American college football season
The 1987 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame during the 1987 NCAA Division I-A football season. Tony Rice became the starting quarterback for Notre Dame following an injury to Terry Andrysiak. The Irish would finish the season 8–4 and earn a berth to the Cotton Bowl Classic.
Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Source |
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September 12 | 3:30 p.m. | at No. 9 Michigan | No. 16 | | ABC | W 26–7 | 106,098 | |
September 19 | 7:45 p.m. | No. 17 Michigan State | No. 9 | | ESPN | W 31–8 | 59,075 | |
September 26 | 12:00 p.m. | at Purdue | No. 8 | | | W 44–20 | 68,528 | |
October 10 | 7:00 p.m. | at Pittsburgh | No. 4 | | ESPN | L 22–30 | 56,400 | |
October 17 | 3:30 p.m. | at Air Force | No. 11 | | | W 35–14 | 51,112 | |
October 24 | 2:30 p.m. | USC | No. 10 | - Notre Dame Stadium
- Notre Dame, IN (rivalry)
| CBS | W 26–15 | 59,075 | |
October 31 | 12:00 p.m. | Navy | No. 9 | - Notre Dame Stadium
- Notre Dame, IN (rivalry)
| | W 56–13 | 59,075 | |
November 7 | 12:00 p.m. | Boston College | No. 9 | - Notre Dame Stadium
- Notre Dame, IN (Holy War)
| | W 32–25 | 59,075 | |
November 14 | 2:30 p.m. | No. 10 Alabama | No. 7 | - Notre Dame Stadium
- Notre Dame, IN
| CBS | W 37–6 | 59,075 | [1] |
November 21 | 12:00 p.m. | at Penn State | No. 7 | | CBS | L 20–21 | 84,000 | |
November 28 | 3:30 p.m. | at No. 2 Miami (FL) | No. 10 | | CBS | L 0–24 | 76,640 | |
| 1:30 p.m. | vs. No. 13 Texas A&M | No. 12 | | CBS | L 10–35 | 73,006 | |
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#16 Notre Dame at #9 Michigan | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | • Notre Dame | 10 | 0 | 7 | 9 | 26 | Michigan | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | |
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Scoring summary |
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| Q1 | | ND | Gradel 44 yard field goal | ND 3–0 | | Q1 | | ND | T. Brown 11 yard pass from Andrysiak (Gradel kick) | ND 10–0 | | Q3 | | ND | Banks 1 yard run (Gradel kick) | ND 17–0 | | Q3 | | MICH | McMurtry 12 yard pass from D. Brown (Gillette kick) | ND 17–7 | | Q4 | | ND | Gradel 38 yard field goal | ND 20–7 | | Q4 | | ND | Watters 18 yard run (pass failed) | ND 26–7 | |
Terry Andrysiak completed 11 of 15 passes for 137 yards and a touchdown while Notre Dame converted four of Michigan's seven turnovers into scores.
[2]
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | Michigan St | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 8 | • Notre Dame | 19 | 5 | 7 | 0 | 31 | |
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Scoring summary |
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| Q1 | | ND | Ezor downed ball in end zone | ND 2–0 | | Q1 | | ND | Gradel 27 yard field goal | ND 5–0 | | Q1 | | ND | Brown 71 yard punt return (Gradel kick) | ND 12–0 | | Q1 | | ND | Brown 66 yard punt return (Gradel kick) | ND 19–0 | | Q2 | | ND | McAllister tackled in end zone | ND 21–0 | | Q2 | | ND | Gradel 37 yard field goal | ND 24–0 | | Q3 | | ND | Johnson 3 yard run (Gradel kick) | ND 31–0 | | Q4 | | MSU | Rison 57 yard pass from McAllister (Wilson pass from McAllister) | ND 31–8 | |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | • Notre Dame | 10 | 7 | 14 | 13 | 44 | Purdue | 0 | 17 | 3 | 0 | 20 | |
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Scoring summary |
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| Q1 | | ND | Gradel 35 yard field goal | ND 3–0 | | Q1 | | ND | Johnson 6 yard run (Gradel kick) | ND 10–0 | | Q2 | | PUR | Schumacher 4 yard pass from Downing (Briggs kick) | ND 10–7 | | Q2 | | PUR | C. Williams 20 yard pass from Downing (Briggs kick) | PUR 14–10 | | Q2 | | PUR | Briggs 18 yard field goal | PUR 17–10 | | Q2 | | ND | Johnson 1 yard run (Gradel kick) | Tie 17–17 | | Q3 | | PUR | Briggs 50 yard field goal | PUR 20–17 | | Q3 | | ND | Johnson 8 yard run (Gradel kick) | ND 24–20 | | Q3 | | ND | Brown 49 yard pass from Andrysiak (Gradel kick) | ND 31–20 | | Q4 | | ND | Gradel 28 yard field goal | ND 34–20 | | Q4 | | ND | Gradel 44 yard field goal | ND 37–20 | | Q4 | | ND | Southall 57 yard interception return (Gradel kick) | ND 44–20 | |
[3]
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | • Notre Dame | 14 | 0 | 14 | 7 | 35 | Air Force | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 | |
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Scoring summary |
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| Q1 | | ND | Rice 1 yard run (Gradel kick) | ND 7–0 | | Q1 | | ND | Rice 4 yard run (Gradel kick) | ND 14–0 | | Q2 | | AFA | Booker 4 yard run (Yarborough kick) | ND 14–7 | | Q3 | | ND | Johnson 1 yard run (Gradel kick) | ND 21–7 | | Q3 | | ND | Banks 1 yard run (Gradel kick) | ND 28–7 | | Q4 | | AFA | Dowis 1 yard run (Yarborough kick) | ND 28–14 | | Q4 | | ND | Brown 74 yard punt return (Gradel kick) | ND 35–14 | |
[4]
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | USC | 7 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 15 | • Notre Dame | 3 | 17 | 6 | 0 | 26 | |
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Scoring summary |
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| Q1 | | USC | Jackson 9 yard pass from Peete (Rodriguez kick) | USC 7–0 | | Q1 | | ND | Gradel 26 yard field goal | USC 7–3 | | Q2 | | ND | Rice 26 yard run (Gradel kick) | ND 10–7 | | Q2 | | ND | T. Brown 5 yard run (Gradel kick) | ND 17–7 | | Q2 | | ND | Gradel 32 yard field goal | ND 20–7 | | Q3 | | ND | Green 11 yard run (run failed) | ND 26–7 | | Q4 | | USC | Lockwood 5 yard run (Tanner pass from Peete) | ND 26–15 | |
[5]
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | Navy | 0 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 13 | • Notre Dame | 14 | 21 | 14 | 7 | 56 | |
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Scoring summary |
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| Q1 | | ND | Johnson 6 yard run (Gradel kick) | ND 7–0 | | Q1 | | ND | Johnson 9 yard run (Gradel kick) | ND 14–0 | | Q2 | | ND | Green 21 yard run (Gradel kick) | ND 21–0 | | Q2 | | NAVY | Fundoukos 43 yard field goal | ND 21–3 | | Q2 | | ND | Johnson 1 yard run (Gradel kick) | ND 28–3 | | Q2 | | NAVY | Fundoukos 31 yard field goal | ND 28–6 | | Q2 | | ND | Brown 51 yard pass from Graham (Gradel kick) | ND 35–6 | | Q3 | | ND | Johnson 2 yard run (Gradel kick) | ND 42–6 | | Q3 | | ND | Watters 6 yard run (Gradel kick) | ND 49–6 | | Q4 | | ND | Brooks 4 yard run (Gradel kick) | ND 56–6 | | Q4 | | NAVY | Sims 4 yard run (Fundoukos kick) | ND 56–13 | |
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| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | Boston College | 7 | 10 | 8 | 0 | 25 | • Notre Dame | 6 | 0 | 12 | 14 | 32 | |
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Scoring summary |
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| Q1 | | ND | Gradel 21 yard field goal | ND 3–0 | | Q1 | | BC | Hudginson 3 yard pass from Power (Lowe kick) | BC 7–3 | | Q1 | | ND | Gradel 21 yard field goal | BC 7–6 | | Q2 | | BC | Lowe 31 yard field goal | BC 10–6 | | Q2 | | BC | Bell 11 yard run (Lowe kick) | BC 17–6 | | Q3 | | ND | Green 33 yard run (run failed) | BC 17–12 | | Q3 | 10:02 | BC | Flutie 31 yard pass from Parker (Power run) | BC 25–12 | | Q3 | | ND | Johnson 1 yard run (run failed) | BC 25–18 | | Q4 | | ND | Braxston 1 yard run (Gradel kick) | Tie 25–25 | | Q4 | | ND | Green 2 yard run (Gradel kick) | ND 32–25 | |
- ND: Mark Green 152 Rush Yds
- ND: Tim Brown 294 all-purpose Yds
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| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | Alabama | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 | • Notre Dame | 3 | 17 | 3 | 14 | 37 | |
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Scoring summary |
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| Q1 | | ALA | Doyle 34 yard field goal | ALA 3–0 | | Q1 | | ND | Gradel 49 yard field goal | Tie 3–3 | | Q2 | | ND | Rice 12 yard run (Gradel kick) | ND 10–3 | | Q2 | | ND | Heck 3 yard pass from Rice (Gradel kick) | ND 17–3 | | Q2 | | ND | Gradel 21 yard field goal | ND 20–3 | | Q2 | | ALA | Doyle 28 yard field goal | ND 20–6 | | Q3 | | ND | Gradel 22 yard field goal | ND 23–6 | | Q4 | | ND | Green 74 yard run (Gradel kick) | ND 30–6 | | Q4 | | ND | Watters 75 yard run (Gradel kick) | ND 37–6 | |
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1987 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team roster |
Players | Coaches |
Offense | Defense | Special teams | - Head coach
- Coordinators/assistant coaches
- Legend
- (C) Team captain
- (S) Suspended
- (I) Ineligible
Injured Redshirt |
Team players drafted into the NFL
[edit] The following players were drafted into professional football following the season.
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Culture and lore | |
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People | |
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Seasons | |
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National championship seasons in bold |