Notre Dame All-Time Bowl History

Notre Dame has played in 41 bowl games all-time, a number that might seem low considering they’ve been playing football for over 130 years.  However, Notre Dame didn’t play in bowl games out of their belief in amateurism for over 40 years which means for a lot fewer bowl appearances than several other blue-blood programs.

There have been great triumphs and incredible heartbreakers both over those 41 games.

Legends were made, thrilling wins were had, and heartbreaking losses also occurred.

Check out the game-by-game history of Notre Dame in postseason bowl games below.

More Bowl Game History from the College Wire Network:

Alabama / Aub / Fla / LSU / Tenn. / UGA // Mich. / Mich St. / Ohio St. / Wisc. // Okla. / Texas // ND // USC

January 1, 1925 - Rose Bowl

1925 Rose Bowl:  27-10 win vs. Stanford

In what would be Notre Dame’s only appearance in a bowl game for 45 years, the Four Horsemen and Knute Rockne made it count as the Irish beat Stanford 27-10 to finish the season 10-0 overall and earn the first national championship in program history.

January 1, 1970 - Cotton Bowl

1970 Cotton Bowl: 21-17 loss to No. 1 Texas

Notre Dame lifted their policy of not playing in any bowl games when at the conclusion of the 1969 season the Irish played top-ranked Texas in the Cotton Bowl.

Joe Theismann let Notre Dame on a go-ahead touchdown drive with under seven minutes to play but the Longhorns charged back as a Billy Dale touchdown dive with just over a minute to play gave Texas the win and eventual national championship.

January 1, 1971 - Cotton Bowl

1971 Cotton Bowl:  24-11 win vs. Texas

Texas entered the ’71 Cotton Bowl with a 30-game winning streak and struck first for a 3-0 first quarter lead.  It was all Notre Dame the rest of the way though as the Irish 21 straight points and took a 24-11 lead to halftime.

Notre Dame wouldn’t allow a point in the second half against the Texas wishbone offense as the Irish would rise from sixth to second in the final rankings.

January 1, 1973 - Orange Bowl

1973 Orange Bowl:  40-6 loss vs. Nebraska

Nebraska dominated Notre Dame in every way possible in the first trip to the Orange Bowl for the Fighting Irish.  Nebraska scored the games first 40 points before the Irish finally found pay-dirt in the fourth quarter while the game had already long been decided.

Nebraska out-gained Notre Dame 560-227 that night in Miami.

December 31, 1973 - Sugar Bowl

1973 Sugar Bowl: 24-23 win vs. Alabama

To this day it remains one of the biggest wins and perhaps the biggest bowl win in Notre Dame history.

Aided by an Al Hunter kickoff return for a touchdown in the second quarter, a Dave Casper reception late helped set up a 19 yard field goal by Bob Thomas to give the Irish a 24-23 lead.

Facing a 3rd and 10 from their own one yard line, Notre Dame quarterback Tom Clements found reserve tight end Robin Weber for a first down that clinched the Sugar Bowl victory and national championship for Ara Parseghian and the Fighting Irish.

January 1, 1975 - Orange Bowl

1975 Orange Bowl:  13-11 win vs. Alabama

Paul “Bear” Bryant retired from college football having won more games than any coach in the history of college football at the time.

However, zero of those wins came against Notre Dame.  The second of his four losses against the Irish, as Notre Dame jumped to a 13-0 lead before halftime.

Alabama charged late, getting within two with 3:13 to play and got the ball back, driving to the Notre Dame 38 before a Reggie Barnett interception put an end to the Tide comeback in what was Ara Parseghian’s final game at Notre Dame.

December 27, 1976 - Gator Bowl

1976 Gator Bowl: 20-9 win vs. Penn State

Al Hunter ran for 102 yards in the Notre Dame victory over Joe Paterno and Penn State to cap the 1976 season.  The Irish jumped out quickly with 20 first half points and didn’t allow Penn State into the end zone until late in the fourth quarter.

The win gave Dan Devine his first bowl victory at Notre Dame as the Irish finished the year 9-3.

January 2, 1978 - Cotton Bowl

1978 Cotton Bowl:  38-10 win vs. No. 1 Texas

After playing to a 3-3 tie in the first quarter, Notre Dame erupted for 21 points in eight minutes in the second quarter to take a 24-3 lead.

The Irish would allow just one touchdown the rest of the way, ultimately routing Texas 38-10 as Notre Dame jumped from fifth to first in the final polls after a chaotic year of major bowl games.

Vagas Ferguson scored three times for Notre Dame as the Irish forced six Texas turnovers that afternoon.

January 1, 1979 - Cotton Bowl

1979 Cotton Bowl: 35-34 win vs. Houston

To this day it remains the greatest publicity that chicken soup ever received, Joe Montana exited the game while suffering in a bout with the flu.

Trailing 34-12 to start the fourth quarter, the Irish completed one of the most epic comebacks in bowl history as Steve Cichy returned a block punt 33 yards for the first Notre Dame touchdown of the quarter.

Montana ran for a touchdown later in the quarter before he threw to Kris Haines to tie the game as time expired, as Joe Unis’s kick ultimately won it for the Irish who finished the year 8-3 with the win.

January 1, 1981 - Sugar Bowl

1981 Sugar Bowl:  17-10 loss to Georgia

Despite Notre Dame out-gaining Georgia 328-127 in the yards battle, miscues cost the Irish in their upset bid of the national champion Bulldogs who were led by freshman Herschel Walker who twice found the end zone.

December 29, 1983 - Liberty Bowl

1983 Liberty Bowl:  19-18 win vs. Boston College

Only the second meeting ever between Notre Dame and Boston College at the time, the Irish scored three first half touchdowns as they jumped to a 19-6 lead.

Boston College charged back as the Eagles were led by Doug Flutie, who got the Eagles within one in the third quarter.  However, the Irish batted away the two-point conversion attempt as Notre Dame would ultimately hold on to a 19-18 victory.

December 29, 1984 - Aloha Bowl

1984 Aloha Bowl:  27-20 loss vs. SMU

Despite forcing four SMU fumbles on the day, Notre Dame was unable to recover any of them as the Irish fell just days after Christmas in what was Gerry Faust’s second of two bowl games reached with the Fighting Irish.

January 1, 1988 - Cotton Bowl

1988 Cotton Bowl:  35-10 loss vs. Texas A&M

Things actually started well for Notre Dame as they scored on their opening possession but in what was Tim Brown’s final game with the Irish.  Texas A&M would go on a 35-3 run the rest of the way in a game they were dominated in.

January 2, 1989 - Fiesta Bowl

1989 Fiesta Bowl:  34-21 win vs. West Virginia

In what remains Notre Dame’s most-recent national championship, the Irish capped their 1988 season with a triumph over West Virginia in the Fiesta Bowl.

Notre Dame knocked out WVU quarterback Major Wright in this game while the Irish marched out to a 23-6 halftime lead.

Tony Rice threw for a pair of scores, one to Raghib Ismail, to help secure the win to cap that epic season.

January 1, 1990 - Orange Bowl

1990 Orange Bowl: 21-6 win vs. No. 1 Colorado

Colorado entered the contest unbeaten at 11-0 and one win away from a national championship but the Irish would play spoiler as after a scoreless first half, the Irish held Colorado to just one touchdown all day in the 21-6 triumph.

Notre Dame had played a significantly more impressive schedule than the champion Miami that season, but a blowout loss in the regular season finale at Miami kept the Irish from repeating as champions.

January 1, 1991 - Orange Bowl

1991 Orange Bowl: 10-9 loss to No. 1 Colorado

A year after upsetting No. 1 Colorado in Miami, the Irish were within one controversial flag of doing it again when Rocket Ismail’s punt return for a touchdown was called back because of clipping with just 43 seconds remaining.

The Irish instead did not end up scoring and no matter how many times you watch the video, one does not see an actual clip.

January 1, 1992 - Sugar Bowl

1992 Sugar Bowl:  39-28 win vs. Florida

The “Cheerios Bowl” as Notre Dame fans remember it was a Fighting Irish upset of No. 3 Florida in the 1992 Sugar Bowl as Jerome Bettis ran for three scores in the win that saw the Irish put up 32 second half points.

Lou Holtz claimed that during their week in New Orleans that a waiter approached him and asked the difference between his Notre Dame team and Cheerios.

“Cheerios belong in a bowl”

Notre Dame was 8-1 and ranked fifth nationally before an epic collapse against Tennessee at home and a road loss to Penn State put the Irish at 8-3, before winning the regular season finale at Hawaii, 48-42.

Despite the regular season ending poorly, the Sugar Bowl upset of Florida gave Notre Dame faithful something sweet to enjoy that off-season.

January 1, 1993 - Cotton Bowl

1993 Cotton Bowl: 28-3 win vs. Texas A&M

The final game at Notre Dame for greats Rick Mirer, Jerome Bettis, and Reggie Brooks wound up a Texas-sized whooping of No. 3 Texas A&M.

Leading 7-0 entering the second half, the Irish had to attempt just three passes over the final 30 minutes as the running attack took over.

In his final game in a Notre Dame uniform Jerome Bettis scored three times in the Irish victory.

January 1, 1994 - Cotton Bowl

1994 Cotton Bowl:  24-21 win vs. Texas A&M

Notre Dame’s dream season went crashing down at the end of the regular season as the Irish, fresh of an upset of No. 1 Florida State, were upset themselves by Boston College.

The Irish still had a shot at a split title entering New Year’s Day 1994 but that wasn’t meant to be.

The Irish and Aggies battled to a draw through 56 minutes before a Mike Miller punt return inside the Texas A&M 30 got the Irish in field goal range that ultimately won them the game, but unfortunately not the national championship.

January 1, 1995 - Fiesta Bowl

1995 Fiesta Bowl:  41-24 loss to Colorado

Never has a Notre Dame team deserved an appearance in a big-time bowl less than when the 6-4-1 1994 squad was invited to play Colorado in the Fiesta Bowl.

Led by Kordell Stewart and Heisman Trophy Winner Rashaan Salaam, the Buffaloes jumped out to a 31-3 lead before taking their foot off the gas.

This was also another chapter of Notre Dame’s turbulent relationship with green jerseys.

January 1, 1996 - Orange Bowl

1996 Orange Bowl:  31-26 loss vs. Florida State

Playing without starting quarterback Ron Powlus and leading rusher Randy Kinder, Notre Dame still found themselves up on powerhouse Florida State 26-14 with just 11 minutes to play thanks to a huge night from wide receiver Derrick Mayes.

Danny Kanell led Florida State to 17 points in those final 11 minutes however as the Seminoles continued their streak of not losing a bowl game since 1982.

December 28, 1997 - Independence Bowl

1997 Independence Bowl:  27-9 loss vs. LSU

Notre Dame and LSU met in Death Valley in 1997, with the Irish sitting at just 4-5 entering that contest against the No. 11 Tigers.

The Irish played their best game of the year however in upsetting LSU, 24-6, as the two would rematch six weeks later in the Independence Bowl.

Notre Dame could only muster three field goals all evening in Shreveport however while Rondell Mealey ran for a pair of scores and 222 yards in the LSU victory.

January 1, 1999 - Gator Bowl

1999 Gator Bowl:  35-28 loss to Georgia Tech

Notre Dame’s losing streak in bowl games hit four when the Irish made their second-ever trip to the Gator Bowl and couldn’t slow down Joe Hamilton and Georgia Tech.

Autry Denson led the way for Notre Dame as his final game for the Irish with three touchdowns, a two-point conversion, and 130 rushing yards.

January 1, 2001 - Fiesta Bowl

2001 Fiesta Bowl:  41-9 loss vs. Oregon State

In year three of the BCS, Notre Dame made their first trip to one of the series games.

Trailing 12-3 at halftime things weren’t going great for Notre Dame but they weren’t awful quite yet, either.

That is until the third quarter when Chad Johnson, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, and the rest of the Beavers offense exploded for 29 points as the rout was on in what wound up the fifth consecutive bowl loss for Notre Dame.

January 1, 2003 - Gator Bowl

2003 Gator Bowl:  26-6 loss vs. North Carolina State

Notre Dame started with an early 3-0 lead on North Carolina State but starting quarterback Carlyle Holiday was knocked from the game for the Irish as offensive struggles were the story of the afternoon.

The Irish scored just twice all day, both on field goals, while Phillip Rivers helped guide the Wolfpack to 21 second quarter points in the 58th Gator Bowl.

December 28, 2004 - Insight Bowl

2004 Insight Bowl:  38-21 loss vs. Oregon State

A strange season that saw Notre Dame upset two top-ten teams but go just 6-5 in the regular season ended with the dismissal of Tyrone Willingham as head coach.

With defensive coordinator Kent Bear serving as interim head coach, the Irish were routed by Oregon State as future Pro Bowl quarterback Derek Anderson guided the Beavers to a 21-0 first half lead.

The loss was the seventh straight bowl loss for the Irish who finished the year 6-6.

January 2, 2006 - Fiesta Bowl

2006 Fiesta Bowl:  34-20 loss vs. Ohio State

Darius Walker was the Notre Dame star of the day as he ran for three scores but the Irish defense allowed four touchdowns, all on plays of 56 yards or greater in the Buckeyes triumph in the desert.

January 3, 2007 - Sugar Bowl

2007 Sugar Bowl:  41-14 loss vs. LSU

After falling behind 14-0 in the first nine minutes Notre Dame fought back with a pair of scores to tie things up before a late first half score for the Tigers but the Irish on their heels.

Trailing 21-14 to start the second half, Notre Dame held LSU to a pair of field goals to stay within striking distance but the Irish offense couldn’t move the ball and after a 58 yard touchdown pass from Jamarcus Russell to Brandon LaFell, the rout was on as the Irish dropped their ninth straight bowl.

December 24, 2008 - Hawaii Bowl

2008 Hawaii Bowl:  49-21 win vs. Hawaii

Jimmy Clausen threw for five touchdowns as Notre Dame earned it’s first bowl win since January 1, 1994 in the thrashing of Hawaii.

The Irish actually led 42-7 halfway through the third quarter before Charlie Weis called the dogs off in the blowout victory.

December 31, 2010 - Sun Bowl

2010 Sun Bowl:  33-17 win vs. Miami

Brian Kelly’s debut season at Notre Dame ended with quite the run as the Irish upset No. 15 Utah, beat Army in Yankee Stadium, and ended a nearly decade long losing streak against USC before thrashing Miami in the Sun Bowl.

Michael Floyd caught a pair of touchdown passes from Tommy Rees as the Irish bolted to a 27-0 lead before taking their foot off the gas in the second half.

December 29, 2011 - Champs Sports Bowl

2011 Champs Sports Bowl:  18-14 loss vs. Florida State

It must be a rule if Notre Dame and Florida State play in a bowl game that the Seminoles have to wait until the fourth quarter to come alive offensively.

Notre Dame led 14-3 headed to the final frame but a pair of E.J. Manuel touchdown passes gave Florida State a 15-14 lead before a late field goal stretched things to the final 18-14 margin.

January 7, 2013 - BCS National Championship

2013 BCS National Championship:  42-14 loss vs. Alabama

In what was a storybook season for Notre Dame, the final chapter was a disaster as the dynastic Crimson Tide scored at will early, going to halftime with a 28-0 lead.

Alabama would get to 35 before the Irish would finally find the end zone in what would start an incredibly strange 2013 for Notre Dame.

December 28, 2013 - Pinstripe Bowl

2013 Pinstripe Bowl:  29-16 win vs. Rutgers

In a classic example of a team playing with their food, Notre Dame got a scare from 6-6 Rutgers as the Irish closed a 15.5 favorite, and found themselves leading by just three with under 10 minutes to play in the game.

Tarean Foster’s three-yard touchdown run extended the Notre Dame lead to 26-16 with 5:19 to play before Kyle Brindza’s fifth field goal of the afternoon ended the scoring.

Notre Dame finished the 2013 season 9-4.

Related – photo gallery of Notre Dame’s Pinstripe Bowl win over Rutgers

December 30, 2014 - Music City Bowl

2014 Music City Bowl:  31-28 win vs. LSU

A seemingly regular postseason foe over the last quarter-century, Notre Dame upset LSU for their first postseason win over the Tigers in a thrilling conclusion to the 2014 season.

Playing with two quarterbacks in Everett Golson and Malik Zaire, Notre Dame controlled the ball for 37 minutes as Kyle Brindza split the uprights from 32 yards out as time expired, giving the underdog Irish the win.

January 1, 2016 - Fiesta Bowl

2016 Fiesta Bowl:  44-28 loss vs. Ohio State

Notre Dame had no answers for Ezekiel Elliot and Ohio State on New Year’s Day 2016 as Elliot ran for four touchdowns in the Buckeyes victory.

Notre Dame linebacker Jaylon Smith, who was fresh off winning the Butkus Award as the nation’s top linebacker suffered a nasty knee injury early in this game in a play that forever changed how several pros to be viewed bowl games.

January 1, 2018 - Citrus Bowl

2018 Citrus Bowl:  21-17 win vs. LSU

Trailing 17-14 late in the fourth quarter, reserve quarterback Ian Book stepped in and found Miles Boykin, who made an insane catch and showed incredibly body control after doing so to give the Irish a New Year’s Day victory over LSU.

December 29, 2018 - Cotton Bowl/CFP

2018 Cotton Bowl/CFP Semifinal: 30-3 loss vs. Clemson

Notre Dame’s first trip to the College Football Playoff ended horribly as the Irish couldn’t take advantage of a few early opportunities and Clemson hit on a few huge plays in the second quarter.

Notre Dame’s defense performed as two different units when All-American corner Julian Love had to exit due to an injury, but the Irish offense couldn’t crack Clemson’s code on defense to make a threat.

December 28, 2019 - Camping World Bowl

2019 Camping World Bowl:  33-9 win vs. Iowa State

After going 10-2 in the regular season Notre Dame fans wanted a trip to a New Year’s Six bowl but instead settled for the Camping World Bowl versus Iowa State.

The lack of bigness to the bowl game didn’t affect the Irish as they dominated all afternoon.

Chase Claypool took home game MVP honors in his final game with the Irish as the wide receiver pulled in seven receptions for 146 yards and a touchdown.

Tony Jones, Jr. also set the Camping World Bowl record for longest run with his 84 yard touchdown jog in the third quarter.

January 1, 2021 - Rose Bowl/CFP

2021 Rose Bowl:  31-14 loss vs. No. 1 Alabama

Notre Dame continued their struggles on the biggest of stages as Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith went off for three touchdowns in a game that felt like more of a blowout than the final score said.

2022: Fiesta Bowl vs. Oklahoma State

2022 Fiesta Bowl: 37-35 loss vs. Oklahoma State

Marcus Freeman’s first game as Notre Dame’s head football coach went great.  Until it wasn’t.  Quarterback Jack Coan led the Fighting Irish to a 28-7 first half lead but the wheels fell off in the second half as the Irish’s streak of major bowl game misery continued.

December 30, 2022: Gator Bowl vs. South Carolina

Notre Dame capped Marcus Freeman’s first year as head coach with a back-and-forth victory over South Carolina in the Gator Bowl.  The Irish overcame a pair of Tyler Buchner pick-sixes as the quarterback put on a show on his feet in what wound up being his final game in a Notre Dame uniform, a 45-38 victory.

December 29, 2023: Sun Bowl vs. Oregon State

Marcus Freeman’s second season will end with a trip to El Paso for the Sun Bowl against Oregon State.  It’ll mark the second trip Notre Dame has played in the Sun Bowl and the third time they’ve met with Oregon State historically, dropping both previous bowl contests against the Beavers.

Story originally appeared on Fighting Irish Wire