1987 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team

1987 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
Cotton Bowl Classic, L 10–35 vs. Texas A&M
Conference	Independent
Ranking
AP	No. 17
1987 record	8–4
Head coach	Lou Holtz (2nd season)
Defensive coordinator	Foge Fazio (2nd season)
Captains	Chuck Lanza Byron Spruell
Home stadium	Notre Dame Stadium (c. 59,075, grass)
Seasons ← 1986 1988 →

1987 NCAA Division I-A independents football records
v t	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
No. 1 Miami (FL)		–		–				12	–	0	–	0
No. 4 Syracuse		–		–				11	–	0	–	1
No. 2 Florida State		–		–				11	–	1	–	0
No. 15 South Carolina		–		–				8	–	4	–	0
Pittsburgh		–		–				8	–	4	–	0
Penn State		–		–				8	–	4	–	0
No. 17 Notre Dame		–		–				8	–	4	–	0
Southern Miss		–		–				6	–	5	–	0
Rutgers		–		–				6	–	5	–	0
Southwestern Louisiana		–		–				6	–	5	–	0
Memphis State		–		–				5	–	5	–	1
Northern Illinois		–		–				5	–	5	–	1
West Virginia		–		–				6	–	6	–	0
Tulane		–		–				6	–	6	–	0
Army		–		–				5	–	6	–	0
Boston College		–		–				5	–	6	–	0
East Carolina		–		–				5	–	6	–	0
Akron		–		–				4	–	7	–	0
Cincinnati		–		–				4	–	7	–	0
Louisville		–		–				3	–	7	–	1
Temple		–		–				3	–	8	–	0
Tulsa		–		–				3	–	8	–	0
Virginia Tech		–		–				2	–	9	–	0
Navy		–		–				2	–	9	–	0
Rankings from AP Poll

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.

Schedule[]

Date	Time	Opponent	Rank	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 12	3:30 p.m.	at No. 9 Michigan	No. 16	Michigan Stadium Ann Arbor, MI (rivalry)	ABC	W 26–7	106,098
September 19	7:45 p.m.	No. 17 Michigan State	No. 9	Notre Dame Stadium Notre Dame, IN (Megaphone Trophy)	ESPN	W 31–8	59,075
September 26	12:00 p.m.	at Purdue	No. 8	Ross–Ade Stadium West Lafayette, IN (Shillelagh Trophy)		W 44–20	68,528
October 10	7:00 p.m.	at Pittsburgh	No. 4	Pitt Stadium Pittsburgh, PA (rivalry)	ESPN	L 22–30	56,400
October 17	3:30 p.m.	at Air Force	No. 11	Falcon Stadium Colorado Springs, CO		W 35–14	51,112
October 24	2:30 p.m.	USC	No. 10	Notre Dame Stadium Notre Dame, IN (Jeweled Shillelagh)	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
November 21	12:00 p.m.	at Penn State	No. 7	Beaver Stadium University Park, PA	CBS	L 20–21	84,000
November 28	3:30 p.m.	at No. 2 Miami (FL)	No. 10	Miami Orange Bowl Miami, FL	CBS	L 0–24	76,640
January 1, 1988	1:30 p.m.	vs. No. 13 Texas A&M	No. 12	Cotton Bowl Dallas, TX (Cotton Bowl Classic)	CBS	L 10–35	73,006
Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game All times are in Eastern time

Game summaries[]

at Michigan[]

#16 Notre Dame at #9 Michigan

1 2 3 4 Total • Notre Dame 10 0 7 9 26 Michigan 0 0 7 0 7 Date: September 12 Location: Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, MI Game start: 3:30 p.m. EST Game attendance: 106,098 Television network: ABC

Scoring summary 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.

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Michigan State[]

1 2 3 4 Total Michigan St 0 0 0 8 8 • Notre Dame 19 5 7 0 31 Date: September 19 Location: Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend, IN Game start: 7:45 p.m. EST Game attendance: 59,075 Television network: ESPN

Scoring summary 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

Purdue[]

1 2 3 4 Total • Notre Dame 10 7 14 13 44 Purdue 0 17 3 0 20 Date: September 27 Location: Ross–Ade Stadium, West Lafayette, IN Game start: 12:00 p.m. EST Game attendance: 68,528

Scoring summary 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

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Pittsburgh[]

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Air Force[]

1 2 3 4 Total • Notre Dame 14 0 14 7 35 Air Force 0 7 0 7 14 Date: October 17 Location: Falcon Stadium, Colorado Springs, CO Game start: 3:30 p.m. EST Game attendance: 51,112

Scoring summary 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

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USC[]

1 2 3 4 Total USC 7 0 0 8 15 • Notre Dame 3 17 6 0 26 Date: October 24 Location: Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend, IN Game attendance: 59,075 Television network: CBS

Scoring summary 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

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Navy[]

1 2 3 4 Total Navy 0 6 0 7 13 • Notre Dame 14 21 14 7 56 Date: October 31 Location: Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend, IN Game start: 12:00 p.m. EST Game attendance: 59,075

Scoring summary 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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Boston College[]

1 2 3 4 Total Boston College 7 10 8 0 25 • Notre Dame 6 0 12 14 32 Date: November 7 Location: Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend, IN Game attendance: 59,075

Scoring summary 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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Alabama[]

1 2 3 4 Total Alabama 3 3 0 0 6 • Notre Dame 3 17 3 14 37 Date: November 14 Location: Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend, IN Game attendance: 59,075 TV announcers (CBS): Brent Musburger, Pat Haden and John Dockery

Scoring summary 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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Penn State[]

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Miami (FL)[]

Cotton Bowl[]

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Personnel[]

1987 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team roster
Players			Coaches
Offense Pos. # Name Class WR 80 Steve Alaniz Jr T 72 Joe Allen QB 2 Terry Andrysiak Sr RB 39 Braxston Banks QB 8 Steve Belles Jr WR 81 Tim Brown Sr QB 17 Kent Graham Fr QB 11 Pete Graham Jr RB 24 Mark Green Jr OT 66 Andy Heck Jr C 51 Chuck Lanza QB 9 Tony Rice So RB 12 Ricky Watters Fr	Defense Pos. # Name Class DT 90 Jeff Alm So LB 47 Ned Bolcar So DT 67 Bob Dahl Fr SS 26 Greg Davis SS 13 Pat Eilers Jr LB 48 Cedric Figaro Sr DE 92 Bryan Flannery CB 32 D’Juan Francisco Jr LB 36 Donn Grimm DE 38 Darrell Gordon Jr LB 7 Andre Jones Fr LB 37 Scott Kowalkowski Fr CB 1 Todd Lyght Fr LB 34 Wes Pritchett Jr LB 40 Tim Ryan Fr FS 15 Pat Terrell So CB 5 Brandy Wells Sr	Special teams Pos. # Name Class	Head coach Lou Holtz Coordinators/assistant coaches Foge Fazio (DC) George Stewart (LB) Legend (C) Team captain (S) Suspended (I) Ineligible Injured Redshirt

Team players drafted into the NFL[]

The following players were drafted into professional football following the season.

Player	Position	Round	Pick	Franchise
Tim Brown	Wide Receiver	1	6	Los Angeles Raiders
Tom Redehr	Tackle	3	69	New England Patriots
Chuck Lanza	Center	3	70	Pittsburgh Steelers
Cedric Figaro	Linebacker	6	152	San Diego Chargers
Brandy Wells	Defensive Back	9	226	Cincinnati Bengals

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References[]