The 1993 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team was an American football team that represented the University of Notre Dame as an independent during the 1993 NCAA Division I-A football season. In their eighth year under head coach Lou Holtz, the Irish compiled an 11–1 record, outscored opponents by a total of 403 to 194, and were ranked No. 2 in the final AP and UPI polls. They were selected as the national champion by the National Championship Foundation. During the regular season, they defeated No. 3 Michigan and No. 1 Florida State, but lost to No. 17 Boston College. They concluded the season with a victory over No. 7 Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl. Florida State was ranked No. 1 in the final AP and UPI polls despite having lost to Notre Dame.
Offensive tackle Aaron Taylor and defensive back Jeff Burris were consensus first-team picks on the 1993 All-America college football team. The team's statistical leaders included quarterback Kevin McDougal (1,541 passing yards), tailback Lee Becton (1,044 rushing yards), split end Derrick Mayes (24 receptions for 512 yards), kicker Kevin Pendergast (87 points scored), and linebacker Justin Goheen (92 tackles).1993 Football Review, p. 40.
The team played its home games at Notre Dame Stadium in Notre Dame, Indiana.
Schedule
Rankings
Season summary The 1993 season opened with tempered expectations for the Irish following the loss of four first-round NFL draft picks, among them quarterback Rick Mirer and running back Jerome Bettis. Notre Dame entered the year ranked seventh in the AP preseason poll.
The team also suffered a major setback when Ron Powlus, a highly touted freshman quarterback and the nation's top high school recruit, was lost to injury during the final preseason intrasquad scrimmage. “There was a strong chance he would be No. 1,” Holtz said, but with Powlus sidelined, he named Kevin McDougal the starter for Notre Dame's 1993 season opener.
On November 13, Notre Dame played Florida State in a matchup of unbeatens, with the two ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the AP poll. The Irish won the game, 31–24, to put themselves in position to lock up a chance to play for the national championship Fighting Irish Win Game of the Century The Tech (MIT newspaper) Mike Duffy and Andrew Heitner. Volume 113, Issue 59 : Friday, November 19, 1993 with a win over Boston College in their final game. However, the Eagles kicked a field goal as time expired to secure the upset, winning 41–39. Although both the Irish and the Seminoles had one loss, and Notre Dame won the head‑to‑head meeting, it was Florida State that was selected to face Big 8 champion Nebraska in the Orange Bowl. The Irish would settle for a Cotton Bowl bid, where they defeated Texas A&M.
Game summaries Northwestern
Michigan
Blue & Gold Illustrated 1994 Notre Dame Football Preview
Michigan State
Source:
Purdue
Stanford
Pittsburgh
Gainesville Sun. 1993 Oct 10. Retrieved 2018-Oct-28.
BYU
USC
Gainesville Sun. 1993 Oct 24.
Navy
Gainesville Sun. 1993 Oct 31.
Florida State
The #2 Fighting Irish prevailed over the #1 Florida State Seminoles as ESPN's College GameDay made its first campus visit.
Boston College
Texas A&M
Roster
Awards and honors Offensive tackle Aaron Taylor won the Lombardi Award as the best college football lineman.1993 Football Review, pp. 36-37. He was also a consensus first-team pick on the 1993 All-America college football team.
Free safety Jeff Burris was a consensus first-team All-American. He was also selected as the ABC Sports Defensive Player of the Year and was selected by his teammates as Notre Dame's most valuable player.
Cornerback Bobby Taylor was a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award and received first-team All-America honors from the Football Writers Association of America and the Newspaper Enterprise Association.
Center Tim Ruddy received first-team All-America honors from College & Pro Football Newsweekly. He also received second-team honors from the Associated Press (AP), United Press International (UPI), and Football News. Ruddy also received Academic All-America honors.
Defensive tackle Bryant Young was selected as a first-team All-American by the American Football Coaches Association. He also received second-team honors from the AP, UPI, and Football News.
1994 NFL draft
The following Notre Dame players were selected in the 1994 NFL draft. Bryant Young Defensive tackle 1 7 San Francisco 49ers Aaron Taylor Tackle 1 16 Green Bay Packers Jeff Burris Cornerback 1 27 Buffalo Bills Tim Ruddy Center 2 65 Miami Dolphins Jim Flanigan Defensive tackle 3 74 Chicago Bears Willie Clark Cornerback 3 82 San Diego Chargers Lake Dawson Wide Receiver 3 92 Kansas City Chiefs John Covington Safety 5 133 Indianapolis Colts Tony Peterson Linebacker 5 153 San Francisco 49ers Pete Bercich Linebacker 7 211 Minnesota Vikings
References