1988 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team

American college football season

1988 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football

Consensus national champion
Fiesta Bowl champion

Fiesta Bowl, W 34–21 vs. West Virginia

Conference| Independent
Ranking
Coaches| No. 1
AP| No. 1
Record| 12–0
Head coach|

* Lou Holtz (3rd season)

Offensive scheme| Option
Defensive coordinator| Barry Alvarez (1st season)
Base defense| 5–2
Captains|

* Ned Bolcar
* Andy Heck
* Mark Green

Home stadium| Notre Dame Stadium

Seasons

← 1987

1989 →

1988 NCAA Division I-A independents football records

* v
* t
* e

| Conf. |  |  | Overall

|
|
|
|

Team | W |   | L |   | T |  |  | W |   | L |   | T
No. 1 Notre Dame |   | – |   | – |   |  |  | 12  | – | 0  | – | 0
No. 2 Miami (FL) |   | – |   | – |   |  |  | 11  | – | 1  | – | 0
No. 3 Florida State |   | – |   | – |   |  |  | 11  | – | 1  | – | 0
No. 5 West Virginia |   | – |   | – |   |  |  | 11  | – | 1  | – | 0
Southern Miss |   | – |   | – |   |  |  | 10  | – | 2  | – | 0
No. 13 Syracuse |   | – |   | – |   |  |  | 10  | – | 2  | – | 0
Army |   | – |   | – |   |  |  | 9  | – | 3  | – | 0
Louisville |   | – |   | – |   |  |  | 8  | – | 3  | – | 0
South Carolina |   | – |   | – |   |  |  | 8  | – | 4  | – | 0
Northern Illinois |   | – |   | – |   |  |  | 7  | – | 4  | – | 0
Pittsburgh |   | – |   | – |   |  |  | 6  | – | 5  | – | 0
Memphis State |   | – |   | – |   |  |  | 6  | – | 5  | – | 0
Southwestern Louisiana |   | – |   | – |   |  |  | 6  | – | 5  | – | 0
Rutgers |   | – |   | – |   |  |  | 5  | – | 6  | – | 0
Akron |   | – |   | – |   |  |  | 5  | – | 6  | – | 0
Penn State |   | – |   | – |   |  |  | 5  | – | 6  | – | 0
Tulane |   | – |   | – |   |  |  | 5  | – | 6  | – | 0
Temple |   | – |   | – |   |  |  | 4  | – | 7  | – | 0
Tulsa |   | – |   | – |   |  |  | 4  | – | 7  | – | 0
Boston College |   | – |   | – |   |  |  | 3  | – | 8  | – | 0
Cincinnati |   | – |   | – |   |  |  | 3  | – | 8  | – | 0
East Carolina |   | – |   | – |   |  |  | 3  | – | 8  | – | 0
Navy |   | – |   | – |   |  |  | 3  | – | 8  | – | 0
Virginia Tech |   | – |   | – |   |  |  | 3  | – | 8  | – | 0
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1988 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame as an independent during the 1988 NCAA Division I-A football season. Led by third-year head coach Lou Holtz, the fighting Irish compiled a perfect record of 12–0, winning the national championship. Notre Dame won the title by defeating the previously unbeaten and No. 3-ranked West Virginia Mountaineers in the Fiesta Bowl by a score of 34–21. The 1988 squad, one of 11 national title squads for the Irish, is considered to be one of the best teams in the history of college football.[1] The Irish beat the teams which finished the season ranked No. 2, No. 4, No. 5, and No. 7 in the AP poll.[1] They also won 10 of 12 games by double digits.[1] On October 15, Notre Dame upset the top-ranked Miami Hurricanes, ending their 36-game regular season winning streak.[2] The 1988 Notre Dame vs. Miami football game is considered one most memorable games in all of college football history.[3][4][5]

## Schedule

[edit]

Date| Time| Opponent| Rank| Site| TV| Result| Attendance| Source

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

September 10| 8:00 p.m.| No. 9 Michigan| No. 13|

* Notre Dame Stadium
* Notre Dame, IN (rivalry)

| CBS| W 19–17| 59,075| [6]
September 17| 11:00 a.m.| at Michigan State| No. 8|

* Spartan Stadium
* East Lansing, MI (rivalry)

| ABC| W 20–3| 77,472| [7]
September 24| 12:00 p.m.| Purdue| No. 8|

* Notre Dame Stadium
* Notre Dame, IN (rivalry)

| | W 52–7| 59,075| [8]
October 1| 7:00 p.m.| Stanford| No. 5|

* Notre Dame Stadium
* Notre Dame, IN (rivalry)

| ESPN| W 42–21| 59,075| [9]
October 8| 3:00 p.m.| at Pittsburgh| No. 5|

* Pitt Stadium
* Pittsburgh, PA (rivalry)

| ESPN| W 30–20| 56,500| [10]
October 15| 1:30 p.m.| No. 1 Miami (FL)| No. 4|

* Notre Dame Stadium
* Notre Dame, IN (Catholics vs. Convicts) (rivalry)

| CBS| W 31–30| 59,075| [11]
October 22| 12:00 p.m.| Air Force| No. 2|

* Notre Dame Stadium
* Notre Dame, IN (rivalry)

| | W 41–13| 59,075| [12]
October 29| 11:00 a.m.| vs. Navy| No. 2|

* Memorial Stadium
* Baltimore, MD (rivalry)

| | W 22–7| 54,929| [13]
November 5| 12:00 p.m.| Rice| No. 1|

* Notre Dame Stadium
* Notre Dame, IN

| WGN-TV| W 54–11| 59,075| [14]
November 19| 12:00 p.m.| Penn State| No. 1|

* Notre Dame Stadium
* Notre Dame, IN (rivalry)

| CBS| W 21–3| 59,075| [15]
November 26| 3:30 p.m.| at No. 2 USC| No. 1|

* Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
* Los Angeles, CA (rivalry)

| ABC| W 27–10| 93,829| [16]
January 2, 1989| 4:30 p.m.| vs. No. 3 West Virginia| No. 1|

* Sun Devil Stadium
* Tempe, AZ (Fiesta Bowl)

| NBC| W 34–21| 74,911| [17]

* Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
* All times are in Eastern time

## Rankings

[edit]

Further information: 1988 NCAA Division I-A football rankings

Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
( ) = First-place votes| Week

|

Poll| Pre| 1| 2| 3| 4| 5| 6| 7| 8| 9| 10| 11| 12| 13| 14| 15| Final
AP| 13 (1)| 13| 13| 8| 8| 5| 5| 4| 2 (22)| 2 (19)| 1 (44)| 1 (42)| 1 (40)| 1 (35)| 1 (57)| 1 (49)| 1 (58 1⁄2)
Coaches| 12| 12| 11| 9| 8| 5| 5| 4| 2 (10)| 2 (8)| 1 (30)| 1 (32)| 1 (31)| 1 (29)| 1 (42)| 1 (42)| 1 (42)

[18]

## Game summaries

[edit]

### Michigan

[edit]

#9 Michigan at #13 Notre Dame

Team | 1 | 2| 3| 4| Total

|
|
|
|
|

No. 9 Wolverines | 0 | 7| 7| 3 | 17
• No. 13 Fighting Irish | 10 | 3| 0| 6 | 19

* Date: September 10
* Location: Notre Dame Stadium,
South Bend, IN
* Game start: 8:00 PM EST
* Game attendance: 59,075
* TV announcers (CBS): Brent Musburger, Pat Haden, and John Dockery

Scoring summary

1| 10:11| ND| Watters 81-yard punt return (Ho kick)| ND 7-0
1| | ND| Ho 31-yard field goal| ND 10-0
2| | ND| Ho 38-yard field goal| ND 13-0
2| 8:29| MICH| Hoard 1-yard run (Gillette kick)| ND 13-7
3| 4:44| MICH| Taylor 1-yard run (Gillette kick)| MICH 14-13
4| | ND| Ho 26-yard field goal| ND 16-14
4| | MICH| Gillette 49-yard field goal| MICH 17-16
4| 1:13| ND| Ho 26-yard field goal| ND 19-17

See also: 1988 Michigan Wolverines football team and Michigan–Notre Dame football rivalry

13th ranked Notre Dame debuted its season against No. 9 Michigan in Notre Dame Stadium.[19] In a 19-17 thriller, walk-on kicker Reggie Ho kicked a 26-yard field goal winner with 1:13 remaining.[19] Lou Holtz's concerns about his youthful offense and green receivers were realized as the Irish offense did not score a single offensive touchdown.[19] In addition to Reggie Ho's game winner, the Irish kicker scored 3 other field goals.[20] The lone touchdown from Notre Dame came from a Ricky Watters punt return, an 81-yard runback.[20] 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.[20]

### At Michigan State

[edit]

#8 Notre Dame at Michigan State

Team | 1 | 2| 3| 4| Total

|
|
|
|
|

• No. 8 Fighting Irish | 0 | 6| 7| 7 | 20
Spartans | 3 | 0| 0| 0 | 3

* Date: September 17
* Location: Spartan Stadium,
East Lansing, MI
* Game start: 11:00 AM EST
* Game attendance: 77,472
* TV announcers (ABC): Gary Bender, Dick Vermeil and Becky Dixon

Scoring summary

Q1| | MSU| Langeloh 39 yard field goal| MSU 3–0
Q2| | ND| Ho 31 yard field goal| Tie 3–3
Q2| | ND| Ho 22 yard field goal| ND 6–3
Q3| | ND| Rice 8 yard run (Ho kick)| ND 13–3
Q4| | ND| Stonebreaker 39 yard interception return (Ho kick)| ND 20–3

See also: 1988 Michigan State Spartans football team and Michigan State–Notre Dame football rivalry

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.[21] Notre Dame struggled early in the contest, accumulating only 50 yards running on 21 carries.[21] 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.[21] 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.[21] 156 yards came on 19 carries in the third quarter alone.[21] Tony Rice ran for an 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.[21] The star of the game was Notre Dame's defense, which held the Spartans to 89 yards rushing for the game.[21] Running back Mark Green led the Irish rushing attack with 125 yards on the ground.[22]

### Purdue

[edit]

Purdue at #8 Notre Dame

Team | 1 | 2| 3| 4| Total

|
|
|
|
|

Boilermakers | 0 | 0| 0| 7 | 7
• No. 8 Fighting Irish | 14 | 28| 3| 7 | 52

* Date: September 24
* Location: Notre Dame Stadium,
South Bend, IN
* Game start: 12:00 PM EST
* Game attendance: 59,075
* Television network: WGN-TV

* Source: [1]

Scoring summary

1| | ND| Rice 38-yard run (Ho kick)| ND 7-0
1| | ND| Brown 8-yard pass from Rice (Ho kick)| ND 14-0
2| | ND| Ismail 54-yard pass from Rice (Ho kick)| ND 21-0
2| | ND| Green 7-yard run (Ho kick)| ND 28-0
2| | ND| Watters 66-yard punt return (Ho kick)| ND 35-0
2| | ND| Brooks 34-yard pass from Belles (Ho kick)| ND 42-0
3| | ND| Hackett 44-yard field goal| ND 45-0
4| | ND| Culver 36-yard run (Hackett kick)| ND 52-0
4| | PUR| C. Williams 10-yard pass from Fox (Sullivan kick)| ND 52-7

See also: 1988 Purdue Boilermakers football team and Notre Dame–Purdue football rivalry

Tony Rice passed for two touchdowns and ran for another as Notre Dame shredded Purdue 52–7.[23] 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.[23] Notre Dame scored early and often, starting with a 38-yard Rice option run for a touchdown.[23] Tony Rice's first passing touchdown on the year was an 8-yarder to freshman tight end Derek Brown.[23] The Irish exploded for 28 points in the second quarter, highlighted by a 54-yard Rice touchdown pass to Rocket Ismail.[23] Tailback Mark Green added a 7-yard touchdown run and Ricky Watters returned a punt 66 yards for a score.[23] Coach Lou Holtz used three separate quarterbacks in the second quarter and four total in the game.[23] 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.[23] 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.[23] Purdue's lone touchdown was a fourth quarter 7-yard pass from Brian Fox to Calvin Williams.[23] The Irish improved to 3-0 while the Boilermakers dropped to 1–2 on the year.[23]

### Stanford

[edit]

Stanford at #5 Notre Dame

Team | 1 | 2| 3| 4| Total

|
|
|
|
|

Cardinal | 0 | 7| 7| 7 | 21
• No. 5 Fighting Irish | 6 | 22| 7| 7 | 42

* Date: October 1
* Location: Notre Dame Stadium,
South Bend, IN
* Game start: 7:00 PM EST
* Game attendance: 59,075
* Television network: ESPN

See also: 1988 Stanford Cardinal football team and Notre Dame–Stanford football rivalry

Tony Rice rushed for two touchdowns and passed for a third to lead the Fighting Irish to a 42-14 blowout of Stanford.[24] Rice completed 11 of 14 passes for 129 yards and rushed for 107 yards.[24] 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.[24] 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.[24] Freshman standout tight end Derek Brown added the Irish's sole passing touchdown in the 3rd quarter.[24] The Irish defense stymied the Cardinal, holding them to just 111 yards in the first half.[24]

### At Pittsburgh

[edit]

#5 Notre Dame at Pittsburgh

Team | 1 | 2| 3| 4| Total

|
|
|
|
|

• No. 5 Fighting Irish | 14 | 3| 6| 7 | 30
Panthers | 7 | 7| 3| 3 | 20

* Date: October 8
* Location: Pitt Stadium,
Pittsburgh, PA
* Game start: 3:00 PM EST
* Game attendance: 56,500

See also: 1988 Pittsburgh Panthers football team and Notre Dame–Pittsburgh football rivalry

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.[25] The 30–20 victory in the rain did little to inspire confidence that Notre Dame could beat No. 1 Miami the following week.[25] 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.[25] "We could have won the game," said Panther coach Mike Gottfried, "but we made just enough mistakes to lose it."[25]

Notre Dame struggled to contain Panther quarterback Darnell Dickerson, who at times had 10 seconds or more per play.[25] 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.[25] After a stalled Irish drive, the Panthers got the ball back and took a 7–0 lead on a Dickerson touchdown.[25] 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.[25] Tony Rice scored on a 2-yard keeper to tie the game 7-7.[25] 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.[25] Reggie Ho scored a 37-yard field goal to give the Irish a 17-14 half time lead.[25]

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.[25] But a late 12 men on the field penalty against the Panthers gave the Irish new life.[25] 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.[25] Tony Rice went 8-14 passing for the game and a third quarter Braxston Banks touchdown gave the Irish the lead for good.[25]

### Miami

[edit]

#1 Miami (FL) at #4 Notre Dame

Team | 1 | 2| 3| 4| Total

|
|
|
|
|

No. 1 Hurricanes | 0 | 21| 0| 9 | 30
• No. 4 Fighting Irish | 7 | 14| 10| 0 | 31

* Date: October 15
* Location: Notre Dame Stadium,
South Bend IN
* Game start: 1:30 PM EST
* Game attendance: 59,075
* TV announcers (CBS): Brent Musburger, Pat Haden, and John Dockery

* Source:

Scoring summary

1| 3:36| ND| Rice 7-yard run (Ho kick)| ND 7-0
2| 12:40| Miami| A. Brown 8-yard pass from Walsh (Huerta kick)| Tied 7-7
2| 7:34| ND| B. Banks 8-yard pass from Rice (Ho kick)| ND 14-7
2| | ND| Pat Terrell 60-yard interception return (Ho kick)| ND 21-7
2| 2:16| Miami| Conley 23-yard pass from Walsh (Huerta kick)| ND 21-14
2| 0:21| Miami| C. Gary 15-yard pass from Walsh (Huerta kick)| Tied 21-21
3| 8:09| ND| P. Eilers 3-yard run (Ho kick)| ND 28-21
3| 0:37| ND| Ho 27-yard field goal| ND 31-21
4| 13:07| Miami| Huerta 23-yard field goal| ND 31-24
4| 0:45| Miami| A. Brown 11-yard pass from Walsh (pass failed)| ND 31-30

Main article: 1988 Notre Dame vs. Miami football game

See also: 1988 Miami Hurricanes football team

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".[26][27]

### Air Force

[edit]

Air Force at #2 Notre Dame

Team | 1 | 2| 3| 4| Total

|
|
|
|
|

Falcons | 6 | 7| 0| 0 | 13
• No. 2 Fighting Irish | 6 | 14| 14| 7 | 41

* Date: October 22
* Location: Notre Dame Stadium,
South Bend, IN
* Game start: 12:00 PM EST
* Game attendance: 59,075
* Television network: WGN-TV

See also: 1988 Air Force Falcons football team

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.[28] Coach Holtz admitted he was scared all week of a potential upset of his young Notre Dame squad.[28] 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.[28] Falcons coach Fisher DeBerry's squad had the best ground gaining offense in the nation.[28] 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.[28]

Air Force opened the game with an impressive ground attack.[28] Air Force quarterback Dee Dowis took his team inside the Irish 20 on the game's first offensive drive.[28] But Pat Terrell, the defensive hero of last week's victory over Miami, stepped into the spotlight again, this time with Stan Smagala.[28] Albert Booker, an Air Force halfback, was carrying the ball on second down when Smagala hit him hard.[28] The ball popped free and Terrell recovered the fumble at the Notre Dame 16.[28] After the turnover, Air Force answered with its first field goal by Steve Yarborough from 22 yards out.[28] But Notre Dame matched that by going 71 yards to score on Mark Green's 7-yard touchdown run.[28] In the second quarter, The Irish continued to run the ball, with quarterback Tony Rice and running back Anthony Johnson both running for touchdowns.[28] Air Force answered before the end of the half with a touchdown to cut Notre Dame's lead to just seven points.[28]

The third quarter was all Irish, as five Irish running backs combined for 283 yards, all running for 23 yards or more.[28] One of the highlights was a 50-yard halfback pass late in the third quarter thrown by 3rd-string quarterback Steve Belles.[28] In at running back, Belles took a pitch from Tony Rice, stepped back to his right and threw to a wide open Ricky Watters.[28] The flanker took the ball inside the Air Force 10 and battled his way just over the goal line late in the third quarter.[28] 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.[28] 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.[28]

### At Navy

[edit]

#2 Notre Dame at Navy

Team | 1 | 2| 3| 4| Total

|
|
|
|
|

• No. 2 Fighting Irish | 7 | 9| 6| 0 | 22
Midshipmen | 0 | 0| 7| 0 | 7

* Date: October 29
* Location: Memorial Stadium,
Baltimore, MD
* Game start: 11:00 AM EST
* Game attendance: 54,929

See also: 1988 Navy Midshipmen football team and Navy–Notre Dame football rivalry

Although unbeaten and No. 2 Notre Dame posted its 25th consecutive victory of the Naval Academy, coach Lou Holtz was not happy.[29] "We couldn't control the line of scrimmage," Holtz said after the victory.[29] "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."[29] 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.[30] 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.[31] 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.[29] One positive Lou Holtz saw was the play of the defense.[29] "Our defense played really well, but was on the field too long."[29] Notre Dame amassed 396 total yards and held Navy to 192 yards, the lowest for an Irish opponent this year.[29]

### Rice

[edit]

Rice at #1 Notre Dame

Team | 1 | 2| 3| 4| Total

|
|
|
|
|

Owls | 3 | 3| 0| 5 | 11
• No. 1 Fighting Irish | 14 | 17| 7| 16 | 54

* Date: November 5
* Location: Notre Dame Stadium,
South Bend, IN
* Game start: 12:00 PM EST
* Game attendance: 59,075
* Television network: WGN-TV

See also: 1988 Rice Owls football team

The Irish scored early and often as Notre Dame dazzled their home crowd of 59,075 with a 54–11 victory.[30] 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.[30] The Irish offense quickly followed with three touchdowns on their first three offensive possessions.[30] Junior fullback Anthony Johnson rushed for two of Notre Dame's seven TDs, while Tony Brooks and Rodney Culver also added touchdowns.[30] Late in the game, after Rice's third field goal made the score 38–9, Rocket Ismail returned the ensuing kickoff 83 yards for another touchdown.[30] Ismail became the first Notre Dame player to return two kick-offs for touchdowns in a game since Paul Castner in 1922 against Kalamazoo.[32] 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. 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).

### Penn State

[edit]

Penn State at #1 Notre Dame

Team | 1 | 2| 3| 4| Total

|
|
|
|
|

Nittany Lions | 0 | 3| 0| 0 | 3
• No. 1 Fighting Irish | 7 | 7| 7| 0 | 21

* Date: November 19
* Location: Notre Dame Stadium,
South Bend, IN
* Game start: 12:00 PM EST
* Game attendance: 59,075
* TV announcers (CBS): Tim Brant, John Dockery and Lesley Visser

See also: 1988 Penn State Nittany Lions football team

The Irish came into the game at 9-0 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.[33] 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.[33] 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.[33] Reggie Ho's extra point made it 7–0.[33] In the second quarter, Notre Dame drove 60 yards in five plays to go ahead, 14–0.[33] 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.[33] 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.[33] Penn State's only score came on the last play of the first half, when Eric Etze kicked a 52-yard field goal.[33]

After leading by 14–3 at halftime, Notre Dame struck quickly for its final score in the third quarter.[33] On first down after a Penn State punt, Tony Rice threw a 67-yard touchdown pass to Raghib Ismail.[33] It was the first time the Fighting Irish had thrown deep all game, and the long pass caught Penn State defensive backs off guard.[33] Ismail was so wide open, he scored even though he had to wait for Rice's underthrown pass.[33] After making the catch at Penn State's 20-yard line, Ismail broke Eddie Johnson's attempted tackle and jogged into the end zone.[33] The win set the stage for the next week's showdown vs. USC, the final hurdle to the national championship game.

### At USC

[edit]

#1 Notre Dame at #2 USC

Team | 1 | 2| 3| 4| Total

|
|
|
|
|

• No. 1 Fighting Irish | 14 | 6| 0| 7 | 27
No. 2 Trojans | 0 | 7| 3| 0 | 10

* Date: November 26
* Location: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum,
Los Angeles, CA
* Game start: 3:30 EST
* Game attendance: 93,829
* Referee: Bill Richardson
* TV announcers (ABC): Keith Jackson, Bob Griese, and Mike Adamle

* Source: [2]

Scoring summary

1| 10:08| ND| Rice 65-yard run (Ho kick)| ND 7-0
1| | ND| Green 2-yard run (Ho kick)| ND 14-0
2| 2:24| USC| Lockwood 1-yard run (Rodriguez kick)| ND 14-7
2| 0:41| ND| Smagala 64-yard interception return (kick failed)| ND 20-7
3| | USC| Rodriguez 36-yard field goal| ND 20-10
4| 11:55| ND| Green 1-yard run (Ho kick)| ND 27-10

See also: 1988 USC Trojans football team, Notre Dame–USC football rivalry, and Jeweled Shillelagh

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.[19][34] 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.[35] The USC Trojans were having a great season under head coach Larry Smith and standout quarterback Rodney Peete.[34] 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.[36] Notre Dame started out fast with Tony Rice surprising the crowd by throwing deep to Raghib Ismail on Notre Dame’s first play of scrimmage. On the next drive, 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.[34]

### Fiesta Bowl

[edit]

1989 Sunkist Fiesta Bowl: #3 West Virginia vs. #1 Notre Dame

Team | 1 | 2| 3| 4| Total

|
|
|
|
|

No. 3 Mountaineers | 0 | 6| 7| 8 | 21
• No. 1 Fighting Irish | 9 | 14| 3| 8 | 34

* Date: January 2
* Location: Sun Devil Stadium,
Tempe, AZ
* Game start: 4:30 PM EST
* Game attendance: 74,911
* TV announcers (NBC): Dick Enberg, Merlin Olsen and Reggie Rucker

See also: 1988 West Virginia Mountaineers football team and 1989 Fiesta Bowl

## Aftermath

[edit]

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.[19] Irish head coaches Frank Leahy, Ara Parseghian and Dan Devine also won titles in their third years as head coach.[19] 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.[19] His 1989 and 1993 squads narrowly missed repeating the feat.[19]

As of 2024, the 1988 Irish squad is also the most recent to win the national title.[19]

## Roster

[edit]

1988 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team roster

Players  | Coaches
Offense | Pos. | # | Name | Class

|
|
|

WR | `80` | Steve Alaniz | Sr
WR | `--` | Brad Alge | Sr
OT | `72` | Joe Allen | So
G | `--` | Shawn Anderson | Jr
WR | `--` | Jeff Baker | Fr
OT | `--` | Norm Balentine | So
RB | `39` | Braxston Banks | Jr
QB | `8` | Steve Belles | Sr
RB | `--` | Walter Boyd | Fr
G | `64` | Mike Brennan | Sr
RB | `40` | Tony Brooks | So
OT | `71` | Dean Brown | Jr
TE | `86` | Derek Brown | Fr
RB | `5` | Rodney Culver | Fr
WR | `--` | Shawn Davis | Fr
WR | `--` | Mike Denisoff | Jr
WR | `--` | James Dillard | So
WR | `--` | Ray Dumas | Sr
WR | `13` | Pat Eilers | Sr
WR | `--` | Patrick Fallon | Jr
WR | `--` | Steve Fortunato | Fr
RB | `32` | Mike Gatti | Sr
G | `61` | Tom Gorman | Sr
QB | `17` | Kent Graham | So
QB | `11` | Pete Graham | Sr
RB | `24` | Mark Green | Sr
G | `75` | Tim Grunhard | Jr
OT | `73` | Justin Hall | Fr
G | `--` | Ted Healy | Jr
OT | `66` | Andy Heck | Sr
C | `55` | Mike Heldt | So
C | `--` | Karl Hickey | Fr
WR | `--` | Chet Hollister | Fr
RB | `25` | Raghib Ismail | Fr
TE | `88` | Frank Jacobs | So
RB | `41` | Joe Jarosz | Sr
RB | `22` | Anthony Johnson | Jr
OT | `--` | Chuck Killian | Sr
C | `--` | Jim Kinsherf | So
OT | `--` | Lindsay Knapp | Fr
OT | `--` | Marty Lippincott | Sr
G | `--` | George Marshall | So
C | `76` | Gene McGuire | Fr
RB | `--` | Ted McNamara | Jr
QB | `--` | Mike Miadich | Fr
RB | `35` | Ryan Mihalko | So
QB | `--` | Trevor Moriarty | Fr
C | `--` | Dave Prinzivalli | Jr
QB | `9` | Tony Rice | Jr
WR | `21` | Aaron Robb | Sr
G | `52` | Tim Ryan | So
G | `53` | Winston Sandri | So
RB | `--` | Rusty Setzer | Fr
G | `--` | Brian Shannon | So
WR | `28` | Rod Smith | Fr
WR | `--` | Tony Smith | Fr
RB | `--` | Kenny Spears | Fr
WR | `12` | Ricky Watters | So
TE | `43` | Rod West | Jr
OT | `--` | Darryl Wodecki | So
Defense | Pos. | # | Name | Class

|
|
|

DE | `97` | Arnold Ale | Fr
DT | `90` | Jeff Alm | Jr
CB | `--` | Jerry Bodine | So
LB | `47` | Ned Bolcar | Sr
LB | `--` | Scott Bufton | Sr
DT | `--` | Mike Callan | So
DT | `--` | Michael Crounse | Jr
DT | `93` | Bob Dahl | So
SS | `26` | Greg Davis | So
DT | `--` | Marc deManigold | Fr
FS | `--` | Doug DiOrio | Jr
SS | `--` | Marc Dobbins | Jr
SS | `--` | Rich Earley | Jr
LB | `--` | Joe Farrell | Jr
DT | `--` | Ted FitzGerald | Jr
DT | `92` | Bryan Flannery | Jr
DT | `--` | John Foley | Jr
CB | `32` | D'Juan Francisco | Sr
DE | `38` | Flash Gordon | Sr
LB | `36` | Donn Grimm | So
CB | `--` | David Jandric | Jr
DE | `7` | Andre Jones | So
DT | `74` | Mirko Jurkovic | Fr
DE | `37` | Scott Kowalkowski | So
CB | `--` | Antwon Lark | So
CB | `1` | Todd Lyght | So
DT | `--` | Bernard Mannelly | Fr
CB | `--` | Dan McDevitt | Sr
DE | `--` | Devon McDonald | Fr
DE | `--` | Kevin McShane | Jr
DT | `--` | Mark Nigro | Sr
FS | `--` | George Poorman | Fr
LB | `34` | Wes Pritchett | Sr
CB | `--` | Rick Purcell | Jr
LB | `--` | Troy Ridgely | Fr
DT | `--` | Steve Roddy | Sr
CB | `--` | Bob Satterfield | Sr
FS | `--` | Martin Scruggs | Fr
LB | `--` | Chris Shey | Jr
CB | `29` | Stan Smagala | Jr
LB | `--` | Mike Smalls | Fr
FS | `31` | Corny Southall | Sr
DE | `30` | Frank Stams | Sr
LB | `42` | Mike Stonebreaker | Jr
SS | `27` | George Streeter | Sr
FS | `15` | Pat Terrell | Jr
DT | `69` | George Williams | So
DE | `--` | Kurt Zackrison | Sr
DT | `50` | Chris Zorich | So
Special teams | Pos. | # | Name | Class

|
|
|

P | `--` | Sean Connor | Sr
K | `18` | Billy Hackett | So
P | `14` | Pete Hartweger | Sr
K | `2` | Reggie Ho | Sr
P | `--` | David Munger | Sr
K | `--` | Rusty Ranallo | Fr
P | `16` | Jim Sexton | So

Head coach

* Lou Holtz

Coordinators/assistant coaches

* Barry Alvarez (DC)
* George Stewart (LB)
* Jim Strong (RB)

* * *

Legend

* (C) Team captain
* (S) Suspended
* (I) Ineligible

* Injured
* Redshirt

### Awards and honors

[edit]

All-Americans

Name | AP | UPI | NEA | FC | SN | FW | FN | WCF | CW

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

Frank Stams, DE | 1 | 1 | 2 |  | 2 |  | 1 |  | 2
Andy Heck, OT | 1 | 1 | 1 |  | 1 |  | 1 |  | 2
† Mike Stonebreaker, LB | 1 | 2 | 1 |  | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1
Chris Zorich, DT |  |  | 1 |  |  |  | 3 |  |
Wes Pritchett, LB |  |  |  |  | 2 |  |  |  |
Ricky Watters, FL |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 2
†denotes consensus selection       Source:[19]

Paul "Bear" Bryant Award Coach of the Year

* Lou Holtz[37]

Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award

* Lou Holtz[38]

College Football Hall of Fame inductees

Name  | Position  | Year Inducted

|
|

Lou Holtz | Coach | 2008
Chris Zorich | Defensive Tackle | 2007
Raghib Ismail | Wide Receiver | 2019

Notre Dame leads all universities in players inducted.[39]

### Future NFL players

[edit]

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. All players listed played for the 1988 team.

Name  | Year  | Team  | Round  | Pick

|
|
|
|

Jeff Alm | 1990  | Houston Oilers | 2  | 41
Ned Bolcar | 1990  | Seattle Seahawks | 6  | 146
Mike Brennan | 1990  | Cincinnati Bengals | 4  | 91
Tony Brooks | 1992  | Philadelphia Eagles | 4  | 92
Dean Brown  | 1990  | Indianapolis Colts | 12  | 316
Derek Brown | 1992  | New York Giants | 1  | 14
Rodney Culver | 1992  | Indianapolis Colts | 4  | 85
Bob Dahl | 1991  | Cincinnati Bengals | 3  | 72
D'Juan Francisco  | 1990  | Washington Redskins | 10  | 262
Mark Green | 1989  | Chicago Bears | 5  | 130
Tim Grunhard | 1990  | Kansas City Chiefs | 2  | 40
Andy Heck | 1989  | Seattle Seahawks | 1  | 15
Mike Heldt  | 1991  | San Diego Chargers | 10  | 257
Raghib Ismail | 1991  | Los Angeles Raiders | 4  | 100
Anthony Johnson | 1990  | Indianapolis Colts | 2  | 36
Andre Jones | 1991  | Pittsburgh Steelers | 7  | 185
Mirko Jurkovic | 1992  | Chicago Bears | 9  | 246
Scott Kowalkowski | 1991  | Philadelphia Eagles | 8  | 216
Todd Lyght | 1991  | Los Angeles Rams | 1  | 5
Gene McGuire | 1992  | New Orleans Saints | 4  | 95
Wes Pritchett | 1989  | Miami Dolphins | 6  | 147
Rod Smith | 1992  | New England Patriots | 2  | 35
Frank Stams | 1989  | Los Angeles Rams | 2  | 45
Mike Stonebreaker | 1991  | Chicago Bears |  |
Pat Terrell | 1990  | Los Angeles Rams | 2  | 49
Ricky Watters | 1991  | San Francisco 49ers | 2  | 45
George Williams  | 1992  | Cleveland Browns | 6  | 163
Chris Zorich | 1991  | Chicago Bears | 2  | 49
Pat Eilers | 1990  | Minnesota Vikings |  |
Stan Smagala | 1990  | Dallas Cowboys
George Streeter | 1989  | Chicago Bears |  |

Source:[40]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c McAllister, Mike (January 5, 2005). "Top 10 Perfect Seasons". si.com. Archived from the original on December 18, 2005. Retrieved July 20, 2008.
2. ^ Burns, Marty (July 17, 2007). "Catholics vs. Convicts The Irish pulled out a gritty win over a bitter foe". si.com. Archived from the original on June 29, 2008. Retrieved July 23, 2008.
3. ^ Walters, John (July 21, 2004). Notre Dame Golden Moments. Rutledge Hill Press. ISBN 1-59186-042-3.
4. ^ "College football's best of the last 20 years". usatoday.com. November 19, 2002. Retrieved July 23, 2008.
5. ^ Fiutak, Pete; Cirminiello, Richard; Harris, John; Zemek, Matthew (August 28, 2006). "CFN's Tuesday Question - The All-Time Greatest Regular Season Games". CollegeFootballNews.com. Archived from the original on August 21, 2008. Retrieved July 23, 2008.
6. ^ "Irish magic; Ho's 4 FG's nip Michigan". The Plain Dealer. September 11, 1988. Retrieved May 30, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
7. ^ "Irish run over Spartans, 20–3". The Indianapolis Star. September 18, 1988. Retrieved May 30, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
8. ^ "Irish erupt for 42 points in first half against Purdue". The Kalamazoo Gazette. September 25, 1988. Retrieved May 30, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
9. ^ "Rice, Irish dart past Stanford". Chicago Tribune. October 2, 1988. Retrieved May 30, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
10. ^ "Irish running game tramples Pitt, 30–20". The Orlando Sentinel. October 9, 1988. Retrieved May 30, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
11. ^ "Irish good guys nab public enemy No. 1". The Courier-Journal. October 16, 1988. Retrieved May 30, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
12. ^ "Irish overcome jitters to whip Air Force". The Indianapolis Star. October 23, 1988. Retrieved May 30, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
13. ^ "Lackluster Irish sail past Navy". Detroit Free Press. October 30, 1988. Retrieved May 30, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
14. ^ "'Rocket' puts Notre Dame in orbit". Chicago Tribune. November 6, 1988. Retrieved May 30, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
15. ^ "Notre Dame rips Penn State 21–3". Daily Press. November 20, 1988. Retrieved May 30, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
16. ^ "Rice wins game of dueling quarterbacks". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. November 27, 1988. Retrieved May 30, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
17. ^ "Defense, Rice lead Irish to 8th title". Detroit Free Press. January 3, 1989. Retrieved February 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
18. ^ "Notre Dame 1988 AP Football Rankings". collegepollarchive.com. Retrieved August 26, 2018.
19. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "2007 Notre Dame Media Guide: History and Records (pages 131-175)". und.cstv.com. Archived from the original on June 10, 2008. Retrieved July 10, 2008.
20. ^ a b c White Jr., Gordon S. (September 12, 1988). "Kicking Saves Notre Dame". nytimes.com. Retrieved July 10, 2008.
21. ^ a b c d e f g "Notre Dame 20, Michigan State 3". NYTimes. Associated Press. September 18, 1988.
22. ^ "MIDWEST ROUNDUP;No. 8 Irish Leave Spartans Smartin'". washingtonpost.com. September 18, 1988. p. d.14. Archived from the original on February 1, 2013. Retrieved July 11, 2008.
23. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Notre Dame 52, Purdue 7". NYTimes. Associated Press. September 25, 1988.
24. ^ a b c d e f "Notre Dame (4-0) Rolls, 42-14". New York Times. Associated Press. October 2, 1988.
25. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o White, Gordon S (October 9, 1988). "Undefeated Irish Avert an Upset". New York Times. p. S11.
26. ^ Telander, Rick (October 24, 1988). "Pluck of the Irish – Spunky Notre Dame laid claim to the top spot in the national rankings by outlasting No. 1 Miami 31-30". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on October 25, 2012. Retrieved October 10, 2009.
27. ^ "25 years of college football's memorable games". USA Today. December 1, 2007. Retrieved October 10, 2009.
28. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t White Jr., Gordon S. (October 23, 1988). "COLLEGE FOOTBALL; Unbeaten Notre Dame Posts 7th Victory". nytimes.com. Retrieved July 11, 2008.
29. ^ a b c d e f g "Notre Dame (8-0) Gets by Navy, 22-7". New York Times. Associated Press. October 30, 1988. p. S4.
30. ^ a b c d e f Reed, J.D. (November 21, 1988). "A New Crusade at Notre Dame". Time. Archived from the original on March 4, 2008. Retrieved July 20, 2008.
31. ^ "Notre Dame Rolls On, Stomps on Navy". Chicago Tribune. Associated Press. October 30, 1988. Archived from the original on January 31, 2013. Retrieved July 20, 2008.
32. ^ "Notre Dame 54, Rice 11". New York Times. Associated Press. November 6, 1988. p. S6.
33. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Brown, Clifton (November 20, 1988). "10-0 Irish Send Penn State to 5-6". nytimes.com. Retrieved July 10, 2008.
34. ^ a b c "2006 USC Media Guide: USC Football History" (PDF). usctrojans.cstv.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 24, 2008. Retrieved April 25, 2008.
35. ^ Anderson, Dave (November 27, 1988). "SPORTS OF THE TIMES; Lou Holtz of Notre Dame Raps the Gavel Again". nytimes.com. Retrieved July 10, 2008.
36. ^ "2007 Notre Dame Media Guide: 2007 Supplement (page 165)". und.cstv.com. Archived from the original on May 11, 2008. Retrieved April 26, 2008.
37. ^ "Paul "Bear" Bryant College Football Coaching Awards" (PDF). The American Heart Association. Retrieved July 20, 2007.
38. ^ "Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award". Football Writers Association of America. Archived from the original on January 9, 2008. Retrieved July 20, 2008.
39. ^ "Hall of Fame: Select group by school". College Football Hall of Fame. Football Foundation. Retrieved April 22, 2008.
40. ^ "The Football Database". Archived from the original on July 24, 2008. Retrieved July 21, 2008.

* v
* t
* e

1988 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football—consensus national champions

* Arnold Ale
* Jeff Alm
* Steve Belles
* Ned Bolcar
* Mike Brennan
* Tony Brooks
* Derek Brown
* Rodney Culver
* Bob Dahl
* Pat Eilers
* Pat Fallon
* Bryan Flannery
* Kent Graham
* Mark Green
* Donn Grimm
* Tim Grunhard
* Andy Heck
* Reginald Ho
* Raghib Ismail
* Anthony Johnson
* Andre Jones
* Mirko Jurkovic
* Scott Kowalkowski
* Todd Lyght
* Gene McGuire
* Wes Pritchett
* Tony Rice
* Tim Ryan
* Stan Smagala
* Rod Smith
* Frank Stams
* George Streeter
* Pat Terrell
* Ricky Watters
* Chris Zorich

* Head coach: Lou Holtz

* Assistant coaches: Barry Alvarez
* Vinny Cerrato
* Pete Cordelli
* Chuck Heater
* Joe Moore
* John Palermo
* George Stewart
* Jim Strong

* v
* t
* e

Notre Dame Fighting Irish football

Venues|

* Brownson Hall field (1892?–1899)
* Cartier Field (1899–1928)
* Soldier Field (1929)
* Notre Dame Stadium (1930–present)

Bowls and rivalries|

* Bowl games
* Emerald Isle Classic
* Army
* Boston College
* Michigan
* Michigan State
* Navy
* Northwestern
* Pittsburgh
* Purdue
* Stanford
* USC

Culture and lore|

* History
* Band of the Fighting Irish
* Irish Guard
* Notre Dame Box
* Notre Dame Leprechaun
* "Notre Dame, Our Mother"
* "Notre Dame Victory March"
* Play Like a Champion Today
* Subway Alumni
* T formation
* Tall Grass Game
* 1946 "Game of the Century"
* 1966 "Game of the Century"
* Catholics vs. Convicts
* 30 for 30 film
* 1993 "Game of the Century"
* Bush Push
* Navy ends the drought
* Death of Lizzy Seeberg
* 2020 ACC Championship Game
* The Spirit of Notre Dame
* Knute Rockne, All American
* Notre Dame Football on NBC
* Rudy

People|

* Head coaches
* Starting quarterbacks
* Four Horsemen
* NFL draftees
* Statistical leaders
* Team captains

Seasons|

* 1887
* 1888
* 1889
* 1890
* 1891
* 1892
* 1893
* 1894
* 1895
* 1896
* 1897
* 1898
* 1899
* 1900
* 1901
* 1902
* 1903
* 1904
* 1905
* 1906
* 1907
* 1908
* 1909
* 1910
* 1911
* 1912
* 1913
* 1914
* 1915
* 1916
* 1917
* 1918
* 1919
* 1920
* 1921
* 1922
* 1923
* 1924
* 1925
* 1926
* 1927
* 1928
* 1929
* 1930
* 1931
* 1932
* 1933
* 1934
* 1935
* 1936
* 1937
* 1938
* 1939
* 1940
* 1941
* 1942
* 1943
* 1944
* 1945
* 1946
* 1947
* 1948
* 1949
* 1950
* 1951
* 1952
* 1953
* 1954
* 1955
* 1956
* 1957
* 1958
* 1959
* 1960
* 1961
* 1962
* 1963
* 1964
* 1965
* 1966
* 1967
* 1968
* 1969
* 1970
* 1971
* 1972
* 1973
* 1974
* 1975
* 1976
* 1977
* 1978
* 1979
* 1980
* 1981
* 1982
* 1983
* 1984
* 1985
* 1986
* 1987
* 1988
* 1989
* 1990
* 1991
* 1992
* 1993
* 1994
* 1995
* 1996
* 1997
* 1998
* 1999
* 2000
* 2001
* 2002
* 2003
* 2004
* 2005
* 2006
* 2007
* 2008
* 2009
* 2010
* 2011
* 2012
* 2013
* 2014
* 2015
* 2016
* 2017
* 2018
* 2019
* 2020
* 2021
* 2022
* 2023
* 2024
* 2025

National championship seasons in bold

* v
* t
* e

College football national champions (poll era)

1936–1949|

* 1936: Minnesota (AP)
* 1937: Pittsburgh
* 1938: TCU
* 1939: Texas A&M
* 1940: Minnesota
* 1941: Minnesota
* 1942: Ohio State
* 1943: Notre Dame
* 1944: Army
* 1945: Army (AP) / Oklahoma A&M (AFCA)
* 1946: Notre Dame
* 1947: Notre Dame
* 1948: Michigan
* 1949: Notre Dame

1950s|

* 1950: Oklahoma (AP, Coaches)
* 1951: Tennessee
* 1952: Michigan State
* 1953: Maryland
* 1954: Ohio State (AP) / UCLA (FWAA, Coaches)
* 1955: Oklahoma
* 1956: Oklahoma
* 1957: Auburn (AP) / Ohio State (Coaches, FWAA)
* 1958: LSU (AP, Coaches) / Iowa (FWAA)
* 1959: Syracuse (AP, Coaches, FWAA, NFF)

1960s|

* 1960: Minnesota (AP, Coaches, NFF) / Ole Miss (FWAA)
* 1961: Alabama (AP, Coaches, NFF) / Ohio State (FWAA)
* 1962: USC
* 1963: Texas
* 1964: Alabama (AP, Coaches) / Arkansas (FWAA) / Notre Dame (NFF)
* 1965: Alabama (AP, FWAA) / Michigan State (Coaches, FWAA, NFF)
* 1966: Notre Dame (AP, Coaches, FWAA, NFF) / Michigan State (NFF)
* 1967: USC
* 1968: Ohio State
* 1969: Texas

1970s|

* 1970: Nebraska (AP, FWAA) / Texas (NFF, Coaches) / Ohio State (NFF)
* 1971: Nebraska
* 1972: USC
* 1973: Notre Dame (AP, FWAA, NFF) / Alabama (Coaches)
* 1974: Oklahoma (AP) / USC (FWAA, NFF, Coaches)
* 1975: Oklahoma
* 1976: Pittsburgh
* 1977: Notre Dame
* 1978: Alabama (AP, FWAA, NFF) / USC (Coaches)
* 1979: Alabama

1980–1991|

* 1980: Georgia
* 1981: Clemson
* 1982: Penn State
* 1983: Miami (FL)
* 1984: BYU
* 1985: Oklahoma
* 1986: Penn State
* 1987: Miami (FL)
* 1988: Notre Dame
* 1989: Miami (FL)
* 1990: Colorado (AP, FWAA, NFF, USAT/CNN) / Georgia Tech (Coaches)
* 1991: Miami (FL) (AP) / Washington (Coaches, FWAA, UPI/NFF)

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template
*[Conf.]: Conference record
*[W]: Wins
*[L]: Losses
*[T]: Ties
*[No.]: Number