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.

How did you first become a Notre Dame fan?

Jerry Barca: I was born Irish-Italian and Catholic in New Jersey. I don’t think there was much choice about it. It was just life, sort of like a grass-is-green, sky-is-blue thing. You said Hail Marys at night, fidgeted through Mass on Sunday, and followed Notre Dame.

What was your best childhood Notre Dame memory?

JB: I’m the youngest of five kids and one of my older brothers went to Notre Dame, so that provided the opportunity for some pretty good childhood memories of the school. Going to the 31-30, Catholics vs. Convicts game in ’88 stands out, as does meeting and hanging out with Roger Valdiserri and Laphonso Ellis that weekend.

My first visit to the campus was pretty cool. It was 1985. I was 8 years old, and Allen Pinkett and Co. were taking on Army. Dressed from head to toe in freshly purchased ND gear and armed with a little yellow Notre Dame megaphone, I stood on a table helping Fisher Hall sell concessions on game day. We were set up right outside the old Bookstore location. I was shouting for people to get their “Gipper brauts, Rockne burgers, and Four Horseman soda.” Fisher Hall ended up being able to get a microwave for the dorm based on the sales that day, which in 1985 meant there were a lot of sales. Then 10 years later, when I was applying to Notre Dame I watched the admissions video. There — in the midst of some awkward dorm dance footage — was a clip of me doing this huckster shouting. And of course I mentioned this in the application process. I used everything I could. I needed to. I was wait-listed and I’m pretty sure that I was the last one accepted to the incoming class.

Did you play sports as a kid?

JB: Yes. Didn’t everybody? I’m thinking I should say more here. I played quarterback for the West Orange Mustangs Pee-Wee football team. I was sacked 46 times in a nine-game season. We weren’t very good as a team, but we did have a member of Providence College’s 1996 Elite Eight basketball team, a movie and TV actor, and a Broadway lead.

What made you decide to attend Notre Dame?

JB: It was always my dream since I was 8 years old and first visited the campus to see my older brother. I loved sports and I loved the friendships I saw my brother developing with his classmates. I mean even the grownups seemed like good, approachable people – Fr. (Richard) Warner and coach (Brian) Boulac come to mind. For me, I saw it as a special place since I was kid and I wanted to be part of that.

What was your best Notre Dame memory?

JB: There are a bunch. I don’t think I can single out just one. I really think it is the friends you make. I graduated 15 years ago. I can rattle off some great classes and experiences – Bookstore Basketball; doing the ring announcing for Bengal Bouts; getting up too early on Saturday mornings to stuff football programs in the press box; writing a 25-page paper on how Bruce Springsteen’s “Born In the U.S.A.” album changed material culture in America. But the core of all that is the friendships, the people who I was alongside to share these experiences.

How did you decide to write the book Unbeatable?

JB: I was surprised no one had gone back and revisited that era of Notre Dame football. Each year I’d see new Notre Dame football books come out, but nothing taking a deeper look at the Holtz-era, which was a formative football watching period for a lot of Notre Dame fans. I thought it was an important story to tell on the timeline of Notre Dame football history. And, as long I could get access to the players and the coaches, I thought it would be a great story to tell.

What was the biggest challenge in writing the book?

JB: The timeline. I wrote a sample chapter and put together the book proposal in late 2011/early 2012. I signed a contract with St. Martin’s Press in April 2012 and turned in the 84,000-word manuscript on October 1, six months later. I’ve said this before in other places – I gained 17 pounds, drank about 30-ounces of coffee during the day, chugged a Red Bull in the afternoon, got a large Dunkin Donuts coffee at 11 p.m. to stay up to do the rewrites until about 4 a.m. All this, plus devouring a box of Little Debbie nutty bars in less than 24 hours each time said box entered the house.

What surprised you the most in writing the book?

JB: A lot of things come to mind. Even though I thought I knew a lot about the Miami-Notre Dame game, there was so much more behind the scenes between the fans of both schools, and in the Fighting Irish’s preparation to face the ‘Canes. The multiple storylines leading up to the No. 1 versus No. 2 regular season finale at USC are some of my favorite passages in the book — the details of Ricky Watters and Tony Brooks being suspended; how a measles side effect impacted the game; and the strategy behind Notre Dame’s big plays.

Will you write another Notre Dame book?

Lisa Kelly and Jerry Barca signing books at Hammes Notre Dame Bookstore 2013

JB: Maybe. Someday. But at the moment I have no plans to write another Notre Dame book. But since you asked, now I’m wondering if Mike Brey might let me embed with the program for a year. Hmm?

So … what are your thoughts on the new FieldTurf?

JB: I wrote about this last week (http://jerrybarca.com/unbeatable/on-fieldturf-grass-and-tradition). Look, I love the grass at Notre Dame Stadium and like any super-duper bizarro fan I have a long, strangely personal, relationship with that grass. But I’m good with the FieldTurf. Times change, and so do playing surfaces.

What are your 2014 Notre Dame Football predictions?

JB: They will play home games on FieldTurf, and they will definitely play 12 games between the end of August and the end of November.

Sorry for the smartassery, but I believe the people who know best how the team will do are Brian Kelly, his staff, and the players. Those guys and Notre Dame’s opponents. They all have a far better position to make predictions than me.

Any new projects we should know about?

JB: I have begun work on another football book. I am grateful St. Martin’s Press will once again be the publisher, and I’ll have more specific details on that in the future.

Thanks so much for having me. This has been great.

Want to read more from Jerry? His Notre Dame football book “Unbeatable” can be purchased at fine booksellers such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble and the Hammes Notre Dame Bookstore.

Cheers & Go Irish!

The post Is This Our Year? Unbeatable appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.