1990 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team

American college football season

1990 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football

Orange Bowl, L 9–10 vs. Colorado
Conference	Independent
Ranking
Coaches	No. 6
AP	No. 6
Record	9–3
Head coach	Lou Holtz (5th season)
Defensive coordinator	Gary Darnell (1st season)
Captains	Mike Heldt Chris Zorich Todd Lyght Ricky Watters
Home stadium	Notre Dame Stadium (c. 59,075, grass)
Seasons ← 1989 1991 →

1990 NCAA Division I-A independents football records
v t e	Conf			Overall
Team	W	L	T	W		L		T
No. 14 Louisville		–		10	–	1	–	1
No. 3 Miami (FL)		–		10	–	2	–	0
No. 4 Florida State		–		10	–	2	–	0
No. 6 Notre Dame		–		9	–	3	–	0
No. 11 Penn State		–		9	–	3	–	0
Louisiana Tech		–		8	–	3	–	1
Southern Miss		–		8	–	4	–	0
Temple		–		7	–	4	–	0
Syracuse		–		7	–	4	–	2
Army		–		6	–	5	–	0
Northern Illinois		–		6	–	5	–	0
South Carolina		–		6	–	5	–	0
Virginia Tech		–		6	–	5	–	0
East Carolina		–		5	–	6	–	0
Southwestern Louisiana		–		5	–	6	–	0
Navy		–		5	–	6	–	0
Memphis State		–		4	–	6	–	1
Boston College		–		4	–	7	–	0
Tulane		–		4	–	7	–	0
West Virginia		–		4	–	7	–	0
Akron		–		3	–	7	–	1
Pittsburgh		–		3	–	7	–	1
Rutgers		–		3	–	8	–	0
Tulsa		–		3	–	8	–	0
Cincinnati		–		1	–	10	–	0

Rankings from AP Poll

The 1990 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame in the 1990 NCAA Division I-A football season.^[1] The team was coached by Lou Holtz and played its home games at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana.

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Rank	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 15	8:00 p.m.	No. 4 Michigan	No. 1	Notre Dame Stadium Notre Dame, IN (rivalry)	CBS	W 28–24	59,075
September 22	2:30 p.m.	at No. 24 Michigan State	No. 1	Spartan Stadium East Lansing, MI (rivalry)	ABC	W 20–19	80,401
September 29	12:00 p.m.	Purdue	No. 1	Notre Dame Stadium Notre Dame, IN (rivalry)	SportsChannel	W 37–11	59,075
October 6	12:00 p.m.	Stanford	No. 1	Notre Dame Stadium Notre Dame, IN (rivalry)		L 31–36	59,075
October 13	12:00 p.m.	Air Force	No. 8	Notre Dame Stadium Notre Dame, IN (rivalry)		W 57–27	59,075
October 20	2:30 p.m.	No. 2 Miami (FL)	No. 6	Notre Dame Stadium Notre Dame, IN (rivalry)	CBS	W 29–20	59,075
October 27	6:45 p.m.	at Pittsburgh	No. 3	Pitt Stadium Pittsburgh, PA (rivalry)	ESPN	W 31–22	56,500
November 3	12:00 p.m.	vs. Navy	No. 2	Giants Stadium East Rutherford, NJ (rivalry)		W 52–31	70,382
November 10	2:30 p.m.	at No. 9 Tennessee	No. 1	Neyland Stadium Knoxville, TN	CBS	W 34–29	97,123
November 17	4:00 p.m.	No. 18 Penn State	No. 1	Notre Dame Stadium Notre Dame, IN (rivalry)	ESPN	L 21–24	59,075
November 24	8:00 p.m.	at No. 18 USC	No. 7	Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles, CA (rivalry)	ABC	W 10–6	91,639
January 1, 1991	8:00 p.m.	vs. No. 1 Colorado	No. 5	Miami Orange Bowl Miami, FL (Orange Bowl)	NBC	L 9–10	77,062
Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game All times are in Eastern time

Roster

1990 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team roster

Players

Coaches

Offense

Pos.	#	Name	Class
FB	`6`	Jerome Bettis	Fr
RB	`40`	Tony Brooks	Jr
TE	`86`	Derek Brown	Jr
RB	`5`	Rodney Culver	Jr
WR	`87`	Lake Dawson	Fr
WR	`25`	Raghib Ismail	Sr
WR	`10`	Adrian Jarrell	So
OT	`65`	Lindsay Knapp	Jr
RB	`4`	Dorsey Levens	So
TE	`80`	Oscar McBride	Fr
OT	`76`	Gene McGuire	Jr
QB	`3`	Rick Mirer	So
G	`52`	Tim Ryan	Sr
WR	`12`	Ricky Watters	Sr

Defense

Pos.	#	Name	Class
S	`9`	Jeff Burris	Fr
CB	`32`	Willie Clark	Fr
CB	`29`	John Covington	Fr
DT	`93`	Bob Dahl	Sr
LB	`31`	Demetrius DuBose	So
LB	`42`	Michael Stonebreaker	Jr
CB	`1`	Todd Lyght	Sr
LB	`89`	Karmeeleyah McGill	So
LB	`46`	Brian Ratigan	So
CB	`21`	Rod Smith	Jr
DT	`97`	Bryant Young	Fr
DT	`50`	Chris Zorich	Sr

Special teams

Pos.	#	Name	Class
K, P	`28`	Craig Hentrich	So
P	`16`	Jim Sexton	Sr

Head coach

Lou Holtz

Coordinators/assistant coaches

Gary Darnell (Defensive coordinator)
Skip Holtz (Wide receivers)

Legend

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

Injured
Redshirt

Roster

Game summaries

Michigan

#4 Michigan Wolverines (0–0) at #1 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (0–0)

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Michigan	3	7	14	0	24
Notre Dame	14	0	0	14	28

at Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend, Indiana

Date: September 15
Game time: 8:05 p.m. EST
Game attendance: 59,075
Box Score

Game information

First quarter

ND – Rick Mirer 2-yard run (Craig Hentrich kick), 11:28. Notre Dame 7–0.
MICH – J.D. Carlson 38-yard field goal, 7:01. Notre Dame 7–3.
ND – Reggie Brooks 2-yard run (Craig Hentrich kick), 1:59. Notre Dame 14–3.

Second quarter

MICH – Desmond Howard 25-yard pass from Elvis Grbac (J.D. Carlson kick), 3:56. Notre Dame 14–10.

Third quarter

MICH – Allen Jefferson 1-yard run (J.D. Carlson), 7:49. Michigan 17–14.
MICH – Desmond Howard 25-yard pass from Elvis Grbac (J.D. Carlson kick), 7:33. Michigan 24–14.

Fourth quarter

ND – Rodney Culver 1-yard run (Craig Hentrich kick), 12:59. Michigan 24–21.
ND – Adrian Jarrell 18-yard pass from Rick Mirer (Craig Hentrich kick), 1:40. Notre Dame 28–24.

Top passers

MICH – Elvis Grbac – 17/30, 190 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
ND – Rick Mirer – 14/23, 165 yards, TD

Top rushers

MICH – Jon Vaughn – 22 rushes, 201 yards
ND – Rodney Culver – 19 rushes, 95 yards, TD

Top receivers

MICH – Desmond Howard – 6 receptions, 133 yards, 2 TD
ND – Raghib Ismail – 4 receptions, 42 yards

Michigan State

#1 Notre Dame at #24 Michigan State

	1	2	3	4	Total
• Fighting Irish	7	0	0	14	21
Spartans	0	12	7	0	19

Date: September 22
Location: Spartan Stadium, East Lansing, MI
Game start: 3:30 p.m. EST
TV announcers (ABC): Keith Jackson and Bob Griese

Source: [1]

Scoring summary

1		ND	Watters 5 yard run (Hentrich kick)	ND 7-0

2		MSU	Langeloh 42 yard field goal	ND 7-3

2		MSU	Safety, blocked punt out of end zone	ND 7-5

2		MSU	Hickson 1 yard run (Langeloh kick)	MSU 12-7

3		MSU	Duckett 1 yard run (Langeloh kick)	MSU 19-7

4	13:13	ND	Watters 2 yard run (Hentrich kick)	MSU 19-14

4	0:34	ND	Culver 1 yard run (Hentrich kick)	ND 21-19

The Immaculate Deflection - Rick Mirer's 24-yard completion to Adrian Jarrell, which bounced off hands of MSU LB Todd Murray up and into Jarrell's arms at MSU 2. Three plays later, Culver scored. "There's definitely somebody looking out for us. There's somebody on our side," said Mirer.

Notre Dame's 60th victory as No. 1 ranked team & 5-0-1 vs. MSU when ranked #1

Purdue

Stanford

Stanford at #1 Notre Dame

	1	2	3	4	Total
• Cardinal	7	8	14	7	36
Fighting Irish	7	17	7	0	31

Date: September 22
Location: Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend, IN
Game attendance: 59,075

Source: [2]

Scoring summary

1	ND	Mirer 1 yard run (Hentrich kick)	ND 7-0

1	Sta	Milburn 9 run (Hopkins kick)	Tied 7-7

2	ND	Hentrich 29 yard field goal	ND 10-7

2	ND	T. Smith 11 yard pass from Mirer (Hentrich kick)	ND 17-7

2	ND	T. Smith 15 yard pass from Mirer (Hentrich kick)	ND 24-7

2	Sta	Vardell 1 yard run (Palumbis to McCafferty pass)	ND 24-15

3	Sta	Vardell 1 yard run (Hopkins kick)	ND 24-22

3	ND	Culver 1 yard run (Hentrich kick)	ND 31-22

3	Sta	Vardell 1 yard run (Hopkins kick)	ND 31-29

4	Sta	Vardell 1 yard run (Hopkins kick)	Sta 36-31

Air Force

Miami (FL)

#2 Miami (FL) at #6 Notre Dame

	1	2	3	4	Total
Hurricanes	10	7	0	3	20
• Fighting Irish	10	6	6	7	29

Date: October 20
Location: Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend, IN
Game start: 2:40 p.m. EST
Game attendance: 59,075
Referee: Dick Burleson
TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz and Tim Brant

Scoring summary

Q1	12:17	MIA	McGuire 1-yard run (Huerta kick)	MIA 7–0
	6:51	ND	Hentrich-25 yard field goal	MIA 7–3
	1:43	MIA	Huerta 23-yard field goal	MIA 10–3
		ND	Ismail 94-yard kickoff return (Hentrich kick)	Tie 10–10

Q2	11:48	ND	Hentrich-44 yard field goal	ND 13–10
	8:10	MIA	Erickson-1 yard run (Huerta kick)	MIA 17–13
	4:16	ND	Hentrich-34 yard field goal	MIA 17–16

Q3	5:24	ND	Hentrich-36 yard field goal	ND 19–17
Q3	1:45	ND	Hentrich 35-yard field goal	ND 22–17

Q4	14:01	MIA	Huerta 25-yard field goal	ND 22–20
Q4	6:16	ND	Culver 21-yard pass from Mirer (Hentrich kick)	ND 29–20

^[2]

Pittsburgh

Navy

#2 Notre Dame vs. Navy

	1	2	3	4	Total
• Fighting Irish	7	3	21	21	52
Midshipmen	0	10	7	14	31

Date: November 3
Location: Giants Stadium
Game attendance: 70,382

Scoring summary

Q1	ND	Bettis 1 yard run (Hentrich kick)	ND 7–0

Q2	NAVY	Pace 1 yard run (Schenk kick)	Tie 7–7

Q2	ND	Hentrich 31 yard field goal	ND 10–7

Q2	NAVY	Schenk 27 yard field goal	Tie 10–10

Q3	ND	Culver 7 yard run (Hentrich kick)	ND 17–10

Q3	ND	Watters 2 yard run (Hentrich kick)	ND 24–10

Q3	ND	Mirer 30 yard run (Hentrich kick)	ND 31–10

Q3	NAVY	Grizzard 6 yard run (Schenk kick)	ND 31–17

Q4	ND	Brooks 3 yard run (Hentrich kick)	ND 38–17

Q4	NAVY	Berghutt 19 yard pass from Grizzard (Schenk kick)	ND 38–24

Q4	ND	Ismail 54 yard pass from Mirer (Hentrich kick)	ND 45–24

Q4	NAVY	Mason 7 yard pass from Grizzard (Schenk kick)	ND 45–31

Q4	ND	Lyght 53 yard kickoff return (Hentrich kick)	ND 52–31

^[3]

Tennessee

#1 Notre Dame at #9 Tennessee

	1	2	3	4	Total
• Fighting Irish	7	3	7	17	34
Volunteers	6	0	14	9	29

Date: November 10
Location: Neyland Stadium, Knoxville, TN
Game start: 3:30 p.m. EST
Referee: Jimmy Harper
TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz and Tim Brant

Source: [3]

Scoring summary

1	TEN	Burke 46 yard field goal	TEN 3-0

1	ND	Culver 59 yard pass from Mirer (Hentrich kick)	ND 7-3

1	TEN	Burke 22 yard field goal	ND 7-6

2	ND	Hentrich 26 yard field goal	ND 10-6

3	TEN	Thompson 10 yard run (Burke kick)	TEN 13-10

3	ND	Watters 68 yard run (Hentrich kick)	ND 17-13

3	TEN	Harper 32 yard pass from Kelly (Burke kick)	TEN 20-17

4	ND	Hentrich 20 yard field goal	Tied 20-20

4	TEN	Burke 45 yard field goal	TEN 23-20

4	ND	Watters 10 yard run (Hentrich kick)	ND 27-23

4	ND	Ismail 44 yard run (Hentrich kick)	ND 34-23

4	TEN	Harper 23 yard pass from Kelly (pass failed)	ND 34-29

Penn State

USC

Colorado (Orange Bowl)

#5 Notre Dame vs. #1 Colorado

	1	2	3	4	Total
Fighting Irish	0	6	3	0	9
• Buffaloes	0	3	7	0	10

Date: January 1
Location: Miami Orange Bowl, Miami, FL
Game attendance: 77,062
TV announcers (NBC): Dick Enberg and Bill Walsh

Scoring summary

Q2		CU	Jim Harper 22-yard field goal	CU 3–0
Q2	7:32	ND	Ricky Watters 2-yard run (PAT blocked)	ND 6–3

Q3		ND	Craig Hentrich 24-yard field goal	ND 9–3
Q3		CU	Eric Bieniemy 1-yard run (Harper kick)	'CU 10–9

^[4] ^[5]

Team players drafted into the NFL

Despite being drafted by the Los Angeles Raiders, the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League signed Raghib Ismail to a four-year contract worth 18 million dollars in April 1991.^[6] The Ismail signing included four million dollars upfront.^[7]

Awards and honors

Raghib Ismail finished second in voting for the Heisman Trophy.^[8]
Raghib Ismail, Walter Camp Award^[9]
Chris Zorich: Lombardi Award^[10]

References

^ "Notre Dame Yearly Results (1990-1994)". College Football Data Warehouse. David DeLassus. Archived from the original on July 25, 2015. Retrieved July 26, 2015.
^ Gainesville Sun. 1990 Sep 21. Retrieved 2018-Oct-06.
^ Gainesville Sun. 1990 Nov 4. Retrieved 2018-Dec-15.
^ "Top-Ranked Colorado Holds Off Notre Dame". The New York Times. January 2, 1991. Retrieved December 30, 2018.
^ "FLAG WIPED THE EGG OFF MCCARTNEY". The Washington Post. January 3, 1991. Retrieved December 30, 2018.
^ Drake, Stephen (2009). Weird Facts about Canadian Football: Strange, Wacky and Hilarious Stories. OverTime Books. p. 59. ISBN 978-1-897277-26-3.
^ Drake, Stephen (2009). Weird Facts about Canadian Football: Strange, Wacky and Hilarious Stories. OverTime Books. p. 114. ISBN 978-1-897277-26-3.
^ "NOTRE DAME FIGHTING IRISH - Football". und.cstv.com. Archived from the original on January 6, 2008. Retrieved January 15, 2022.
^ "Walter Camp Football Foundation Awards (Page 3)". The Walter Camp Foundation. Archived from the original on September 5, 2008. Retrieved January 2, 2008.
^ "Winners & Finalists". Rotary Club of Houston. Archived from the original on January 8, 2009. Retrieved January 2, 2008.

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