1980 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team

1980 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
1980 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
Sugar Bowl, L 10–17 vs. Georgia
Conference	Independent
Ranking
Coaches	No. 10
AP	No. 9
Record	9–2–1
Head coach	Dan Devine (6th season);
Defensive coordinator	Joe Yonto
Captains	Bob Crable; Tom Gibbons; John Scully;
Home stadium	Notre Dame Stadium
	Seasons ← 1979 1981 →

The 1980 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame in the 1980 NCAA Division I-A football season.^[1] The team was coached by Dan Devine and played its home games at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana.

1980 NCAA Division I-A independents football records
v t e	Conf					Overall
Team	W		L		T	W		L		T
No. 2 Pittsburgh		–		–		11	–	1	–	0
Tennessee State		–		–		9	–	1	–	0
No. 5 Florida State		–		–		10	–	2	–	0
No. 8 Penn State		–		–		10	–	2	–	0
No. 9 Notre Dame		–		–		9	–	2	–	1
No. 18 Miami (FL)		–		–		9	–	3	–	0
Southern Miss		–		–		9	–	3	–	0
Navy		–		–		8	–	4	–	0
South Carolina		–		–		8	–	4	–	0
Virginia Tech		–		–		8	–	4	–	0
Boston College		–		–		7	–	4	–	0
Northeast Louisiana		–		–		7	–	4	–	0
Rutgers		–		–		7	–	4	–	0
UNLV		–		–		7	–	4	–	0
Tulane		–		–		7	–	5	–	0
Colgate		–		–		5	–	4	–	1
North Texas State		–		–		6	–	5	–	0
Villanova		–		–		6	–	5	–	0
West Virginia		–		–		6	–	6	–	0
Louisville		–		–		5	–	6	–	0
Richmond		–		–		5	–	6	–	0
Syracuse		–		–		5	–	6	–	0
East Carolina		–		–		4	–	7	–	0
Illinois State		–		–		4	–	7	–	0
Temple		–		–		4	–	7	–	0
Army		–		–		3	–	7	–	1
Holy Cross		–		–		3	–	8	–	0
Cincinnati		–		–		2	–	9	–	0
Memphis State		–		–		2	–	9	–	0
William & Mary		–		–		2	–	9	–	0
Georgia Tech		–		–		1	–	9	–	1

Rankings from AP Poll

The 1980 season would be Dan Devine's final year as Notre Dame head coach. In August, he had announced that the upcoming season would be his last. The offense had 248 points for, while the defense gave up 128 points.

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Rank	Site	TV	Result	Attendance	Source
September 6	3:20 p.m.	No. 9 Purdue	No. 11	Notre Dame Stadium Notre Dame, IN (rivalry)	ABC	W 31–10	59,075	^[2]
September 20	2:30 p.m.	No. 14 Michigan	No. 8	Notre Dame Stadium Notre Dame, IN (rivalry)		W 29–27	59,075	^[3]
October 4	1:00 p.m.	at Michigan State	No. 7	Spartan Stadium East Lansing, MI (rivalry)		W 26–21	76,821	^[4]
October 11	2:30 p.m.	No. 13 Miami (FL)	No. 7	Notre Dame Stadium Notre Dame, IN (rivalry)		W 32–14	59,075	^[5]
October 18	2:30 p.m.	Army	No. 5	Notre Dame Stadium Notre Dame, IN (rivalry)		W 30–3	59,075	^[6]
October 25	10:35 p.m.	at Arizona	No. 4	Arizona Stadium Tucson, AZ		W 20–3	56,211	^[7]
November 1	1:30 p.m.	vs. Navy	No. 3	Giants Stadium East Rutherford, NJ (rivalry)		W 33–0	76,891	^[8]
November 8	1:30 p.m.	at Georgia Tech	No. 1	Grant Field Atlanta, GA (rivalry)		T 3–3	41,266	^[9]
November 15	3:50 p.m.	at No. 5 Alabama	No. 6	Legion Field Birmingham, AL	ABC	W 7–0	78,873	^[10]
November 22	1:30 p.m.	Air Force	No. 2	Notre Dame Stadium Notre Dame, IN (rivalry)		W 24–10	59,075	^[11]
December 6	3:50 p.m.	at No. 17 USC	No. 2	Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles, CA (rivalry)	ABC	L 3–20	82,663	^[12]
January 1, 1981	2:00 p.m.	vs. No. 1 Georgia	No. 7	Louisiana Superdome New Orleans, LA (Sugar Bowl)	ABC	L 10–17	77,895	^[13]
Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game All times are in Eastern time

^[14]

Game summaries

Purdue

#9 Purdue Boilermakers (0–0) at #11 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (0–0)

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Purdue	0	10	0	0	10
Notre Dame	10	7	7	7	31

at Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend, Indiana

Date: September 6
Game attendance: 59,075
TV announcers (ABC): Keith Jackson and Frank Broyles
Recap/Box

Game information

First quarter

ND – Harry Oliver 36-yard field goal, 7:19. Notre Dame 3–0. Drive: 5 plays, 28 yards, 2:50.
ND – Rob McGarry 2-yard run (Harry Oliver kick), 0:42. Notre Dame 10–0. Drive: 9 plays, 57 yards, 4:48.

Second quarter

ND – Phil Carter 1-yard run (Harry Oliver kick), 11:40. Notre Dame 17–0. Drive: 7 plays, 46 yards, 3:16.
PUR – Rick Anderson 26-yard field goal, 4:19. Notre Dame 17–3. Drive: 14 plays, 74 yards, 7:21.
PUR – Wally Jones 4-yard run (Rick Anderson kick), 0:34. Notre Dame 17–10. Drive: 8 plays, 68 yards, 3:04.

Third quarter

ND – Tony Hunter 9-yard pass from Mike Courey (Harry Oliver kick), 11:36. Notre Dame 24–10. Drive: 7 plays, 76 yards, 3:24.

Fourth quarter

ND – Mike Courey 14-yard run (Harry Oliver kick), 4:01. Notre Dame 31–10. Drive: 9 plays, 62 yards, 4:50.

Top passers

PUR – Scott Campbell – 17/26, 178 yards
ND – Mike Courey – 10/13, 151 yards, TD, INT

Top rushers

PUR – John Macon – 9 rushes, 32 yards
ND – Phil Carter – 29 rushes, 142 yards, TD

Top receivers

PUR – Dave Young – 6 receptions, 71 yards
ND – Tony Hunter – 3 receptions, 75 yards, TD

ABC Player of Game - Mike Courey (151 yards passing, TD, 59 yards rushing, TD)

^[15]

Michigan

#14 Michigan Wolverines (1–0) at #8 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (1–0)

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Michigan	0	14	7	6	27
Notre Dame	0	14	6	9	29

at Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend, Indiana

Date: September 20
Game attendance: 59,075
Recap/Box

Game information

First quarter

No scoring

Second quarter

ND – Phil Carter 6-yard run (Harry Oliver kick), 13:05. Notre Dame 7–0. Drive: 16 plays, 70 yards, 7:49.
ND – Pete Holohan 10-yard pass from Mike Courey (Harry Oliver kick), 5:00. Notre Dame 14–0. Drive: 11 plays, 51 yards, 5:56.
MICH – Lawrence Ricks 8-yard pass from John Wangler (Ali Haji-Sheikh kick), 1:50. Notre Dame 14–7. Drive: 8 plays, 68 yards, 3:10.
MICH – Norm Betts 9-yard pass from John Wangler (Ali Haji-Sheikh kick), 0:31. Tie 14–14. Drive: 5 plays, 27 yards, 0:59.

Third quarter

MICH – Stan Edwards 2-yard run (Ali Haji-Sheikh kick), 11:57. Michigan 21–14. Drive: 6 plays, 32 yards, 3:03.
ND – John Krimm 49-yard interception return (kick failed), 1:03. Michigan 21–20.

Fourth quarter

ND – Phil Carter 4-yard run (pass failed), 3:03. Notre Dame 26–21. Drive: 11 plays, 74 yards, 4:30.
MICH – Craig Dunaway 1-yard pass from John Wangler (pass failed), 0:41. Michigan 27–26. Drive: 10 plays, 78 yards, 2:12.
ND – Harry Oliver 51-yard field goal, 0:00. Notre Dame 29–27. Drive: 5 plays, 46 yards, 0:41.

Top passers

MICH – John Wangler – 11/19, 98 yards, 3 TD, INT
ND – Mike Courey – 6/13, 62 yards, TD, 2 INT

Top rushers

MICH – Lawrence Ricks – 14 rushes, 83 yards
ND – Phil Carter – 30 rushes, 103 yards, 2 TD

Top receivers

MICH – Anthony Carter – 2 receptions, 30 yards
ND – Pete Holohan – 2 receptions, 41 yards, TD

Harry Oliver kicked the game-winning field goal as time expired. ^[16]

At Michigan State

#7 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (2–0) at Michigan State Spartans (1–2)

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Notre Dame	0	6	7	13	26
Michigan State	9	0	0	12	21

at Spartan Stadium, East Lansing, Michigan

Date: October 4
Game attendance: 76,821
Recap/Box

Game information

First quarter

MSU – Morten Andersen 29-yard field goal, 10:30. Michigan State 3–0. Drive: 4 plays, 22 yards, 1:16.
MSU – Steve Smith 1-yard run (pass failed), 3:26. Michigan State 9–0. Drive: 10 plays, 60 yards, 5:09.

Second quarter

ND – Harry Oliver 44-yard field goal, 14:48. Michigan State 9–3. Drive: 10 plays, 45 yards, 3:38.
ND – Harry Oliver 28-yard field goal, 0:02. Michigan State 9–6. Drive: 6 plays, 49 yards, 0:42.

Third quarter

ND – Phil Carter 12-yard run (Harry Oliver kick), 5:33. Notre Dame 13–9. Drive: 8 plays, 51 yards, 3:27.

Fourth quarter

ND – Harry Oliver 27-yard field goal, 10:09. Notre Dame 16–9. Drive: 6 plays, 47 yards, 2:55.
MSU – Anthony Ellis 13-yard run (pass failed), 8:48. Notre Dame 16–15. Drive: 4 plays, 69 yards, 1:21.
ND – Jim Stone 1-yard run (Harry Oliver kick), 7:49. Notre Dame 23–15. Drive: 3 plays, 59 yards, 0:59.
MSU – Steve Smith 42-yard pass from John Leister (pass failed), 6:35. Notre Dame 23–21. Drive: 4 plays, 83 yards, 1:14.
ND – Harry Oliver 32-yard field goal, 0:46. Notre Dame 26–21. Drive: 11 plays, 63 yards, 5:49.

Top passers

ND – Blair Kiel – 5/10, 56 yards
MSU – John Leister – 11/32, 204 yards, TD, INT

Top rushers

ND – Phil Carter – 40 rushes, 254 yards, TD
MSU – Steve Smith – 9 rushes, 44 yards, TD

Top receivers

ND – Tony Hunter – 3 receptions, 46 yards
MSU – Steve Smith – 2 receptions, 57 yards, TD

Blair Kiel started the second half at quarterback

Miami (FL)

#13 Miami (FL) Hurricanes (4–0) at #7 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (3–0)

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Miami (FL)	0	0	0	14	14
Notre Dame	0	10	6	16	32

at Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend, Indiana

Date: October 11
Game attendance: 59,075
Recap/Box

Game information

First quarter

No scoring

Second quarter

ND – Blair Kiel 4-yard run (Harry Oliver kick), 0:56. Notre Dame 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 29 yards, 0:41.
ND – Harry Oliver 19-yard field goal, 0:14. Notre Dame 10–0. Drive: 7 plays, 16 yards, 0:39.

Third quarter

ND – Harry Oliver 28-yard field goal, 4:53. Notre Dame 13–0. Drive: 7 plays, 20 yards, 3:13.
ND – Harry Oliver 38-yard field goal, 2:17. Notre Dame 16–0. Drive: 4 plays, -4 yards, 2:20.

Fourth quarter

MIA – Pat Walker 13-yard pass from Jim Kelly (pass failed), 13:52. Notre Dame 16–6. Drive: 7 plays, 58 yards, 1:37.
ND – Tom Gibbons 53-yard interception return (kick failed), 11:08. Notre Dame 22–6.
MIA – Mark Cooper 37-yard pass from Jim Kelly (pass good), 8:43. Notre Dame 22–14. Drive: 8 plays, 62 yards, 2:25.
ND – Harry Oliver 37-yard field goal, 2:06. Notre Dame 25–14. Drive: 12 plays, 52 yards, 6:37.
ND – Jim Stone 27-yard run (Harry Oliver kick), 0:09. Notre Dame 32–14. Drive: 3 plays, 30 yards, 1:07.

Top passers

MIA – Jim Kelly – 13/31, 220 yards, 2 TD, INT
ND – Blair Kiel – 4/17, 35 yards

Top rushers

MIA – Chris Hobbs – 5 rushes, 13 yards
ND – Jim Stone – 38 rushes, 224 yards, TD

Top receivers

MIA – Jim Joiner – 3 receptions, 97 yards
ND – Tony Hunter – 2 receptions, 19 yards

Blair Kiel - first freshman QB to start at Notre Dame since 1951 (Ralph Guglielmi)
Jim Stone - starting in place of injured Phil Carter gains over 200 yards

Army

Army Cadets (2–2–1) at #5 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (4–0)

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Army	0	0	3	0	3
Notre Dame	0	17	6	7	30

at Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend, Indiana

Date: October 18
Game attendance: 59,075
Recap/Box

Game information

First quarter

No scoring

Second quarter

ND – Jim Stone 4-yard run (Harry Oliver kick), 8:22. Notre Dame 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 44 yards, 2:08.
ND – Harry Oliver 49-yard field goal, 1:30. Notre Dame 10–0. Drive: 11 plays, 53 yards, 3:08.
ND – Mark Zavagnin recovery of blocked punt in end zone (Harry Oliver kick), 0:29. Notre Dame 17–0.

Third quarter

ARMY – Dave Aucoin 41-yard field goal, 11:03. Notre Dame 17–3. Drive: 6 plays, 22 yards, 2:32.
ND – Blair Kiel 1-yard run (kick failed), 0:40. Notre Dame 23–3. Drive: 11 plays, 39 yards, 4:29.

Fourth quarter

ND – Ty Barber 1-yard run (Mike Johnston kick), 14:14. Notre Dame 30–3. Drive: 3 plays, 45 yards, 0:46.

Top passers

ARMY – T.D. Decker – 4/15, 46 yards, INT
ND – Blair Kiel – 7/19, 74 yards

Top rushers

ARMY – Dino Harris – 10 rushes, 43 yards
ND – Jim Stone – 25 rushes, 122 yards

Top receivers

ARMY – Warren Waldorff – 2 receptions, 23 yards
ND – Nick Vehr – 3 receptions, 44 yards

^[17]

At Arizona

#4 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (5–0) at Arizona Wildcats (2–3)

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Notre Dame	7	10	0	3	20
Arizona	0	3	0	0	3

at Arizona Stadium, Tucson, Arizona

Date: October 25
Game attendance: 56,211
Recap/Box

Game information

First quarter

ND – Jim Stone 1-yard run (Harry Oliver kick), 6:54. Notre Dame 7–0. Drive: 14 plays, 80 yards, 8:06.

Second quarter

UA – Brett Weber 21-yard field goal, 3:16. Notre Dame 7–3. Drive: 10 plays, 58 yards, 3:21.
ND – Blair Kiel 80-yard run (Harry Oliver kick), 2:08. Notre Dame 14–3. Drive: 4 plays, 85 yards, 1:03.
ND – Harry Oliver 28-yard field goal, 0:00. Notre Dame 17–3. Drive: 8 plays, 27 yards, 1:06.

Third quarter

No scoring

Fourth quarter

ND – Harry Oliver 38-yard field goal, 3:26. Notre Dame 20–3. Drive: 4 plays, 4 yards, 1:44.

Top passers

ND – Blair Kiel – 11/20, 152 yards, INT
UA – Tom Tunnicliffe – 15/26, 95 yards, 2 INT

Top rushers

ND – Jim Stone – 29 rushes, 105 yards, TD
UA – Hubert Oliver – 8 rushes, 41 yards

Top receivers

ND – Tony Hunter – 7 receptions, 75 yards
UA – Tim Holmes – 2 receptions, 43 yards

Dan Devine's 50th win at Notre Dame

Vs. Navy

Navy Midshipmen (5–2) vs. #3 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (6–0)

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Notre Dame	12	14	0	7	33
Navy	0	0	0	0	0

at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

Date: November 1
Game weather: Overcast
Game attendance: 76,891
Recap/Box

Game information

First quarter

ND – Ty Barber 9-yard run (kick blocked), 5:37. Notre Dame 6–0. Drive: 5 plays, 92 yards, 2:09.
ND – Pete Buchanan 3-yard run (pass failed), 2:45. Notre Dame 12–0. Drive: 6 plays, 21 yards, 2:31.

Second quarter

ND – Jim Stone 13-yard run (pass good), 12:40. Notre Dame 20–0. Drive: 8 plays, 56 yards, 3:00.
ND – Harry Oliver 41-yard field goal, 10:34. Notre Dame 23–0. Drive: 3 plays, -9 yards, 1:58.
ND – Harry Oliver 50-yard field goal, 1:26. Notre Dame 26–0. Drive: 3 plays, 2 yards, 1:23.

Third quarter

No scoring

Fourth quarter

ND – Greg Bell 27-yard run (Harry Oliver kick), 9:47. Notre Dame 33–0. Drive: 10 plays, 72 yards, 3:37.

Top passers

ND – Blair Kiel – 3/8, 32 yards, INT
NAVY – Tom Tarquinio – 7/11, 56 yards

Top rushers

ND – Jim Stone – 33 rushes, 211 yards, TD
NAVY – Eddie Meyers – 15 rushes, 53 yards

Top receivers

ND – Tim Tripp – 1 reception, 17 yards
NAVY – Tim Jackson – 2 receptions, 17 yards

Scott Zettek - AP Midwest Lineman of the Week (8 tackles, 3 sacks)

At Georgia Tech

#1 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (7–0) at Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (1–7)

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Notre Dame	0	0	0	3	3
Georgia Tech	0	3	0	0	3

at Grant Field, Atlanta, Georgia

Date: November 8
Game time: 1:30 p.m.
Game attendance: 41,266
Recap/Box

Game information

First quarter

No scoring

Second quarter

GT – Johnny Smith 39-yard field goal, 6:11. Georgia Tech 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 53 yards, 5:25.

Third quarter

No scoring

Fourth quarter

ND – Harry Oliver 47-yard field goal, 4:44. Tie 3–3. Drive: 7 plays, 60 yards, 3:04.

Top passers

ND – Blair Kiel – 5/12, 58 yards, 2 INT
GT – Ken Whisenhunt – 3/5, 29 yards

Top rushers

ND – Jim Stone – 21 rushes, 85 yards
GT – Matt Bryant – 10 rushes, 42 yards

Top receivers

ND – Pete Holohan – 5 receptions, 63 yards
GT – Leon Chadwick – 2 receptions, 20 yards

At Alabama

#6 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (7–0–1) at #5 Alabama Crimson Tide (8–1)

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Notre Dame	0	7	0	0	7
Alabama	0	0	0	0	0

at Legion Field, Birmingham, Alabama

Date: November 15
Game time: 2:50 p.m. CST
Game attendance: 78,873
Referee: Jimmy Harper
TV announcers (ABC): Keith Jackson and Frank Broyles
Recap/Box

Game information

First quarter

No scoring

Second quarter

ND – Phil Carter 2-yard run (Harry Oliver kick), 6:02. Notre Dame 7–0. Drive: 2 plays, 4 yards, 0:34.

Third quarter

No scoring

Fourth quarter

No scoring

Top passers

ND – Blair Kiel – 5/9, 43 yards
ALA – Walter Lewis – 5/11, 53 yards

Top rushers

ND – Phil Carter – 31 rushes, 84 yards, TD
ALA – Walter Lewis – 12 rushes, 58 yards

Top receivers

ND – Phil Carter – 2 receptions, 19 yards
ALA – Bart Krout – 3 receptions, 25 yards

Air Force

Air Force Falcons (2–7–1) at #2 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (8–0–1)

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Air Force	3	0	0	7	10
Notre Dame	0	3	14	7	24

at Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend, Indiana

Date: November 22
Game attendance: 59,075
Recap/Box

Game information

First quarter

AFA – Sean Pavlich 35-yard field goal, 1:06. Air Force 3–0. Drive: 6 plays, 31 yards, 2:35.

Second quarter

ND – Harry Oliver 31-yard field goal, 14:09. Tie 3–3. Drive: 3 plays, 7 yards, 0:52.

Third quarter

ND – Phil Carter 2-yard run (Harry Oliver kick), 5:17. Notre Dame 10–3. Drive: 14 plays, 76 yards, 6:40.
ND – Jim Stone 7-yard run (Harry Oliver kick), 0:48. Notre Dame 17–3. Drive: 7 plays, 30 yards, 3:00.

Fourth quarter

AFA – Charlie Heath 1-yard run (Sean Pavlich kick), 7:04. Notre Dame 17–10. Drive: 4 plays, 21 yards, 1:28.
ND – Jim Stone 2-yard run (Harry Oliver kick), 1:51. Notre Dame 24–10. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 5:13.

Top passers

AFA – Scott Schafer – 3/15, 43 yards
ND – Blair Kiel – 6/20, 67 yards, INT

Top rushers

AFA – Ted Sundquist – 10 rushes, 41 yards
ND – Phil Carter – 29 rushes, 181 yards, TD

Top receivers

AFA – Charlie Heath – 2 receptions, 19 yards
ND – Tony Hunter – 1 reception, 25 yards

^[18]

At USC

#2 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (9–0–1) at #17 USC Trojans (7–2–1)

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Notre Dame	0	0	3	0	3
USC	0	10	0	10	20

at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, California

Date: December 6
Game attendance: 82,663
TV announcers (ABC): Keith Jackson and Frank Broyles
Recap/Box

Game information

First quarter

No scoring

Second quarter

USC – Michael Harper 6-yard run (Eric Hipp kick), 8:23. USC 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 31 yards, 1:42.
USC – Eric Hipp 22-yard field goal, 1:31. USC 10–0. Drive: 8 plays, 61 yards, 5:28.

Third quarter

ND – Harry Oliver 30-yard field goal, 0:50. USC 10–3. Drive: 3 plays, -12 yards, 2:08.

Fourth quarter

USC – Eric Hipp 17-yard field goal, 11:42. USC 13–3. Drive: 3 plays, 0 yards, 2:17.
USC – Michael Harper 10-yard run (Eric Hipp kick), 1:09. USC 20–3. Drive: 11 plays, 70 yards, 4:25.

Top passers

ND – Mike Courey – 3/8, 25 yards, 2 INT
USC – Scott Tinsley – 4/5, 24 yards

Top rushers

ND – Phil Carter – 20 rushes, 42 yards
USC – Michael Harper – 20 rushes, 87 yards, 2 TD

Top receivers

ND – Pete Holohan – 2 receptions, 19 yards
USC – Jeff Simmons – 1 reception, 15 yards

Sugar Bowl (vs. Georgia)

#17 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (9–1–1) vs. #1 Georgia Bulldogs (11–0)

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Notre Dame	3	0	7	0	10
Georgia	10	7	0	0	17

at Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

Date: January 1, 1981
Game weather: Indoors (dome)
Game attendance: 77,895
TV announcers (ABC): Keith Jackson and Frank Broyles
Recap/Box

Game information

First quarter

ND – Harry Oliver 50-yard field goal, 10:41. Notre Dame 3–0. Drive: 9 plays, 48 yards, 4:19.
UGA – Rex Robinson 46-yard field goal, 1:45. Tie 3–3. Drive: 8 plays, 20 yards, 3:38.
UGA – Herschel Walker 1-yard run (Rex Robinson kick), 1:04. Georgia 10–3. Drive: 2 plays, 1 yard, 0:41.

Second quarter

UGA – Herschel Walker 3-yard run (Rex Robinson kick), 13:49. Georgia 17–3. Drive: 3 plays, 22 yards, 0:17.

Third quarter

ND – Phil Carter 1-yard run (Harry Oliver kick), 0:54. Georgia 17–10. Drive: 10 plays, 57 yards, 4:25.

Fourth quarter

No scoring

Top passers

ND – Blair Kiel – 14/27, 138 yards, 2 INT
UGA – Buck Belue – 1/12, 7 yards

Top rushers

ND – Phil Carter – 27 rushes, 109 yards, TD
UGA – Herschel Walker – 36 rushes, 150 yards, 2 TD

Top receivers

ND – Pete Holohan – 4 receptions, 44 yards
UGA – Amp Arnold – 1 reception, 7 yards

Personnel

1980 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team roster

Players

Coaches

Offense

Pos.	#	Name	Class
RB		Bernie Adell
RB		Ty Barber
RB	`28`	Greg Bell	Fr
RB		Mike Boushka
FB	`35`	Pete Buchanan	So
G	`65`	Bob Burger	Sr
RB	`22`	Phil Carter	So
WR	`80`	Dave Condeni	Jr
QB	`2`	Mike Courey	Sr
TE	`81`	Marty Detmer	Sr
WR	`1`	Ty Dickerson	Sr
OL		Randy Ellis
OL		Robb Gagnon
QB		Scott Grooms	Fr
WR	`31`	Pete Holohan	Sr
G	`78`	Tim Huffman	Sr
WR		Tony Hunter	So
QB, P	`5`	Blair Kiel	Fr
QB	`13`	Greg Knafelc	Sr
QB		Tim Koegel	Sr
TE	`86`	Dean Masztak	Jr
FB		Rob McGarry	So
RB		Larry Moriarty	So
RB		Rodney Morris
RB		John Mosley	Fr
OT	`71`	Phil Pozderac	Jr
C	`57`	John Scully (C)	Sr
OT	`74`	Mike Shiner	So
RB		Jim Stone	Sr
RB		John Sweeney
OL	`64`	Tom Thayer	So
WR		Tim Tripp
TE	`95`	Nick Vehr	Sr

Defense

Pos.	#	Name	Class
DT	`94`	Tom Bock	Jr
CB	`9`	Chris Brown	Fr
DB		Steve Cichy
ILB	`43`	Bob Crable (C)	Jr
S	`22`	Dave Duerson	So
S	`20`	Angelo Fasano	Sr
S	`27`	Tom Gibbons (C)	Sr
DE	`92`	Joe Gramke	Jr
DE		John Hankred	Sr
DL		Don Kidd
DL		Pat Kramer
CB	`19`	John Krimm	Jr
DL		Tim Marshall	Fr
LB		Brendan Moynihan
DT	`72`	Ken Muncy	So
LB	`45`	John Rice	Jr
LB	`51`	Joe Rudzinski
DB		Stacey Toran
LB	`46`	Mark Zavagnin	So
DE	`70`	Scott Zettek	Sr

Special teams

Pos.	#	Name	Class
K		Mike Johnston
K	`3`	Harry Oliver	Jr
LS		Bill Siewe

Head coach

Dan Devine

Coordinators/assistant coaches

Brian Boulac
Bill Meyers
Ron Toman (QB)
Joe Yonto (DL)

Legend

(C) Team captain
(S) Suspended
(I) Ineligible

Injured
Redshirt

Awards and honors

Former Fighting Irish coach Ara Parseghian was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame

Team players drafted into the NFL

Blair Kiel: 1984 / Round: 11 / Pick: 281 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Dave Duerson: 1983 / Round: 3 / Pick: 64 Chicago Bears
John Scully: 1981 / Round: 4 / Pick: 109th pick Atlanta Falcons

References

^ "Notre Dame Yearly Results (1985-1989)". College Football Data Warehouse. David DeLassus. Archived from the original on September 5, 2015. Retrieved July 26, 2015.
^ "N.D. steams by Purdue, 31–10". Detroit Free Press. September 7, 1980. Retrieved November 4, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "51-yard field goal on last play beats UM". The Flint Journal. September 21, 1980. Retrieved November 4, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Irish escape MSU ambush". Wisconsin State Journal. October 5, 1980. Retrieved November 4, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Irish rip Miami". News-Press. October 12, 1980. Retrieved November 4, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "No. 5 Irish smother Army, 30–3". The Des Moines Register. October 19, 1980. Retrieved November 4, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Fake punt helps Notre Dame run to victory over Arizona". Chicago Tribune. October 26, 1980. Retrieved November 4, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Notre Dame glad Stone stayed ready". Daily Record. November 2, 1980. Retrieved November 4, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Notre Dame ties Tech, 3–3". The Indianapolis Star. November 9, 1980. Retrieved July 25, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Hot Irish defense stops Alabama cold". Chicago Tribune. November 16, 1980. Retrieved February 19, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
^ Mooshil, Joe (November 23, 1980). "ND whips Air Force, 24-10 after 'making a few adjustments'". The Kokomo Tribune. Associated Press. p. 25. Retrieved January 8, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Trojans spoil Irish hopes for shot at national crown". The Galveston Daily News. December 7, 1980. Retrieved November 4, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Opportunistic Georgia fulfills national-title dream". Chicago Tribune. January 2, 1981. Retrieved October 31, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "1980 Notre Dame Fighting Irish Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved November 4, 2024.
^ Palm Beach Post. 1980 Sept 7.
^ "Last-Play, 51-Yard Kick Gets Irish Past Michigan." Palm Beach Post. 1980 Sept 21.
^ Gadsden Times. 1980 Oct 19. Retrieved 2018-Oct-19.
^ Eugene Register-Guard. 1980 Nov 23.

[1] "Notre Dame Yearly Results (1985-1989)". College Football Data Warehouse. David DeLassus. Archived from the original on September 5, 2015. Retrieved July 26, 2015.

[2] "N.D. steams by Purdue, 31–10". Detroit Free Press. September 7, 1980. Retrieved November 4, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.

[3] "51-yard field goal on last play beats UM". The Flint Journal. September 21, 1980. Retrieved November 4, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.

[4] "Irish escape MSU ambush". Wisconsin State Journal. October 5, 1980. Retrieved November 4, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.

[5] "Irish rip Miami". News-Press. October 12, 1980. Retrieved November 4, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.

[6] "No. 5 Irish smother Army, 30–3". The Des Moines Register. October 19, 1980. Retrieved November 4, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.

[7] "Fake punt helps Notre Dame run to victory over Arizona". Chicago Tribune. October 26, 1980. Retrieved November 4, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.

[8] "Notre Dame glad Stone stayed ready". Daily Record. November 2, 1980. Retrieved November 4, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.

[9] "Notre Dame ties Tech, 3–3". The Indianapolis Star. November 9, 1980. Retrieved July 25, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.

[10] "Hot Irish defense stops Alabama cold". Chicago Tribune. November 16, 1980. Retrieved February 19, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.

[11] Mooshil, Joe (November 23, 1980). "ND whips Air Force, 24-10 after 'making a few adjustments'". The Kokomo Tribune. Associated Press. p. 25. Retrieved January 8, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.

[12] "Trojans spoil Irish hopes for shot at national crown". The Galveston Daily News. December 7, 1980. Retrieved November 4, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.

[13] "Opportunistic Georgia fulfills national-title dream". Chicago Tribune. January 2, 1981. Retrieved October 31, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.

[14] "1980 Notre Dame Fighting Irish Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved November 4, 2024.

[15] Palm Beach Post. 1980 Sept 7.

[16] "Last-Play, 51-Yard Kick Gets Irish Past Michigan." Palm Beach Post. 1980 Sept 21.

[17] Gadsden Times. 1980 Oct 19. Retrieved 2018-Oct-19.

[18] Eugene Register-Guard. 1980 Nov 23.

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