American college football season
1998 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football |
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Conference | Independent |
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Ranking |
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Coaches | No. 22[1] |
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AP | No. 22[1] |
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Record | 9–3 |
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Head coach | |
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Offensive coordinator | Jim Colletto (2nd season) |
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Offensive scheme | Option |
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Defensive coordinator | Greg Mattison (2nd season) |
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Base defense | 4–3 |
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Home stadium | Notre Dame Stadium (c. 80,012, grass) |
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Seasons |
The 1998 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame in the 1998 NCAA Division I-A football season.[2] The team was coached by Bob Davie and played its home games at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana.
Schedule
Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Source |
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September 5 | 2:30 p.m. | No. 5 Michigan | No. 22 | | NBC | W 36–20 | 80,012 | |
September 12 | 8:00 p.m. | at Michigan State | No. 10 | | ABC | L 23–45 | 74,267 | |
September 26 | 2:30 p.m. | Purdue | No. 23 | - Notre Dame Stadium
- Notre Dame, IN (rivalry)
| NBC | W 31–30 | 80,012 | |
October 3 | 2:30 p.m. | Stanford | No. 23 | - Notre Dame Stadium
- Notre Dame, IN (rivalry)
| NBC | W 35–17 | 80,012 | |
October 10 | 3:30 p.m. | at Arizona State | No. 22 | | ABC | W 28–9 | 73,501 | |
October 24 | 2:30 p.m. | Army | No. 18 | - Notre Dame Stadium
- Notre Dame, IN (rivalry)
| NBC | W 20–17 | 80,012 | |
October 31 | 2:30 p.m. | Baylor | No. 16 | - Notre Dame Stadium
- Notre Dame, IN
| NBC | W 27–3 | 80,012 | |
November 7 | 12:00 p.m. | at Boston College | No. 13 | | CBS | W 31–26 | 44,500 | |
November 14 | 3:30 p.m. | vs. Navy | No. 12 | | CBS | W 30–0 | 78,844 | |
November 21 | 1:30 p.m. | LSU | No. 10 | - Notre Dame Stadium
- Notre Dame, IN
| NBC | W 39–36 | 80,012 | [3] |
November 28 | 8:00 p.m. | at USC | No. 9 | | ABC | L 0–10 | 90,069 | |
January 1, 1999 | 12:00 p.m. | vs. No. 12 Georgia Tech | No. 17 | | NBC | L 28–35 | 70,791 | [4] |
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Rankings
Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
— = Not ranked RV = Received votes т = Tied with team above or below | Week |
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Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | Final |
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AP | 22 | 10 | 23 | 23T | 23T | 22 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 9 | 16 | 17 | 22 |
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Coaches Poll | 24 | 11 | 25 | RV | 23 | 22 | 20 | 20 | 16 | 13 | 13 | 10 | 10 | 16 | 18 | 22 |
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BCS | Not released | 16 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 9 | — | — | Not released |
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Roster
1998 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
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Season summary
With wins in their final five regular season games of 1997, the Irish started Davie's second season with confidence. Despite losing record-setting quarterback Ron Powlus, the Irish returned 14 starters, including tailback Autry Denson and three senior linebackers that were placed on the preliminary list for the Dick Butkus Award.[5] Powlus was replaced by Jarious Jackson who had played sparingly in 1997 but had amassed almost 200 passing yards in the time.[6] In Jackson's first start, against Michigan, he threw two touchdowns to lead the Irish, ranked 22nd, over the 5th ranked Wolverines. Denson added 162 yards and two touchdowns to give the Irish a 36–20 win.[7] The Irish moved to tenth in the rankings, however didn't stay long, as Michigan State, who led by 39 points at halftime, beat the Irish for the second year in a row.[8] Dropping back to 23rd in the nation, the Irish returned home to face Purdue. The Boilermakers handed the Irish their first loss in 1997 which dropped the Irish from the rankings, and the Irish looked for retribution in this game. With the Irish down two with less than two minutes remaining, Tony Driver, who was switched to cornerback in the offseason, intercepted a Drew Brees pass to set up the go-ahead field goal for the Irish. With the Boilermakers once again moving the ball, Driver had his second interception with less than a minute remaining to preserve the win for the Irish.[9]
The Irish won all four of their October games, including a win over Stanford,[10] a dominating win at Arizona State,[11] a last minute win over Army,[12] and a win over Baylor led by Denson's career high of 189 yards,[13] to move back into the top-15 in the rankings. In the next game, the Boston College Eagles were poised for the upset of the Irish. Down 30–26, the Eagles had the ball on the Irish four-yard line with less than a minute remaining. The Irish defense, however, held the Eagles for four downs to preserve the win.[14] The next week, led by Denson, who became the all-time leader in rushing yards at Notre Dame, the Irish shut-out Navy to increase their NCAA record winning streak over the Midshipmen to 35 games.[15] Once again ranked tenth, the Irish faced LSU in their final home game. Avenging their loss in the 1997 Independence Bowl, the Irish beat the Tigers on a late touchdown run.[16] With a potential BCS berth on the line, and without Jackson, who was injured in the final play against LSU, the Irish traveled to face rivals USC in their final regular season game. Playing two backups at quarterback, including true freshman Arnaz Battle, the Irish were dominated by the tough Trojan defense that caused five turnovers. Though the Trojans, led by freshman quarterback Carson Palmer, couldn't produce much offense themselves, they only needed two scores to defeat the Irish 10–0.[17] Missing out on a BCS bowl game, the Irish, who signed a deal early in the year that gave them a tie-in with the Big East Conference bowl games,[18] accepted a bid to play Georgia Tech in the Gator Bowl. Wearing their alternate green jerseys for the first time since the 1995 Fiesta Bowl, the Irish got behind early to the Yellow Jackets with two long touchdowns. Though closing the gap to a touchdown in the fourth quarter, the Irish couldn't move the ball on their last two drives and lost their fourth straight bowl game.[19] They finished the season with a 9–3 record and dropped to 22nd in the national rankings.[1]
After the season, seven players were taken in the 1999 National Football League (NFL) draft. Among them were Denson, who left with multiple Notre Dame rushing records, Malcolm Johnson, who left with a Notre Dame record of six consecutive games with a touchdown catch, and most of the offensive line starters.[20] Also, offensive coordinator, Jim Colletto, was lured away to the NFL by Baltimore.[21]
Michigan
#5 Michigan Wolverines (0–0) at #22 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (0–0)
at Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend, Indiana
- Date: September 5
- Game time: 3:30 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: Sunny, 83 °F (28 °C)
- Game attendance: 80,012
- TV: NBC
- Box Score, Box Score
Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
Michigan | Passing | Tom Brady | 23/36, 267 Yds |
Rushing | Clarence Williams | 13 Rush, 114 Yds |
Receiving | Marcus Knight | 5 Rec, 126 Yds |
Notre Dame | Passing | Jarious Jackson | 4/10, 96 Yds, 2 TD, INT |
Rushing | Autry Denson | 24 Rush, 162 Yds, 2 TD |
Receiving | Raki Nelson | 2 Rec, 68 Yds, TD |
Scoring summary |
Quarter | Time | Drive | Team | Scoring information | Score | Plays | Yards | TOP | UM | ND | 1 | 9:37 | | 57 | | Michigan | 36-yard field goal by Kraig Baker | 3 | 0 | 1 | 7:30 | 5 | 57 | | Notre Dame | 32-yard field goal by Jim Sanson | 3 | 3 | 2 | 11:36 | 7 | 54 | 2:28 | Michigan | 21-yard field goal by Jay Feely | 6 | 3 | 2 | 3:08 | 11 | 50 | 4:29 | Notre Dame | 27-yard field goal by Jim Sanson | 6 | 6 | 2 | 0:23 | 12 | 72 | 2:45 | Michigan | Tom Brady 1-yard touchdown run, Jay Feely kick good | 13 | 6 | 3 | 11:34 | 10 | 62 | 3:26 | Notre Dame | 32-yard field goal by Jim Sanson | 13 | 9 | 3 | 7:40 | 7 | 34 | 3:43 | Notre Dame | Dan O'Leary 4-yard touchdown reception from Jarious Jackson, Jim Sanson kick good | 13 | 16 | 3 | 5:02 | 1 | 35 | | Notre Dame | Raki Nelson 35-yard touchdown reception from Jarious Jackson, Jim Sanson kick good | 13 | 23 | 4 | 13:23 | 9 | 52 | 4:05 | Notre Dame | Autry Denson 3-yard touchdown run, Jim Sanson kick good | 13 | 30 | 4 | 4:09 | | | | Notre Dame | Autry Denson 1-yard touchdown run, Jim Sanson kick no good | 13 | 36 | 4 | 2:09 | | 80 | | Michigan | Jerame Tuman 8-yard touchdown reception from Drew Henson, Jay Feely kick good | 20 | 36 | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | 20 | 36 | |
At Michigan State
Purdue
Stanford
Stanford Cardinal (1–3) at #23 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (2–1)
at Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend, Indiana
- Date: October 3
- Game time: 2:30 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: Cloudy, 53 °F (12 °C)
- Game attendance: 80,012
- TV: NBC
- Box Score
Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
Stanford | Passing | Todd Husak | 25/41, 226 Yds, TD |
Rushing | Coy Wire | 19 Rush, 79 Yds |
Receiving | DeRonnie Pitts | 8 Rec, 112 Yds |
Notre Dame | Passing | Jarious Jackson | 11/15, 163 Yds, INT |
Rushing | Jarious Jackson | 18 Rush, 100 Yds, 3 TD |
Receiving | Malcolm Johnson | 7 Rec, 113 Yds |
At Arizona State
Army
Baylor
At Boston College
vs Navy
LSU
At USC
Gator Bowl (vs Georgia Tech)
References
- ^ a b c "Final Rankings" (PDF). Notre Dame Football Media Guide. University of Notre Dame. Retrieved February 19, 2008.
- ^ "Notre Dame Yearly Results (1995-1999)". College Football Data Warehouse. David DeLassus. Archived from the original on September 5, 2015. Retrieved July 26, 2015.
- ^ "Bittersweet win for Irish". The Indianapolis Star. November 22, 1998. Retrieved July 28, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Yellow Jackets leave Irish buzzing, 35–28". Detroit Free Press. January 2, 1999. Retrieved July 26, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Football Prepares for 1998 Season". UND.cstv.com. August 12, 1998. Archived from the original on July 16, 2012. Retrieved August 28, 2007.
- ^ "Game-By-Game Individual Statistics". UND.cstv.com. Archived from the original on December 6, 2007. Retrieved August 28, 2007.
- ^ "Notre Dame Owns Second Half, Victory in Opener". UND.cstv.com. September 5, 1998. Archived from the original on December 6, 2007. Retrieved August 29, 2007.
- ^ "Football Upset by Michigan State". UND.cstv.com. September 12, 1998. Archived from the original on December 6, 2007. Retrieved August 29, 2007.
- ^ "Irish Win Thriller Over Boilermakers". UND.cstv.com. September 26, 1998. Archived from the original on December 6, 2007. Retrieved August 29, 2007.
- ^ "Irish Handle Stanford". UND.cstv.com. October 3, 1998. Archived from the original on September 13, 2007. Retrieved August 29, 2007.
- ^ Reisner, Mel (October 10, 1998). "Football Too Much for Sun Devils in 28–9 Win". UND.cstv.com. Archived from the original on December 6, 2007. Retrieved August 29, 2007.
- ^ Ross, JR (October 24, 1998). "Notre Dame Edges Army, 20–17". UND.cstv.com. Archived from the original on December 6, 2007. Retrieved August 29, 2007.
- ^ "Irish Run Over the Bears". UND.cstv.com. October 31, 1998. Archived from the original on December 6, 2007. Retrieved August 29, 2007.
- ^ "Goalline Stand Equals Victory". UND.cstv.com. November 7, 1998. Archived from the original on September 13, 2007. Retrieved August 29, 2007.
- ^ "Irish Sink Navy, 30–0". UND.cstv.com. November 14, 1998. Archived from the original on December 6, 2007. Retrieved August 29, 2007.
- ^ "Notre Dame Downs LSU". UND.cstv.com. November 21, 1998. Archived from the original on September 13, 2007. Retrieved August 29, 2007.
- ^ "Irish Blanked by USC". UND.cstv.com. November 28, 1998. Archived from the original on December 6, 2007. Retrieved August 29, 2007.
- ^ "Fallout from the Big East / Notre Dame Bowl Deal Continues". techsideline.com. May 6, 1998. Retrieved August 29, 2007.
- ^ "Irish Can't Stop Georgia Tech, Fall in Gator Bowl, 35–28". UND.cstv.com. January 1, 1999. Archived from the original on December 6, 2007. Retrieved August 29, 2007.
- ^ "Seven Notre Dame Players Taken in NFL Draft". UND.cstv.com. April 18, 1999. Archived from the original on July 21, 2012. Retrieved August 29, 2007.
- ^ "Assistant Football Coach Heads to NFL". UND.cstv.com. February 5, 1999. Archived from the original on July 18, 2012. Retrieved August 29, 2007.
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Venues | |
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Bowls and rivalries | |
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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 |