1975 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team

Last updated

1975 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
ConferenceIndependent
Ranking
CoachesNo. 17
Record8–3
Head coach
Offensive coordinator Merv Johnson (1st season)
Captains
  • Ed Bauer
  • Jim Stock
Home stadium Notre Dame Stadium
Seasons
←  1974
1976  →
1975 NCAA Division I independents football records
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Rutgers  – 9 –2 –0
No. 10 Penn State  – 9 –3 –0
No. 20 West Virginia  – 9 –3 –0
Notre Dame  – 8 –3 –0
Virginia Tech  – 8 –3 –0
No. 15 Pittsburgh  – 8 –4 –0
Boston College  – 7 –4 –0
Georgia Tech  – 7 –4 –0
Memphis State  – 7 –4 –0
Navy  – 7 –4 –0
North Texas State  – 7 –4 –0
Southern Miss  – 7 –4 –0
South Carolina  – 7 –5 –0
Colgate  – 6 –4 –0
Cincinnati  – 6 –5 –0
Hawaii  – 6 –5 –0
Syracuse  – 6 –5 –0
Temple  – 6 –5 –0
Utah State  – 6 –5 –0
Indiana State  – 5 –5 –0
Dayton  – 5 –6 –0
Northeast Louisiana  – 4 –6 –1
Tulane  – 4 –7 –0
Villanova  – 4 –7 –0
Florida State  – 3 –8 –0
Air Force  – 2 –8 –1
Houston  – 2 –8 –0
Miami (FL)  – 2 –8 –0
Army  – 2 –9 –0
Marshall  – 2 –9 –0
Southern Illinois  – 1 –9 –1
Holy Cross  – 1 –10 –0
Louisville  – 1 –10 –0
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1975 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame during the 1975 NCAA Division I football season. It was Dan Devine's first year as head coach, taking over for the retired Ara Parseghian.

Contents

The team's victory over Georgia Tech is featured in the 1993 film Rudy .

Schedule

DateTimeOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendanceSource
September 159:00 p.m.vs. Boston College No. 9
 ABC W 17–361,501 [1]
September 202:30 p.m.at Purdue No. 9
W 17–069,795
September 272:30 p.m. Northwestern No. 7
W 31–759,075
October 42:30 p.m. Michigan State No. 8
  • Notre Dame Stadium
  • Notre Dame, IN (rivalry)
L 3–1059,075
October 111:30 p.m.at North Carolina No. 15
W 21–1449,500 [2]
October 183:05 p.m.at Air Force No. 15
W 31–3043,204
October 251:50 p.m.No. 3 USC No. 14
  • Notre Dame Stadium
  • Notre Dame, IN (rivalry)
ABCL 17–2459,075
November 11:30 p.m. Navy No. 15
  • Notre Dame Stadium
  • Notre Dame, IN (rivalry)
W 31–1059,075
November 81:30 p.m. Georgia Tech No. 12
  • Notre Dame Stadium
  • Notre Dame, IN (rivalry)
W 24–359,075 [3]
November 151:30 p.m.at Pittsburgh No. 9
L 20–3456,480
November 227:30 p.m.at Miami (FL)
W 32–924,944

Personnel

Roster

1975 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team roster
PlayersCoaches
Offense
Pos.#NameClass
QB 12Frank AlloccoSr
OT 68Ed BauerSr
TE 83Doug ButhJr
TE 87John DriscollSo
RB 40Terry EurickSo
WR 82 Kris Haines Fr
RB 30 Jerome Heavens Fr
RB 25Al HunterSo
OT 62 Dave Huffman Fr
G 65 Ernie Hughes So
WR 80Dan KelleherJr
RB 21Dan KnottSo
TE 81 Ken MacAfee So
OT 71Steve McDanielsSo
G 60Howard MeyerFr
QB 3 Joe Montana Fr
G 57Elton MooreJr
RB 14Steve OrsiniSo
FB 36Tom PariseSr
C 77Steve QuehlSr
OT 50Bob TullSo
G 66Al WujciakSr
Defense
Pos.#NameClass
DT 79Jay AchterhoffSr
SS 20 Luther Bradley So
SS 33 Jim Browner Fr
DE 89 Ross Browner So
SS 28Ross ChristensenSo
LB 24Nick DeCiccoSo
DT 72Ken DikeSo
FS 41John DubenetzkyJr
LB 42Tom EastmanJr
DE 94 Willie Fry So
LB 55 Bob Golic Fr
FS 10Randy HarrisonSo
LB 58 Steve Heimkreiter Fr
LB 51Pete JohnsonSo
CB 26Tom LopienskiSr
DT 70 Steve Niehaus Sr
LB 38Tony NovakovSr
LB 54Marv RussellJr
DE 45 Rudy Ruettiger Sr
CB 29Pat SarbSr
LB 48Jim StockSr
DT 74Jeff WestonSo
Special teams
Pos.#NameClass
P 4Tony BrantleySr
K 99Pat McLaughlinSr
P/QB 7Joe ResticFr
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • Injury icon 2.svg Injured
  • Redshirt.svg Redshirt

Coaching staff

[4]

Game summaries

Boston College

1234Total
•Notre Dame037717
Boston College03003
Scoring summary
26:52NDDave Reeve 30-yard field goalND 3-0
20:11BCFred Steinfort 45-yard field goalTied 3-3
31:48NDJim Browner 10-yard run (kick good)ND 10-3
4NDTouchdownND 17-3

[5]

Purdue

1234Total
•Notre Dame3001417
Purdue00000
Scoring summary
1NDReeve 29-yard field goalNotre Dame 3-0
4NDBradley 99-yard interception return (Reeve kick)Notre Dame 10-0
4NDHunter 1-yard run (Reeve kick)Notre Dame 17-0

[6]

North Carolina

1234Total
•Notre Dame0002121
North Carolina0014014
Scoring summary
3UNCVoight 12-yard run (Biddle kick)UNC 7-0
3UNCCollins 38-yard pass from Paschall (Biddle kick)UNC 14-0
4NDHunter 2-yard run (pass failed)UNC 14-6
4NDHunter 2-yard run (Montana to Bush pass)Tied 14-14
41:03NDBurgmeier 80-yard pass from Montana (McLaughlin kick)ND 21-14

[7]

Georgia Tech

This was the famous game in which Rudy Ruettiger, a 5'6", 165-lb, walk-on, was inserted late in the game and recorded a quarterback sack. His story was the inspiration for the movie Rudy.

1234Total
Georgia Tech00033
•Notre Dame773724
Scoring summary
1NDHeavens 16-yard run (Reeve kick)ND 7-0
2NDFG Reeve 29ND 10-0
3NDHeavens 73-yard run (Reeve kick)ND 17-0
4GTFG Mealier 4017-3
4NDKnotter 3-yard run (Reeve kick)ND 24-3

[8]

References

  1. ↑ "17–3 for Devine, Assistants". Press (Binghamton, NY). September 16, 1975. p. 13A – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ↑ "21 late points save Notre Dame". The Courier-Journal. October 12, 1975. Retrieved January 26, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  3. ↑ "Notre Dame's Browner-led defense slams door on Georgia Tech by 24–3". The Courier-Journal. November 9, 1975. Retrieved July 25, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  4. ↑ 2011 Notre Dame football media supplement.
  5. ↑ "Notre Dame Stops Boston College in Opener." Palm Beach Post. 1975 Sept 16.
  6. ↑ "Interception Return Lifts Irish." Palm Beach Post. 1975 Sept 21.
  7. ↑ "Irish Turn Back Tar Heels, 21-14." Eugene Register-Guard. 1975 Oct 12.
  8. ↑ "Notre Dame Subdues Ga. Tech". The New York Times. November 9, 1975.
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