College Football Old School Game of the Week: Irish Prevail over Miami in "Catholics vs Convicts"

The 1988 Miami-Notre Dame game is one of the most legendary games in college football history because it was a highly-anticipated game that lived up to the hype and more.

Miami entered the game as the #1 team in the country as they traveled to South Bend to face a highly-motivated Notre Dame team, who had lost their last four meetings to the Hurricanes by a combined score 133-20, including a 58-7 rout of the Irish in 1985, in which the Hurricanes ran a reverse with 1:15 left in the game.

Miami had a reputation under head coach Jimmy Johnson as renegades, especially when it came to off-the-field activities. Many players on the Miami team ended up on the police blotter and the entire team dressed in battle fatigues as they got off the airplane days before their 1987 Fiesta Bowl meeting with Penn State.

Meanwhile, Notre Dame was trying to return to the elite of college football after years of mediocrity. Lou Holtz was brought in 1986 to return the Irish to the glory and after a 5-6 campaign in his first year, followed by a 8-4 record in 1987, Notre Dame got off to a 5-0 start and was ranked #4 when the top-ranked ‘Canes rolled into South Bend on a clear Saturday afternoon.

During the week of the game, members of the Notre Dame student body wore T-shirts that read “Catholics vs. Convicts” in reference to Notre Dame’s good guy image and Miami’s villainous bravado.

The infamous "Catholics vs Convicts" T-Shirt made by Notre Dame students in anticipation of the Irish' 1988 game with the Hurricanes.

Before the game began, the Miami players were going back to the locker room after pregame warm-ups when they crossed paths with the Notre Dame players in front of the tunnel. Words were exchanged and a melee ensued between the two teams. No players were ejected from the game but it was obvious that the animosity was at a boiling point(double-click to play).

After the fight, both teams went into the locker room and that is where Holtz gave a passionate speech to his players.

The speech most have worked as on the fifth play of the game, Miami quarterback Steve Walsh, who entered the game 18-0 as a starter, was stripped of the ball as he went back to pass by Notre Dame linebacker Frank Stams. The fumble was recovered by Notre Dame at the Hurricanes 41. However, the Irish could not take advantage of the turnover and punted after three plays.

Following a Miami punt(the only punt of the day for the Hurricanes), the Irish drove 75 yards in 12 plays and scored the first points of the day when quarterback Tony Rice took a bootleg play around the right side and ran for a 7-yard touchdown to give Notre Dame a 7-0 lead.

Notre Dame quarterback Tony Rice accounted for 215 yards of total offense and two touchdowns in the 1988 "Catholics vs Convicts" game.

After both teams turned the ball over on their next possessions, the Hurricanes tied the game when Walsh found Andre Brown for an 8-yard touchdown early in the 2nd quarter.

Miami was set to get the ball back when Notre Dame faced a 3rd-and-13 at their 17-yard line. The Irish were predominantly a running team which meant passing was not their strength. However, on that third down, Rice went back in the pocket and launched a long pass that was caught by Rahib “Rocket” Is mail for a 53-yard gain that put Notre Dame at the Miami 25. Seven plays later, the Irish scored again when Rice found fullback Braxston Banks for a 9-yard touchdown that put Notre Dame back up 14-7.

Following the touchdown, the ‘Canes drove to the Notre Dame 42 when Walsh was intercepted by Notre Dame free safety Pat Terrell after a deflection by Stams. Terrell took the interception and ran 60 yards for a touchdown that increased the Irish lead to 21-7.

Miami would strike back as Walsh drove the ‘Canes back down the field and into the end zone when he hit running back Leonard Conley for 23-yard touchdown on 4th-and-4 to trim the lead to 21-14.

After a Notre Dame punt, Miami got the ball back and drove 54 yards in 7 plays in just 48 seconds another touchdown when Walsh found running back Cleveland Gary for a 15-yard touchdown.

Walsh threw for 248 yards in the first half, a career high for passing yards in a half for him, but had three turnovers as the game was tied 21-21 at halftime. The game was matching the hype and it would only get better.

On Notre Dame’s first possession of the second half, Rice was picked off by Miami free safety Bubba McDowell at the ‘Canes 41-yard-line. It seemed that Miami had weathered the storm and poised to take over the game. But on the very next play, Conley fumbled the ball which was recovered by Irish defensive tackle Jeff Alm at the Miami 37.

However, McDowell came up big again as he blocked by a 43-yard field goal attempt from Billy Hackett to keep the game tied. The Irish held and forced Miami to punt on 4th-and-3 from their own 47. But Johnson called for a fake punt as the snap went directly to Matt Britton. The Irish did not fall for the fake and tackled Britton immediately to take possession at the ‘Canes 46.

On the very next play, Rice threw his 2nd long pass of the day as he found wide receiver Ricky Watters for a 42-yard gain that gave the Irish a 1st-and-goal at the 4-yard-line. Notre Dame scored on the next play as Pat Ellers ran in for a 4-yard touchdown to give the Irish the lead once again 28-21.

An interception by Alm lead to a 27-yard field goal by Reggie Ho to increase the Irish lead to 31-21 before the end of the third quarter.

Following his 3rd interception of the game, Walsh led the ‘Canes back down the field until they were stopped at the six-yard-line. Carlos Huerta came in and kicked a 23-yard field goal to trim the lead to 31-24 with 13:07 remaining in the game.

After a Notre Dame punt, Miami take over at their own 46 and drove down to the Notre Dame 14 after a 21-yard pass play from Walsh to Brown. Three plays later, the ‘Canes were faced with a 4th-and-7 at the 11-yard-line with 7:07 left. Since his team would still need a touchdown if they kicked a field goal, Johnson decided to go for it. This set up the most controversial play of the game.

On fourth down, Walsh completed a pass to Gary around the five. Gary took the ball and proceeded to dive for the goal line. Notre Dame strong safety George Streeter stuck his right hand out to knock the ball loose as Gary lunged for the end zone. The ball came loose but it appeared that Gary was down when the fumble occurred. However, the referees ruled that Gary was not down thus the loose ball a fumble which was recovered by Notre Dame linebacker Mike Stonebreaker at the one-yard-line.

Johnson was furious and yelled at the officials “First Down” but with no instant replay in college football in 1988, the Irish took over at the one-yard-line(double-click to play),

The ‘Canes would get another opportunity when took possession at midfield with 3:52 remaining in the game. Walsh found tight end Rob Chudzinski on first down for an 11-yard-gain and followed by a 15-yard penalty when Notre Dame defensive tackle Chris Zorich hid Chudzinski out of bounds. The ‘Canes were now at the Irish 24 and within striking distance again.

But once again, Stams came up with a big play as he hit Walsh in the backfield causing a fumble that was recovered by Zorich at the Irish 28 with about three and a half minutes to go. If Rice and the offense could get a first down or two, the Irish would snap the ‘Canes 36-game regular season winning streak.

After two runs that lost seven yards, Rice looked dropped back to pass on 3rd-and-17 in hopes of gaining a first down. But Rice was stripped of the back by defensive back Randy Shannon (the current Miami head coach) and defensive lineman Greg Mark recovered the fumble at the 15 with 2:10 left.

Miami quarterback Steve Walsh completed 31 of 50 passes for 424 yards and threw four touchdowns, but also had five turnovers in the game(three INTs, two fumbles).

Conley ran for 4 yards on first down, followed by a pass completion to Gary that gained 0 yards on second down. After an incomplete pass on third down, Johnson called timeout as the ‘Canes prepared for their 4th-and-6 with 51 seconds to go.

The 59,000 fans at Notre Dame Stadium roared as the ball was snapped on 4th-and-6. Walsh dropped back and threw a fade pass to the right corner of the end zone that was caught by Brown for an 11-yard touchdown and ruled a touchdown, even though replays showed that Brown trapped the ball and then the ball bounced out, meaning it should have been ruled incomplete.

Nevertheless, touchdown was called and Miami trailed 31-30 with 45 seconds left when Johnson called timeout.

There was no overtime in college football until 1996, so Johnson had to decide to either kick the extra point which would tie the game or go for two which either win or lose the game for the ‘Canes. Johnson did not call timeout to debate the one or two points as he was quoted after the game saying "We always play to win."

When the ball was snapped on the two-point conversion, the Irish defense rushed only three and dropped eight players back expecting a pass. Sure enough, Walsh was poised to pass and had trouble finding anyone to throw to. After what seemed like an eternity, Walsh finally threw the ball to the right corner again, this time for Conley who broken open for a second. But he was only open for a second, as Terrell ran over and knock the ball down preserving the Irish’s 31-30 lead(double-click to play).

However, the game was still not over as the Irish were prepared for an onside kick. The ‘Canes tried the onside kick but it was recovered by Notre Dame fullback Anthony Johnson and after taking two knees to run out the clock, the Irish had defeated the ‘Canes 31-30.

The loss was the first regular season loss for Miami since a 35-23 loss to the Florida Gators on September 7, 1985. The loss also snapped 16-game overall winning streak and 20-game road winning streak.

The Irish's win over the Canes' propelled them to a 12-0 record and a national championship after they defeated the West Virginia Mountaineers 34-21 in the Fiesta Bowl. Finishing second to the Irish after thee 1988 season; the Miami Hurricanes with an 11-1 overall record.

The Hurricanes would get revenge on Notre Dame the following season when they defeated the #1 ranked Irish 27-10 ending Notre Dame’s 23-game winning streak, paving the way for Miami to win its third national title in seven years.

Sadly, the rivalry would come to an end in 1990 as the two schools decided not to renew the series following Notre Dame’s 29-20 win over Miami in the ‘90 season.

The two teams would not meet again for 20 years when they met in the 2010 Sun Bowl as Notre Dame won 33-17.

Then in 2012, Notre Dame announced it was joining the Atlantic Coast Conference with the exception of football, but making it a deal where they would play five ACC teams per season, which would include Miami.