1993 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team

The 1993 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame as an independent during the 1993 NCAA Division I-A football season. Led by eighth-year head coach Lou Holtz, the Fighting Irish compiled a record of 11–1 with a win over Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl Classic. The team played home games at Notre Dame Stadium in Notre Dame, Indiana.

1993 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
National champion (Matthews, NCF) Cotton Bowl Classic champion
Cotton Bowl Classic, W 24–21 vs. Texas A&M
Conference	Independent
Ranking
Coaches	No. 2
AP	No. 2
Record	11–1
Head coach	Lou Holtz (8th season)
Offensive coordinator	Skip Holtz (2nd season)
Defensive coordinator	Rick Minter (2nd season)
Captains	Jeff Burris Tim Ruddy Aaron Taylor Bryant Young
Home stadium	Notre Dame Stadium
Seasons ← 1992 1994 →

1993 NCAA Division I-A independents football records

v t e	Conf.							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
No. 2 Notre Dame			–					11	–	1	–	0
No. 24 Louisville			–					9	–	3	–	0
Cincinnati			–					8	–	3	–	0
Army			–					6	–	5	–	0
Memphis State			–					6	–	5	–	0
Tulsa			–					4	–	6	–	1
Navy			–					4	–	7	–	0
Tulane			–					3	–	9	–	0
Southern Miss			–					2	–	8	–	1
East Carolina			–					2	–	9	–	0
Rankings from AP Poll

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 ^[1] with a win over Boston College in their final game. Notre Dame struggled through most of the game and were trailing 38-17 in the fourth quarter before rallying to take a one point lead with just over a minute left in the contest; the Eagles, however, kicked a field goal as time expired to secure the upset, winning 41-39 and dashing Notre Dame's championship hopes. The Irish would settle for a Cotton Bowl bid, where they defeated Texas A&M.

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Rank	Site	TV	Result	Attendance	Source
September 2	2:30 p.m.	Northwestern	No. 7	Notre Dame Stadium Notre Dame, IN (rivalry)	NBC	W 27–12	59,075
September 11	12:00 p.m.	at No. 3 Michigan	No. 11	Michigan Stadium Ann Arbor, MI (rivalry)	ABC	W 27–23	106,851	[2]
September 18	2:30 p.m.	Michigan State	No. 4	Notre Dame Stadium Notre Dame, IN (rivalry)	NBC	W 36–14	59,075
September 25	3:30 p.m.	at Purdue	No. 4	Ross–Ade Stadium West Lafayette, IN (rivalry)	ABC	W 17–0	67,861
October 2	3:30 p.m.	at Stanford	No. 4	Stanford Stadium Stanford, CA (rivalry)	ABC	W 48–20	80,300
October 9	2:30 p.m.	Pittsburgh	No. 4	Notre Dame Stadium Notre Dame, IN (rivalry)	NBC	W 44–0	59,075
October 16	7:30 p.m.	at BYU	No. 3	Cougar Stadium Provo, UT	ESPN	W 45–20	66,247
October 23	2:30 p.m.	USC	No. 2	Notre Dame Stadium Notre Dame, IN (rivalry)	NBC	W 31–13	59,075
October 30	12:00 p.m.	vs. Navy	No. 2	Veterans Stadium Philadelphia, PA (rivalry)	ABC	W 58–27	61,813
November 13	2:30 p.m.	No. 1 Florida State	No. 2	Notre Dame Stadium Notre Dame, IN (rivalry, College GameDay)	NBC	W 31–24	59,075
November 20	1:30 p.m.	No. 17 Boston College	No. 1	Notre Dame Stadium Notre Dame, IN (Holy War)	NBC	L 39–41	59,075
January 1, 1994	4:30 p.m.	vs. No. 7 Texas A&M	No. 4	Cotton Bowl Dallas, TX (Cotton Bowl Classic)	NBC	W 24–21	69,855
Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game All times are in Eastern time

Rankings

Main article: 1993 NCAA Division I-A football rankings

Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
( ) = First-place votes

	Week
Poll	Pre	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	Final
AP	7	7	11	4	4	4	4	3	2	2	2	2	1 (62)	4 (1)	5	4 (1)	2 (12)
Coaches	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)

Game summaries

Northwestern

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
Northwestern	0	6	6	0	12
• Notre Dame	7	0	10	10	27

• Date: September 4
• Location: Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend, IN
• Game attendance: 59,075
• TV announcers (NBC): Dick Enberg and Bob Trumpy

Scoring summary

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

See also: 1993 Northwestern Wildcats football team and Northwestern–Notre Dame football rivalry

Michigan

See also: 1993 Michigan Wolverines football team

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
• Notre Dame	10	14	3	0	27
Michigan	3	7	0	13	23

• Date: September 11
• Location: Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, Mich.
• Game attendance: 106,851
• Television network: ABC

Scoring summary

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

^[3]

Michigan State

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
Michigan St	7	0	0	7	14
• Notre Dame	0	16	13	7	36

• Date: September 18
• Location: Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend, IN

• Source:

Scoring summary

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

See also: 1993 Michigan State Spartans football team and Michigan State–Notre Dame football rivalry

Purdue

See also: 1993 Purdue Boilermakers football team and Notre Dame–Purdue football rivalry

Stanford

See also: 1993 Stanford Cardinal football team

Pittsburgh

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
Pittsburgh	0	0	0	0	0
• Notre Dame	7	6	10	21	44

• Date: October 9
• Location: Notre Dame Stadium

Scoring summary

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

See also: 1993 Pittsburgh Panthers football team

^[4]

BYU

See also: 1993 BYU Cougars football team

USC

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
USC	0	7	0	6	13
• Notre Dame	14	14	3	0	31

• Date: October 23
• Location: Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend, IN
• Game attendance: 59,075
• Television network: NBC

Scoring summary

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

See also: 1993 USC Trojans football team and Notre Dame–USC football rivalry

^[5]

Navy

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
• Notre Dame	3	14	21	20	58
Navy	10	14	3	0	27

• Date: October 30
• Location: Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia, PA
• Game attendance: 61,813

Scoring summary

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

See also: 1993 Navy Midshipmen football team

^[6]

Florida State

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
Florida State	7	0	7	10	24
• Notre Dame	7	14	3	7	31

• Date: November 13
• Location: Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend, IN
• Game start: Kickoff 1:47pm, NBC coverage begins at 1:30pm
• Game attendance: 59,075
• Game weather: pregame showers, temp near 60, wind from south 20 to 30 mph
• TV announcers (NBC): Charlie Jones, Todd Christensen, Bob Costas (studio host), John Dockery (sideline) and O. J. Simpson (sideline)

Main article: 1993 Florida State vs. Notre Dame football game

See also: 1993 Florida State Seminoles football team and 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

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
• Boston College	10	14	7	10	41
Notre Dame	0	14	3	22	39

• Date: November 20
• Location: Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend, IN
• Game attendance: 59,075
• TV announcers (NBC): Tom Hammond, Cris Collinsworth

Scoring summary

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

See also: 1993 Boston College Eagles football team and Holy War (Boston College–Notre Dame)

Texas A&M

See also: 1993 Texas A&M Aggies football team and 1994 Cotton Bowl Classic

Roster

1993 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team roster
Players			Coaches
Offense Pos. # Name Class RB 37 Travis Davis Jr WR 87 Lake Dawson Sr WR 1 Derrick Mayes So FB 30 Marc Edwards Fr TE 80 Oscar McBride Sr QB 15 Kevin McDougal Sr C 61 Tim Ruddy Sr OT 75 Aaron Taylor Sr RB 34 Ray Zellars Jr C 77 Dusty Zeigler So RB 25 Randy Kinder Fr QB 8 Paul Failla Jr	Defense Pos. # Name Class LB 47 Pete Bercich Sr S 9 Jeff Burris Sr CB 32 Willie Clark Sr CB 29 John Covington Sr DT 44 Jim Flanigan Sr DT 55 Oliver Gibson Sr DT 93 Paul Grasmanis So LB 49 Tony Peterson Sr CB 21 Bobby Taylor So CB 22 Shawn Wooden So DE 48 Renaldo Wynn So DE 97 Bryant Young Sr	Special teams Pos. # Name Class	Head coach Lou Holtz Coordinators/assistant coaches Legend (C) Team captain (S) Suspended (I) Ineligible Injured Redshirt

Awards and honors

• Aaron Taylor: Lombardi Award

Team players in the NFL

See also: 1994 NFL draft

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