1993 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team

American college football season August 2023 January 2026 1993 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football Independent 2 2 11–1 Lou Holtz 8th Skip Holtz 2nd Multiple Rick Minter 2nd 4–3 Jeff Burris Jeff Burris Tim Ruddy Aaron Taylor Bryant Young Notre Dame Stadium National champion (Matthews, NCF)Cotton Bowl Classic champion Cotton Bowl Classic W Won 24–21 vs. Texas A&M The 1993 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team was an American football team that represented the University of Notre Dame as an independent during the 1993 NCAA Division I-A football season. In their eighth year under head coach Lou Holtz, the Irish compiled an 11–1 record, outscored opponents by a total of 403 to 194, and were ranked No. 2 in the final AP and UPI polls. They were selected as the national champion by the National Championship Foundation. During the regular season, they defeated No. 3 Michigan and No. 1 Florida State, but lost to No. 17 Boston College. They concluded the season with a victory over No. 7 Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl. Florida State was ranked No. 1 in the final AP and UPI polls despite having lost to Notre Dame.1993 Notre Dame Fighting Irish Schedule and Results https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/notre-dame/1993-schedule.html Sports Reference LLC SR/College Football August 2, 20261993 Football Review The Notre Dame Scholastic https://archives.nd.edu/Football/Football-1993s.pdf Notre Dame Archives Offensive tackle Aaron Taylor and defensive back Jeff Burris were consensus first-team picks on the 1993 All-America college football team.Football Award Winners National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) 2016 December 11, 2017 3, 14 http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_records/2016/awards.pdf The team's statistical leaders included quarterback Kevin McDougal (1,541 passing yards), tailback Lee Becton (1,044 rushing yards), split end Derrick Mayes (24 receptions for 512 yards), kicker Kevin Pendergast (87 points scored), and linebacker Justin Goheen (92 tackles).1993 Notre Dame Fighting Irish Stats https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/notre-dame/1993.html Sports Reference LLC SR/College Football August 2, 20261993 Football Review, p. 40. The team played its home games at Notre Dame Stadium in Notre Dame, Indiana. Schedule 1993 AP Eastern September 4 2:30 p.m. w 7 Northwestern Notre Dame Stadium Notre Dame, IN rivalry NBC 27–12 59,075 https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-times-nd-gets-past-northwestern/204751148/ The Times ND gets past Northwestern September 5, 1993 August 27, 2026 Newspapers.com September 11 12:00 p.m. w y 11 Michigan 3 Michigan Stadium Ann Arbor, MI rivalry ABC 27–23 106,851 U-M season under siege The Detroit News Angelique S. Chengelis September 12, 1993 1E, 6E https://www.newspapers.com/clip/38910673/um_season_under_siege/ Newspapers.com September 18 2:30 p.m. w 4 Michigan State Notre Dame Stadium Notre Dame, IN rivalry NBC 36–14 59,075 https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-courier-journal-no-4-notre-dame-lea/204751301/ The Courier-Journal No. 4 Notre Dame leaves no doubts after 36–14 triumph September 19, 1993 August 27, 2026 Newspapers.com September 25 3:30 p.m. w y 4 Purdue Ross–Ade Stadium West Lafayette, IN rivalry ABC 17–0 67,861 https://www.newspapers.com/article/jackson-citizen-patriot-stingy-irish-sto/204751373/ Jackson Citizen Patriot Stingy Irish stop Purdue September 26, 1993 August 27, 2026 Newspapers.com October 2 3:30 p.m. w y 4 Stanford Stanford Stadium Stanford, CA rivalry ABC 48–20 80,300 https://www.newspapers.com/article/wisconsin-state-journal-notre-dame-sprin/204751478/ Wisconsin State Journal Notre Dame sprints past Stanford October 3, 1993 August 27, 2026 Newspapers.com October 9 2:30 p.m. w 4 Pittsburgh Notre Dame Stadium Notre Dame, IN rivalry NBC 44–0 59,075 https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-indianapolis-star-irish-tame-panther/204751587/ The Indianapolis Star Irish tame Panthers to a purr October 10, 1993 August 27, 2026 Newspapers.com October 16 7:30 p.m. w y 3 BYU Cougar Stadium Provo, UT ESPN 45–20 66,247 https://www.newspapers.com/article/northwest-herald-no-3-notre-dame-makes/204751701/ Northwest Herald No. 3 Notre Dame makes quick work of Brigham Young October 17, 1993 August 27, 2026 Newspapers.com October 23 2:30 p.m. w 2 USC Notre Dame Stadium Notre Dame, IN rivalry NBC 31–13 59,075 https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-press-irish-have-trojans-number/204751830/ Daily Press Irish have Trojans' number: 11 October 24, 1993 August 27, 2026 Newspapers.com October 30 12:00 p.m. w y 2 Navy Veterans Stadium Philadelphia, PA rivalry ABC 58–27 61,813 https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-kalamazoo-gazette-notre-dame-easily/204123451/ The Kalamazoo Gazette Notre Dame easily sinks Navy, 58–27 October 31, 1993 August 27, 2026 Newspapers.com November 13 2:30 p.m. w 2 Florida State 1 Notre Dame Stadium Notre Dame, IN rivalry, College GameDay NBC 31–24 59,075 https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-indianapolis-star-irish-knock-off-no/140278995/ The Indianapolis Star Irish knock off No. 1 'Noles! November 14, 1993 August 27, 2026 Newspapers.com November 20 1:30 p.m. l 1 Boston College 17 Notre Dame Stadium Notre Dame, IN Holy War NBC 39–41 59,075 https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-grand-rapids-press-no-1-nd-falls-at/204751930/ The Grand Rapids Press No. 1 ND falls at gun against BC November 21, 1993 August 27, 2026 Newspapers.com January 1, 1994 4:30 p.m. w y 4 Texas A&M 7 Cotton Bowl Dallas, TX Cotton Bowl Classic NBC 24–21 69,855 https://www.newspapers.com/article/longview-news-journal-aggies-denied-by-i/204752050/ Longview News-Journal Aggies denied by Irish, 24–21 January 2, 1994 August 27, 2026 Newspapers.com Rankings 1993 NCAA Division I-A football rankings AP 0 16 7 7 11 4 4 4 4 3 2 2 2 2 1 (62) 4 (1) 5 4 (1) 2 (12) Coaches 0 16 6 (1) 6 10 5 4 4 4 (1) 3 (2) 2 (3) 2 (3) 2 (2) 2 (2) 1 (60) 4 (1) 4 (1) 4 (1) 2 (25) Season summary The 1993 season opened with tempered expectations for the Irish following the loss of four first-round NFL draft picks, among them quarterback Rick Mirer and running back Jerome Bettis. Notre Dame entered the year ranked seventh in the AP preseason poll. The team also suffered a major setback when Ron Powlus, a highly touted freshman quarterback and the nation's top high school recruit, was lost to injury during the final preseason intrasquad scrimmage. “There was a strong chance he would be No. 1,” Holtz said, but with Powlus sidelined, he named Kevin McDougal the starter for Notre Dame's 1993 season opener.Injury Drops Powlus For Loss A Broken Collarbone Puts The Berwick Native, Who Was Vying For Starting Quarterback At Notre Dame, Out For At Least Two Months And Possibly https://www.timesleader.com/archive/833136/injury-drops-powlus-for-loss-a-broken-collarbone-puts-the-berwick-native-who-was-vying-for-starting-quarterback-at-notre-dame-out-for-at-least-two-months-and-possibly-2 Times Leader 24 January 2026 On November 13, Notre Dame played Florida State in a matchup of unbeatens, with the two ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the AP poll. The Irish won the game, 31–24, to put themselves in position to lock up a chance to play for the national championship Fighting Irish Win Game of the Century The Tech (MIT newspaper) Mike Duffy and Andrew Heitner. Volume 113, Issue 59 : Friday, November 19, 1993 with a win over Boston College in their final game. However, the Eagles kicked a field goal as time expired to secure the upset, winning 41–39. Although both the Irish and the Seminoles had one loss, and Notre Dame won the head‑to‑head meeting, it was Florida State that was selected to face Big 8 champion Nebraska in the Orange Bowl. The Irish would settle for a Cotton Bowl bid, where they defeated Texas A&M. Game summaries Northwestern Northwestern 0 6 6 0 Notre Dame 7 0 10 10 September 4 Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend, IN 59,075 Dick Enberg and Bob Trumpy NBC yes 1 ND Bercich 21 yard interception return (Pendergast kick) ND 7-0 2 NW Lundy 6 yard pass from Williams (kick failed) ND 7-6 3 NW Lundy 11 yard run (pass failed) NW 12-7 3 ND Zellers 6 yard run (Pendergast kick) ND 14-12 3 ND Pendergast 29 yard field goal ND 17-12 3 ND Pendergast 27 yard field goal ND 20-12 3 ND Burris 2 yard run (Pendergast kick) ND 27-12 yes 1993 Northwestern Wildcats football team Northwestern–Notre Dame football rivalry Michigan 1993 Michigan Wolverines football team Notre Dame 10 14 3 0 Michigan 3 7 0 13 September 11 Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, Mich. 106,851 ABC yes 1 ND McDougal 43 yard run (Pendergast kick) ND 7-0 1 Mich Elezovic 32 yard field goal ND 7-3 1 ND Pendergast 24 yard field goal ND 10-3 2 ND M. Miller 56 yard punt return (Pendergast kick) ND 17-3 2 Mich Wheatley 1 yard run (Elezovic kick) ND 17-10 2 ND McDougal 11 yard run (Pendergast kick) ND 24-10 3 ND Pendergast 19 yard field goal ND 27-10 4 Mich Wheatley 4 yard run (Elezovic kick) ND 27-17 4 Mich Hayes 13 pass from Collins (Collins pass failed) ND 27-23 yes Blue & Gold Illustrated 1994 Notre Dame Football Preview Michigan State Michigan St 7 0 0 7 Notre Dame 0 16 13 7 September 18 Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend, IN Source: yes 1 MSU Thomas 1 yard run (Stoyanovich kick) MSU 7-0 2 ND Farmer 1 yard (kick failed) MSU 7-6 2 ND Pendergast 26 yard field goal ND 9-7 2 ND Zellers 4 yard pass from McDougal (Pendergast kick) ND 16-7 3 ND Pendergast 23 yard field goal ND 19-7 3 ND Pendergast 31 yard field goal ND 22-7 3 ND Edwards 1 yard run (Pendergast kick) ND 29-7 4 ND Becton 12 yard pass from McDougal (Pendergast kick) ND 36-7 4 MSU Coleman 5 yard pass from Miller (Stoyanovich kick) ND 36-14 yes 1993 Michigan State Spartans football team Michigan State–Notre Dame football rivalry Purdue 1993 Purdue Boilermakers football team Notre Dame–Purdue football rivalry Stanford 1993 Stanford Cardinal football team Pittsburgh Pittsburgh 0 0 0 0 Notre Dame 7 6 10 21 October 9 Notre Dame Stadium yes Q1 ND Becton 8 yard run (Pendergast kick) ND 7–0 Q2 ND Zellars 19 yard run (kick failed) ND 13–0 Q3 ND Pendergast 27 yard field goal ND 16–0 Q3 ND Zellars 11 yard run (Pendergast kick) ND 23–0 Q4 ND Kinder 31 yard run (Pendergast kick) ND 30–0 Q4 ND Farmer 3 yard run (Marsh kick) ND 37–0 Q4 ND Burris 60 yard punt return (Schroffner kick) ND 44–0 yes 1993 Pittsburgh Panthers football team Gainesville Sun. 1993 Oct 10. Retrieved 2018-Oct-28. BYU 1993 BYU Cougars football team USC USC 0 7 0 6 Notre Dame 14 14 3 0 October 23 Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend, IN 59,075 NBC yes 1 ND Becton 70 yard run (Pendergast kick) ND 7-0 1 ND Edwards 2 yard run (Pendergast kick) ND 14-0 2 ND Burris 4 yard run (Pendergast kick) ND 21-0 2 USC Strother 13 yard pass from Johnson (Salmon kick) ND 21-7 2 ND Zellars 29 yard pass from Failla (Pendergast kick) ND 28-7 3 ND Pendergast 43 yard field goal ND 31-7 4 USC McWilliams 8 yard pass from Johnson (pass failed) ND 31-13 yes 1993 USC Trojans football team Notre Dame–USC football rivalry Gainesville Sun. 1993 Oct 24. Navy Notre Dame 3 14 21 20 Navy 10 14 3 0 October 30 Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia, PA 61,813 yes 1 NAVY Bucchianeri 38 yard field goal NAVY 3-0 1 ND Pendergast 32 yard field goal Tied 3-3 1 NAVY Dixon 31 yard pass from Kubiak (Bucchianeri kick) NAVY 10-3 2 ND Edwards 3 yard run (Pendergast kick) Tied 10-10 2 NAVY Stramanak 1 yard run (Bucchianeri kick) NAVY 17-10 2 ND Edwards 10 yard run (Pendergast kick) Tied 17-17 2 NAVY Screen 53 yard pass from Kubiak (Bucchianeri kick) NAVY 24-17 3 ND Dawson 44 hard pass from McDougal (Pendergast kick) Tied 24-24 3 ND Kinder 70 yard run (Pendergast kick) ND 31-24 3 ND Farmer 9 yard run (Pendergast kick) ND 38-24 3 NAVY Bucchianeri 34 yard field goal ND 38-27 4 ND Burns 3 yard run (Pendergast kick) ND 45-27 4 ND Edwards 1 yard run (kick failed) ND 51-27 4 ND Taylor 31 yard interception return (Pendergast kick) ND 58-27 yes 1993 Navy Midshipmen football team Gainesville Sun. 1993 Oct 31. Florida State Florida State 7 0 7 10 Notre Dame 7 14 3 7 November 13 Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend, IN Kickoff 1:47pm, NBC coverage begins at 1:30pm ET 59,075 pregame showers, temp near 60, wind from south 20 to 30 mph NBC Charlie Jones, Todd Christensen, Bob Costas (studio host), John Dockery (sideline) and O. J. Simpson (sideline) 1993 Florida State vs. Notre Dame football game 1993 Florida State Seminoles football team Game of the Century (college football) The #2 Fighting Irish prevailed over the #1 Florida State Seminoles as ESPN's College GameDay made its first campus visit. Boston College Boston College 10 14 7 10 Notre Dame 0 14 3 22 November 20 Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend, IN 59,075 NBC Tom Hammond, Cris Collinsworth yes 1 8:02 BC David Gordon 28 yard field goal BC 3-0 1 BC Ivan Boyd 5 yard pass from Glenn Foley (Gordon kick) BC 10-0 2 11:58 ND Ray Zellars 39 yard pass from Kevin McDougal (Pendergast kick) BC 10-7 2 BC Ivan Boyd 35 yard pass from Glenn Foley (Gordon kick) BC 17-7 2 5:52 ND #9 1 yard run (Pendergast kick) BC 17-14 2 0:21 BC Pete Mitchell 3 yard pass from Glenn Foley (Gordon kick) BC 24-14 3 11:24 BC Darnell Campbell 22 yard run (Gordon kick) BC 31-14 3 3:20 ND Pendergast 29 yard field goal BC 31-17 4 11:13 BC Pete Mitchell 2 yard pass from Glenn Foley (Gordon kick) BC 38-17 4 10:12 ND Lee Becton 29 yard run (Becton pass to McDougal) BC 38-25 4 4:02 ND Ray Zellars 4 yard run (Pendergast kick) BC 38-32 4 1:09 ND Dawson 4 yard pass from McDougal (Pendergast kick) ND 39-38 4 0:00 BC David Gordon 41 yard field goal BC 41-39 yes 1993 Boston College Eagles football team Holy War (Boston College–Notre Dame) Texas A&M 1993 Texas A&M Aggies football team 1994 Cotton Bowl Classic Roster 1993 Notre Dame Fighting Irish f 98 So Pete Chryplewicz TE y 37 Jr Travis Davis RB y 87 Sr Lake Dawson WR y 1 So Derrick Mayes WR y 30 Fr Marc Edwards Marc Edwards (American football) FB y 8 Jr Paul Failla QB y 25 Fr Randy Kinder RB y 80 Sr Oscar McBride TE y 15 Sr Kevin McDougal QB y 61 Sr Tim Ruddy C y 75 Sr Aaron Taylor Aaron Taylor (American football, born 1972) T y 34 Jr Ray Zellars RB y 77 So Dusty Zeigler C y 47 Sr Pete Bercich LB y 9 Sr Jeff Burris S y 32 Sr Willie Clark Willie Clark (American football) CB y 29 Sr John Covington CB y 44 Sr Jim Flanigan DT y 55 Sr Oliver Gibson Oliver Gibson (American football) DT y 93 So Paul Grasmanis DT y 34 Sr Brian Meter CB 49 Sr Tony Peterson LB y 21 So Bobby Taylor Bobby Taylor (American football) CB y 22 So Shawn Wooden Shawn Wooden (American football) CB y 48 So Renaldo Wynn DE y 97 Sr Bryant Young DE y 26 Sr Rob Leonard K P 28 Sr Drew Marsh K *Lou Holtz Awards and honors Offensive tackle Aaron Taylor won the Lombardi Award as the best college football lineman.1993 Football Review, pp. 36-37. He was also a consensus first-team pick on the 1993 All-America college football team. Free safety Jeff Burris was a consensus first-team All-American. He was also selected as the ABC Sports Defensive Player of the Year and was selected by his teammates as Notre Dame's most valuable player. Cornerback Bobby Taylor was a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award and received first-team All-America honors from the Football Writers Association of America and the Newspaper Enterprise Association. Center Tim Ruddy received first-team All-America honors from College & Pro Football Newsweekly. He also received second-team honors from the Associated Press (AP), United Press International (UPI), and Football News. Ruddy also received Academic All-America honors. Defensive tackle Bryant Young was selected as a first-team All-American by the American Football Coaches Association. He also received second-team honors from the AP, UPI, and Football News. 1994 NFL draft 1994 NFL draft The following Notre Dame players were selected in the 1994 NFL draft. 2 Notre Dame Fighting Irish Player Position Round Pick NFL club Bryant Young Defensive tackle 1 7 San Francisco 49ers Aaron Taylor Tackle 1 16 Green Bay Packers Jeff Burris Cornerback 1 27 Buffalo Bills Tim Ruddy Center 2 65 Miami Dolphins Jim Flanigan Defensive tackle 3 74 Chicago Bears Willie Clark Cornerback 3 82 San Diego Chargers Lake Dawson Wide Receiver 3 92 Kansas City Chiefs John Covington Safety 5 133 Indianapolis Colts Tony Peterson Linebacker 5 153 San Francisco 49ers Pete Bercich Linebacker 7 211 Minnesota Vikings References Notre Dame Category:Notre Dame Fighting Irish football seasons Category:Cotton Bowl Classic champion seasons Notre Dame Fighting Irish football