We don’t have to rehash fight songs, their standing in winning percentage, the legend of Michigan students teaching football to Notre Dame to understand the magnitude of this series.

I’ll be honest: When it ended in 2014, I was so elated with Notre Dame’s 31-0 pasting of the Wolverines that I didn’t give it much thought.

Now as time passed and Michigan has rebounded under Jim Harbaugh, I feel a sense of loss as a fan that we may be missing out on some classic matchups with the series on hiatus. I would love to see the series return, though not as a part of the Shamrock Series. I want some of those games at home and not at a neutral site.

Recently, Brian Kelly suggested that Notre Dame may not need a conference alignment in order to be worthy of a playoff spot. Kelly remarked that he would put his 12 up against a conference winner’s 11 due to some of the FCS teams that they play. One of the things I think Kelly is banking on is wins over marquee teams like Michigan. Think about a year where a one-loss Notre Dame has wins over some of the conference champions. It would make for a hefty resume for the Irish.

As a result, the return of Michigan not only makes sense from the standpoint of history but also from the potential impact Michigan could have for future Irish playoff resumes. We, also from the fan perspective, get games like the three from the series that stick out the most in my lifetime. Though I was born, I don’t count Harry Oliver’s field goal as one of them as I was simply to young to remember it.

Here are my three:

1989: Notre Dame 24, Michigan 19

Rocket returns two kickoffs for touchdowns. Michigan was ranked #1 and I still smile every time I watch the late Rodney Culver waving Ismail to the end zone.

1998: Notre Dame 36, Michigan 20

If there was a signature win of the Bob Davie era this was clearly it. Michigan was the defending National Champions and led by a touchdown at the half. The Irish outscored Michigan 30-7 in the second half.

2012: Notre Dame 13, Michigan 6

After watching Denard Robinson eat Notre Dame alive for two years, the Notre Dame defense throttled him by forcing 6 turnovers on their way to a 12-1 season.

I seriously hope this rivalry renews as many have speculated that it will. Perhaps Jim Harbaugh is the next coming of Nick Saban, nevertheless I want Brian Kelly and the Irish to have a shot at matching up with Michigan.

The post Let’s Renew Our Rivalry With Michigan appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

Whether it was the unforgivable 58-7 humiliation that was Gerry Faust’s last game or the near riot prior to the 1988 thriller, the games were hard-hitting, emotion-fueled, big-play dramas. While games in both 1988 and 1989 largely decided the national championship, the 1990 game was actually ranked #3 by fans for the best games in Notre Dame Stadium in a 2005 poll.

It also played a huge role in propelling the Irish to a #1 ranking that they would hold on two different occasions during the 1990 season. Ultimately, an upset at home at the hands of Penn State and an Orange Bowl defeat would derail the Irish national title dreams. Nevertheless, the Irish win was notable for denying Miami a shot at a repeat national championship and it was the last meeting between the two until the 2010 Sun Bowl.

After locating and dusting off this old VHS gem from my archives, I was immediately reminded of a few things.

First, the ND in the end zone for home games in 1990 looks completely out of place in my book. Much like the critiques of “The Shirt” when it deviates from traditional colors, the end zones at Notre Dame should feature slashed lines…period!

I cannot express how much I miss Notre Dame coverage on CBS from the 80s.

I loved the sideline shots that they always had and the open microphones. After a key stop in the second half, you can hear Scott Kowalkowski exhorting his teammates with “good stop” and a fist pump.

For all the benefits of the NBC coverage we no longer get that close up. Perhaps in an era where coaches have billboard sized play cards covering their mouths, they just won’t let the cameras have that much access.

Finally, Notre Dame Stadium was bedlam in the this game. It was loud and stands appeared wild. For years, I’ve heard the crowds at Notre Dame are pedestrian. In all my trips to the stadium, I’ve never seen a crowd like this particular Miami game. I would argue the night game last year vs. USC seemed like a church gathering compared to this game.

Rick Mirer

The game itself was a classic and at the same time it shocks me that this particular Notre Dame team went 9-3. The running backs alone on this day for the Irish may be the greatest collective assembled in college football history. Dorsey Levens the listed starter got 0 carries. Nevertheless, he and the remainder of the group – Rodney Culver, Tony Brooks, Ricky Watters, Rocket Ismail (who while not a true running back was second in carries in this game), and Jerome Bettis – all played in the NFL.

The defense which was also much maligned coming into the game also featured a number of future NFL players.

The Irish would enter the game ranked #6 while Miami would enter the game with a #2 ranking. This particular contest dubbed the “Final Chapter” by some (the teams would end their series following this game) was true to the form of the other Miami/Notre Dame clashes in that it featured big plays, great athletes, and a few surprises.

Two of the bigger questions leading up to this game were whether Notre Dame could run the ball effectively vs. Miami and whether their defense – which had struggled to this point – would have any answers for a potent Miami offense.

The Shirt for the 1990 ND-Miami game

The Irish answered both questions with a resounding yes. On the day, the Irish shredded a Miami run defense – that had to date yielded just 62 yards per game – for a whopping 315 yards on the ground. The defense, though it gave up 473 total yards, forced four Miami turnovers and held the Hurricanes to 6 points on three trips inside the 10.

The final trip which resulted in a Leonard Conley fumble at the Notre Dame 2 proved to be the final undoing of Miami. Despite the run game and defense, a mainstay of the Holtz era may have been the biggest difference in the outcome.

Special teams play was absolutely brilliant for the Irish on this day as Craig Hentrich booted 5 field goals and Rocket Ismail accounted for 158 yards of kickoff return yardage highlighted by a brilliant 94 yard scamper. The kickoff return tied the score at 10-10 and seemed to stabilize the Irish after their offense had struggled greatly in the early going. On the day, Ismail would account for 268 all-purpose yards on his way to a season that featured over 1700 all-purpose yards and a second place finish in the Heisman race. How he lost the Heisman to a guy who threw 28 interceptions I’ll never understand, but that is a story for another day.

Lou Holtz would improve his record at this point in his tenure at Notre Dame to 18-8 vs. teams in the Top 20, underscoring his greatness in preparing for and playing in big games. In the build up to this game, it was well reported that Lou spent a ton of practice time working individually with the defense. On this day, it paid off as the Irish held Miami to just 3 second half points. When asked about the game and the crowd afterwards, Holtz responded, “There is something special about playing here.” There was something special about playing Miami too.

The post Film Session: Notre Dame vs. Miami, 1990 appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.