1977 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team

Last updated

1977 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
Notre Dame Fighting Irish logo.svg
Consensus national champion
Cotton Bowl Classic champion
Cotton Bowl Classic, W 38–10 vs. Texas
ConferenceIndependent
Ranking
CoachesNo. 1
APNo. 1
Record11–1
Head coach
Offensive coordinator Merv Johnson (3rd season)
Offensive scheme Pro set
Defensive coordinator Joe Yonto
Base defense 4–3
Captains
Home stadium Notre Dame Stadium
Seasons
  1976
1978  
1977 NCAA Division I independents football records
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 1 Notre Dame    11 1 0
No. 5 Penn State    11 1 0
Colgate    10 1 0
North Texas State *    10 1 0
No. 16 San Diego State    10 1 0
Tennessee State    8 1 1
No. 14 Florida State    10 2 0
No. 8 Pittsburgh    9 2 1
East Carolina    8 3 0
Rutgers    8 3 0
Army    7 4 0
Louisville    7 4 1
Boston College    6 5 0
Cincinnati    5 4 2
Georgia Tech    6 5 0
Memphis State    6 5 0
Northwestern State    6 5 0
Syracuse    6 5 0
William & Mary    6 5 0
Southern Miss    6 5 0
Temple    5 5 1
Hawaii    5 6 0
Navy    5 6 0
West Virginia    5 6 0
South Carolina    5 7 0
Utah State    4 7 0
Villanova    4 7 0
Illinois State    3 7 1
Virginia Tech    3 7 1
Miami (FL)    3 8 0
Richmond    3 8 0
Tulane    3 8 0
Air Force    2 8 1
Holy Cross    2 8 0
Northeast Louisiana    2 9 0
  • North Texas State (originally 9–2) awarded a forfeit win after Mississippi State was found to be using an ineligible player. [1]
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1977 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame during the 1977 NCAA Division I football season. The Irish, coached by Dan Devine, ended the season with 11 wins and one loss, winning the national championship. The Fighting Irish won the title by defeating the previously unbeaten and No. 1 ranked Texas Longhorns in the Cotton Bowl Classic by a score of a 38–10. [2] The 1977 squad became the tenth Irish team to win the national title and were led by All-Americans Ken MacAfee, Ross Browner, Luther Bradley, and Bob Golic. Junior Joe Montana, a future Pro Football Hall of Famer, was the team's starting quarterback.

Contents

Dan Devine entered his third year as head coach, coming off of a 9–3 season in 1976 that culminated in a Gator Bowl win over Penn State. [3] Devine returned a highly touted defense, featuring 1976 Outland Trophy winner Ross Browner, defensive end Willie Fry, and All-American linebacker Bob Golic. [3] On offense, quarterback Joe Montana earned the starting job and led an offense that included running backs Jerome Heavens and Vagas Ferguson and All-American tight end Ken MacAfee. [3] Montana, earned a reputation as "the comeback kid", had two come from behind victories in the fourth quarter, against Purdue and Clemson, down 17 and 10 respectively. [3] After a surprising loss to unranked Ole Miss, patience among the fans was running thin, who considered Devine's previous 8–3 and 9–3 seasons as lackluster compared to the team success under Devine's predecessor, Ara Parseghian. [4] The Irish rebounded to win their remaining games, including a 49–19 rout of USC in the now famous "Green Jersey Game." [4] The Irish earned a berth in the Cotton Bowl Classic, where they defeated No. 1 and unbeaten Texas by a score of 38–10 to capture Notre Dame's tenth national title. [3] The Irish leaped four spots in the polls after the Cotton Bowl Classic victory to claim the consensus title. [3]

Schedule

DateTimeOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendanceSource
September 103:50 p.m.at No. 7 Pittsburgh No. 3 ABC W 19–956,500
September 172:30 p.m.vs. Ole Miss No. 3L 13–2048,200 [5]
September 242:30 p.m.at Purdue No. 11W 31–2468,966
October 12:30 p.m. Michigan State No. 14W 16–659,075
October 151:30 p.m.vs. Army No. 11W 24–072,594
October 221:50 p.m.No. 5 USC No. 11
  • Notre Dame Stadium
  • Notre Dame, IN (rivalry)
ABCW 49–1959,075
October 292:30 p.m. Navy No. 5
  • Notre Dame Stadium
  • Notre Dame, IN (rivalry)
W 43–1059,075
November 51:30 p.m. Georgia Tech No. 5
  • Notre Dame Stadium
  • Notre Dame, IN (rivalry)
W 69–1459,075
November 121:30 p.m.at No. 15 Clemson No. 5W 21–1753,467–54,189 [6] [7]
November 191:30 p.m. Air Force No. 6
  • Notre Dame Stadium
  • Notre Dame, IN (rivalry)
W 49–059,075
December 38:00 p.m.at Miami (FL) No. 5W 48–1035,789
January 2, 19782:00 p.m.vs. No. 1 Texas No. 5 CBS W 38–1076,701

Roster

1977 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team roster
PlayersCoaches
Offense
Pos.#NameClass
TE 87Mark CzajaSo
WR 1Ty DickersonFr
RB 26Tom Domin
RB 5Steve Dover
QB 8Gary Forystek
RB 40Terry Eurick
RB 32 Vagas Ferguson So
OT 73 Tim Foley So
WR 82 Kris Haines Jr
TE 97Kevin Hart
WR 85Speedy HartJr
C 63Jim Hautman
RB 30Jerome Heavens
G 66Ted Horansky
C 56 Dave Huffman Jr
OT 78 Tim Huffman Fr
G 65 Ernie Hughes Sr
QB 1 Greg Knafelc Fr
RB 21Dan KnottSr
QB 14Tim KoegelFr
G 69John Leon
QB 6 Rusty Lisch Redshirt.svg  So
TE 81 Ken MacAfee Sr
OT 75Rob MartinovichSo
OT 71Steve McDanielsSr
G 60Howard MeyerJr
RB 44Dave Mitchell
QB 3 Joe Montana Jr
C 50Terry Murphy
RB 14Steve Orsini
RB 45Pete PallasJr
RB 19Steve SchmitzSr
RB 42Jim Stone
OT 67Bob TullSr
G 59Dave Vinson
RB 34 Dave Waymer So
Defense
Pos.#NameClass
LB 43 Doug Becker Sr
CB 24Dick Boushka
CB 20 Luther Bradley Sr
SS 33Jim BrownerJr
DE 89 Ross Browner Sr
CB 18Ted Burgmeier
DT 77 Mike Calhoun Jr
DT 75Jay CaseJr
SS 28Ross ChristensenSr
CB 16Nick DeCicco
DT 79Ken DikeSr
CB 23Tom FlynnJr
DE 94 Willie Fry
FS 27Tom GibbonsFr
LB 55 Bob Golic Jr
LB 47John Hankerd
FS 10Randy HarrisonJr
LB 58 Steve Heimkreiter Jr
SS, QB 31 Pete Holohan Fr
LB 51Pete Johnson
SS 29Phil JohnsonJr
LB 61 Bobby Leopold So
CB 9Jim Morse
DE 72Hardy Rayam
FS 7Joe ResticJr
DE 88Tom VanDenburghSo
DT 74 Jeff Weston Jr
LB 54 Mike Whittington So
DT 68Tom WroblewskiSo
DE 70Scott ZettekSo
Special teams
Pos.#NameClass
P 4Kevin MunoSo
K 13Dave ReeveSr
P 7Joe ResticJr
K 99Joe Unis
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • Cruz Roja.svg Injured
  • Redshirt.svg Redshirt

Game summaries

Pittsburgh

Notre Dame Fighting Irish (0–0) at Pittsburgh Panthers (0–0)
Period1234Total
Notre Dame 0601319
Pittsburgh 72009

at Pitt Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Game information

Ole Miss

Notre Dame Fighting Irish (1–0) at Ole Miss Rebels
Period1234Total
Notre Dame 070613
Ole Miss 3701020

at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium, Jackson, Mississippi

  • Date: September 17, 1977
  • Game weather: Sunny, 90 °F (32 °C)
  • Game attendance: 48,200
  • Recap
Game information

Ole Miss gave the eventual national champion Notre Dame its only loss of the season.

Purdue

1234Total
Notre Dame01401731
Purdue10140024

[8]

Michigan State

Michigan St at #14 Notre Dame
1234Total
Michigan St30306
Notre Dame0106016
  • Source:

Army

1234Total
Army00000
Notre Dame0710724

USC

1234Total
USC0701219
Notre Dame715131449

Notre Dame wore green jerseys for the first time since their 1963 game against Syracuse.

[10]

1234Total
Navy003710
Notre Dame79141343
  • Date: October 29
  • Location: Notre Dame Stadium • South Bend, Indiana
  • Game attendance: 59,075

Notre Dame wore green jerseys for the second straight week.

[11]

Georgia Tech

1234Total
Georgia Tech070714
Notre Dame021212769
  • Date: November 5
  • Location: Notre Dame Stadium • South Bend, Indiana
  • Game start: 1:30 pm EST
  • Game attendance: 59,075

Notre Dame wore green jerseys for the third straight week, and for every home game through the end of the 1980 season. The 69 points were the second most ever scored at Notre Dame Stadium.

Clemson

1234Total
Notre Dame7001421
Clemson0107017
  • Date: November 12
  • Location: Memorial Stadium • Clemson, SC
  • Game start: 1:30 pm EST
  • Game attendance: 54,189

This was the first-ever meeting between Notre Dame and Clemson.

Air Force

1234Total
Air Force00000
Notre Dame21147749
  • Date: November 19
  • Location: Notre Dame Stadium • South Bend, Indiana
  • Game start: 1:30 pm EST
  • Game attendance: 59,075
  • Game weather: cloudy, 40 degrees

This was the final game for Air Force head coach Ben Martin after 20 seasons. It also remains the most lopsided game in the 30-game series between Notre Dame and Air Force (the Fighting Irish lead 24-6).

Miami (FL)

1234Total
Notre Dame14621748
Miami (FL)0100010

[12]

Texas (Cotton Bowl)

1234Total
Notre Dame3217738
Texas370010
  • Location: Cotton Bowl
  • Game attendance: 76,701
  • Game weather: Sunny; 35 °F (2 °C)

[13]

Post-season

Award winners

Heisman Trophy voting

Ken MacAfee, 3rd [17]
Ross Browner, 5th [17]

All-Americans

Name AP UPI NEA FC SN FW FN WCF CW
Ross Browner, DE111111111
Ken MacAfee, TE111111111
Luther Bradley, DB212111
Ernie Hughes, G22
Bob Golic, MG (MLB)222
Willie Fry, DE2
Ted Bergmeier, DB2
†denotes unanimous selection
‡denotes consensus selection Source: [2]

College Football Hall of Fame inductees

NamePositionYear Inducted
Ross BrownerDefensive end1999
Dan Devine Coach1985
Ken MacAfeeTight end1997

[18]

1978 NFL Draft

PlayerPositionRoundPickFranchise
Ken MacAfeeTight end1(7)7 San Francisco 49ers
Ross BrownerDefensive end1(8)8 Cincinnati Bengals
Luther BradleyDefensive back1(11)11 Detroit Lions
Willie FryDefensive end2(23)49 Pittsburgh Steelers
Ernie HughesGuard3(23)79San Francisco 49ers
Ted BurgmeierDefensive back5(1)111 Miami Dolphins
Steve McDanielsTackle9(27)249San Francisco 49ers
Doug BeckerLinebacker10(18)268Pittsburgh Steelers
Source: [19]

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References

  1. https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/years/1977-standings.html
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  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "2007 Notre Dame Media Guide: 2007 Supplement (page 164)". und.cstv.com. Archived from the original on October 11, 2007. Retrieved December 29, 2008.
  4. 1 2 Walters, John (July 21, 2004). Notre Dame Golden Moments. Rutledge Hill Press. ISBN   1-59186-042-3.
  5. "Mississippi Rebels, upsets Irish". The Indianapolis Star. September 18, 1977. Retrieved October 29, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  6. "Irish break Clemson 'death' grip". The Indianapolis Star. November 13, 1977. Retrieved January 26, 2024 via Newspapers.com.
  7. "Clemson Football Media Guide - 1978". Clemson University. 1978. p. 1. Retrieved November 9, 2023.
  8. "Wolves Subdue Stubborn Navy; Notre Dame Overcomes Purdue." Ocala Star-Banner. September 25, 1977.
  9. "Irish looking to Heavens: He responds with record." Eugene Register-Guard. 1977 Oct 16. Retrieved 2017-Sep-02.
  10. "Green Irish thump Trojans." Eugene Register-Guard. October 23, 1977.
  11. "Irish wear green and don't need it, 43-10." Eugene Register-Guard. October 30, 1977.
  12. Palm Beach Post. December 4, 1977. Retrieved May 10, 2015.
  13. 2012 Notre Dame Football Supplement Retrieved 2017-Sep-03.
  14. "Winners & Finalists". Rotary Club of Houston. Archived from the original on January 8, 2009. Retrieved December 30, 2008.
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  17. 1 2 "Heisman Voting". und.cstv.com. Archived from the original on December 17, 2008. Retrieved December 30, 2008.
  18. "Hall of Fame: Select group by school". College Football Hall of Fame . Football Foundation. Retrieved December 30, 2008.
  19. "Notre Dame NFL Draft History". uhnd.com. Archived from the original on January 6, 2009. Retrieved December 30, 2008.