Notre Dame’s Fiesta Bowl History
Thanks to some pre-season bowl projections that are floating around, I have my mind on Notre Dame’s past involvement in some of the biggest bowl games. One such projection recently had Notre Dame going to the Fiesta Bowl to take on Oregon.
Notre Dame and Oregon don’t have much of a history together, something I’d like to one day see changed. Notre Dame does have a history in the Fiesta Bowl, however.
Yes, it is the bowl game that Notre Dame won to clinch the 1988 national championship with a victory over West Virginia.
No, nothing has gone well for Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl since.
January 2, 1989
Notre Dame’s 34-21 victory over West Virginia in the 1989 Fiesta Bowl capped a perfect season for the Irish and clinched their most recent claimed national championship.
January 2, 1995
Notre Dame didn’t deserve to be placed in a major bowl game after a disappointing 1994 season but were sent to the Fiesta Bowl regardless as Colorado dominated the Irish 41-24 in a game that wasn’t as close as the final score indicated.
January 1, 2001
Notre Dame’s third trip to the Fiesta Bowl was a nightmare as an Oregon State team led by the Beavers current head coach Jonathan Smith at quarterback, demolished the Irish 41-9.
January 2, 2006
Notre Dame’s second trip ever to a BCS game was again to the Fiesta Bowl where the upstart Irish were outclassed by Ted Ginn and Ohio State, 34-20.
January 1, 2016
Notre Dame didn’t have an answer for Ezekiel Elliot in their most recent trip to the Fiesta Bowl, a 44-28 defeat again at the hands of Ohio State. This game is sadly remembered for Jaylon Smith severely injuring his knee resulting in his NFL draft stock dropping significantly.
January 1, 2022
Despite coming out of the gate flying out to a 21-point lead against Oklahoma State, Marcus Freeman’s debut as Notre Dame head coach had a tough end as the Irish defense couldn’t stop the Cowboys in any fashion in the second half of the
