young Notre Dame squad. [17] "We couldn't throw consistently, we weren't mentally alert and that's my fault. For the first time, the Irish were facing an extremely athletic quarterback, Darnell Dickerson. The Irish just had to hang on in the second half. "[17] Notre Dame amassed 396 total yards and held Navy to 192 yards, the lowest for an Irish opponent this year.[17]. Roster includes most starters and key reserves. The 1988 Irish national championship team was the highest-rated Notre Dame team to make the list, coming in at No. 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. The Irish were #1! He was big, elusive and could reset and throw the ball the few times he was flushed from the pocket. Starters are marked with an asterisk (*). WVU scored late for the 34-21 final. Mural Art LLC-Wall Murals and Fine Art. The Trojans swiftly got the ball back and the crowd roared for their hero Peete to tie the game. There were lumps in the throats of the Irish fans in the stands, but not in the throats of the Irish players. [7] Holtz was named national coach of the year for taking the Irish squad from an 8-4 record the previous year to national title winners the following year. [11] Coach Lou Holtz used three separate quarterbacks in the second quarter and four total in the game. [18] The Irish offense quickly followed with three touchdowns on their first three offensive possessions. Everyones eyes turned to October 15, 1988. Join our linker program. [17] One positive Lou Holtz saw was the play of the defense. Rice seemed to be improving as a passer. 3 ranked West Virginia Mountaineers in the Sunkist Fiesta Bowl . The Irish next traveled to East Lansing to meet the Spartans, and confront George Perles beloved stunt 4-3. The Irish scored early and often as Notre Dame dazzled their home crowd of 59,075 with a 54-11 victory. The roster, scoring and goaltender statistics for the 1988-89 Notre Dame playing in the NCAA. [13] After a stalled Irish drive, the Panthers got the ball back and took a 7-0 lead on a Dickerson touchdown. The Fighting Irish are expected to be led by Marcus Freeman in his second year as Notre Dame's head coach. 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. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Your email address will not be published. The Irish kept grinding, and moved down for a 5 yard running TD by Rodney Culver. Do you have a blog? But there is nothing that gets the juices flowing in the Notre Dame community quite like being the underdog in a big game. We're not a very good team right now. /** * Error Protection API: WP_Paused_Extensions_Storage class * * @package * @since 5.2.0 */ /** * Core class used for storing paused extensions. Baumann of the Mountaineers added a field goal before halftime and the Fiesta Bowl scoreboard read: Notre Dame 23-West Virginia 6. Read more about our data coverage. [14][15], A potential letdown after defeating 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. Collected 28 ground balls, recorded six draw controls and caused 24 turnovers. 3 ranked West Virginia Mountaineers in the Sunkist Fiesta Bowl in . It was also the 24th time No. Ol Port Arthur Jimmy, high school classmate of Janis Joplin, had that smirk, and the talent to back it up. Brown 11-yard pass from Walsh (pass failed), Smagala 64-yard interception return (kick failed). In a desultory, but WINNING performance, the Irish squeaked by, 22-7, validating Holtz mantra Im scared to death of the University of Navy. That very evening, unbeaten UCLA fell to Washington State, clearing the logjam for the USC-Notre Dame game Thanksgiving weekend in Los Angeles. the Noles celebrated with typical class and grace, making a rap video. Rocket Ismail not only had it he was it.. [16] Air Force quarterback Dee Dowis took his team inside the Irish 20 on the game's first offensive drive. With a fourth and three at his own 46, Johnson went to an old standby, the fake punt. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. The Irish had struggled with Darnell Dickerson. tamar July 1, 2020 Wiring Diagram No Comments. [11] Notre Dame scored early and often, starting with a 38-yard Rice option run for a touchdown. notre dame football roster 1988. [16], Air Force opened the game with an impressive ground attack. 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. Fighting Irish. Later, each had a son who would play for Notre Dame. notre dame football roster 1988. city of fresno watering schedule april 2021 . Brown 11-yard pass from Walsh (pass failed), Smagala 64-yard interception return (kick failed), This page was last edited on 14 April 2023, at 14:48. "[13], Notre Dame struggled to contain Panther quarterback Darnell Dickerson, who at times had 10 seconds or more per play. See our list of forfeits and vacated games for more details. [11], Tony Rice rushed for two touchdowns and passed for a third to lead the Fighting Irish to a 42-14 blowout of Stanford. [7] Irish head coaches Frank Leahy, Ara Parseghian and Dan Devine also won titles in their third years as head coach. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? This was the first time a team scored by returning a failed conversion in NCAA Div I history (the rule allowing for the defense to score this way instituted at the start of the 1988-89 season). [18] Junior fullback Anthony Johnson rushed for two of Notre Dame's seven TDs, while Tony Brooks and Rodney Culver also added touchdowns. Conference. Early in the game, with the Irish backed up in their own end zone, Rice went back deep into the end zone and uncorked a beatury to Ismail, putting the Irish out of harms way. 1 Miami 31-30", http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1067906/index.htm, "25 years of college football's memorable games", https://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/football/2007-11-29-25-memorable-moments_N.htm, "COLLEGE FOOTBALL; Unbeaten Notre Dame Posts 7th Victory", https://www.nytimes.com/1988/10/23/sports/college-football-unbeaten-notre-dame-posts-7th-victory.html, http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,968941,00.html, https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/24843840.html?dids=24843840:24843840&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Oct+30%2C+1988&author=Associated+Press&pub=Chicago+Tribune+(pre-1997+Fulltext)&edition=&startpage=1&desc=NOTRE+DAME+ROLLS+ON%2C+STOMPS+NAVY, https://www.nytimes.com/1988/11/20/sports/college-football-10-0-irish-send-penn-state-to-5-6.html, "2006 USC Media Guide: USC Football History", https://web.archive.org/web/20080524023557/http://graphics.fansonly.com/schools/usc/graphics/media-guides/06-footbl/05fbguide208.pdf, "SPORTS OF THE TIMES; Lou Holtz of Notre Dame Raps the Gavel Again", https://www.nytimes.com/1988/11/27/sports/sports-of-the-times-lou-holtz-of-notre-dame-raps-the-gavel-again.html?pagewanted=all, "2007 Notre Dame Media Guide: 2007 Supplement (page 165)", https://web.archive.org/web/20080511143720/http://www.cstv.com/auto_pdf/p_hotos/s_chools/nd/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/Football-Supplement-07, "Paul "Bear" Bryant College Football Coaching Awards", http://www.americanheart.org/downloadable/heart/11950567165420708%20BB%20Previous%20Winners.pdf, http://www.sportswriters.net/fwaa/awards/robinson/index.html, https://footballfoundation.org/hof_search.aspx, https://web.archive.org/web/20080724182537/http://www.footballdb.com/index.html, Pages containing cite templates with deprecated parameters, Pages using CFB schedule with named parameters, 1988 NCAA Division I-A independents football season, Notre Dame Fighting Irish football seasons, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, 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. 1988 Notre Dame 12 0 National Champions Web The 1. [13] Reggie Ho scored a 37-yard field goal to give the Irish a 17-14 half time lead. As a matter of policy, Sports Reference only reports the results of games as played on the field. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. [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. Howdy! [16] The ball popped free and Terrell recovered the fumble at the Notre Dame 16. [21] 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. That Notre Dame stuffed. Rocket Ismail was the fastest human ever to play at Notre Dame, he was elusive, and he loved the game. Die Hard was the top movie in 1988 and Los Angelenos thought the Coliseum was Nakitomi Plaza, that Larry Smith was Bruce Willis John McClain and that Lou Holtz would wind up like Hans Gruber.. Objective Keith Jackson was calling the game. [21] In the second quarter, Notre Dame drove 60 yards in five plays to go ahead, 14-0. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Rice ran in the two point conversions and it was a clinching 34-13. Suddenly, Michigan had a 14-13 lead. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. Ho notched his third field goal early in the fourth quarter and the Irish led 16-14.. It was a twin gusher of testosterone and adrenaline. Continuing with the celebration of college football's 150th season, ESPN recently put together a list of the 150 best teams of all time. [1] They also won 10 of 12 games by double digits. 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. 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. Oh, the Florida State Seminoles were ranked #1 in the preseason polls. They started slowly, driving for a 45 yard field goal by Billy Hackett. It seemed that destiny required this moment. 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. [13] 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. Notre Dame and USC entered the game undefeated and ranked number one and two respectively for the first time ever in their storied series. [13] Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. [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. [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. [23] The USC Trojans were having a great season under head coach Larry Smith and standout quarterback Rodney Peete. Time had seemed to stop. [16] But Notre Dame matched that by going 71 yards to score on Mark Green's 7-yard touchdown run. "We could have won the game," said Panther coach Mike Gottfried, "but we made just enough mistakes to lose it. Record: 12-0 (1st of 105) ( Schedule & Results ) Rank: 1st in the Final AP poll. But the Noles will always have that rap video!! Fiutak, Pete; Cirminiello, Richard; Harris, John; Zemek, Matthew (2006-08-28). [24] Notre Dame started out fast with Tony Rice surprising the crowd by throwing deep to Raghib Ismail on the first play of scrimmage. Conference: Ind. [21] Ismail was so wide open, he scored even though he had to wait for Rice's underthrown pass. Do you have a blog? [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. Later in the quarter the Irish marched to the USC goal line and Mark Green punched it in for the 14-0 lead. NYTimes. The Irish were in gear, and led 31-6 at the half, finishing with a 54-11 win. Later, the Cave family of Mishawaka would name their baby boy Braxston after Banks. [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. [16] One of the highlights was a 50-yard halfback pass late in the third quarter thrown by 3rd-string quarterback Steve Belles. "Notre Dame 20, Michigan State 3". Then Rice threw a beautiful crossing pattern to Rocket Ismail for a 29 yard TD pass and a 23-3 lead. [7] In addition to Reggie Ho's game winner, the Irish kicker scored 3 other field goals. [18] Ismail became the first Notre Dame player to return two kick-offs for touchdowns in a game since Paul Castner in 1922 against Kalamazoo.