Notre Dame All-Time Overtime Results
Notre Dame has been playing football a long time but Sunday’s win over Florida State was the first game in the history of the program that the Fighting Irish recorded an overtime win away from Notre Dame Stadium.
It’s worth noting that overtime only came to be in college football in 1996 but a quarter century without a road overtime win is impressively sad when you consider how many opportunities Notre Dame has had in that situation.
Here are Notre Dame’s all-time overtime results.
Warning: some of what you are about to see is going to bring back awful memories if you’re a passionate Notre Dame football fan…
1996: 20-17 loss vs. Air Force
Notre Dame’s first crack at overtime came at home in 1996 when unranked Air Force upset the eighth ranked Fighting Irish 20-17 thanks in large part to the hosts gaining just 67 yards on 37 carries, which would end up being the lowest total in Lou Holtz’s 11 seasons as head coach.
1996: 27-20 loss at USC
Leading 20-12 with under five minutes to play Notre Dame missed an extra point which helped prompt a USC comeback that forced overtime and ultimately resulted in a Fighting Irish loss in what was the final game Lou Holtz would ever coach for the Irish. The loss to an unimpressive USC squad cost the Irish a bid to an old alliance bowl game.
2000: 27-24 loss vs. No. 1 Nebraska
Despite getting the ball at their 30 yard line with two timeouts and nearly a minute to play, Bob Davie decided to play for overtime against No. 1 Nebraska in 2000. That decision proved awful as Eric Crouch scurried to the end zone and helped the Cornhuskers avoid an upset in the first overtime period.
2000: 34-31 win vs. Air Force
Despite entering the fourth quarter with a 28-10 lead, Notre Dame needed a blocked field goal by Glenn Earl as time expired to force overtime versus Air Force in 2000. Joey Getherall’s third touchdown of the day clinched the win for the Irish, their first in four overtime tries.
2003: 29-26 win vs. Washington State
Notre Dame rallied to outscore Washington State 20-7 in the fourth quarter to force overtime in the 2003 opener. Nick Setta’s 40-yard field goal after the Irish stopped the Cougars sealed the deal for an Irish victory.
2005: 44-41 loss vs. Michigan State
Trailing 38-17 late in the third quarter Notre Dame rallied for 21-straight points to force overtime against Michigan State but couldn’t stop running back Javon Ringer one more time as the Irish fell in their home opener, 44-41.
2007: 46-44 loss vs. Navy
2007 was the worst season a Notre Dame fan has had to sit through and it hit its low point on November 3 when the Midshipmen stunned the Irish and ended their 43 game losing streak against the Domers.
Charlie Weis’s play-calling in this game only gets worse when you look back.
2008: 36-33 loss vs. Pittsburgh
Notre Dame held a 17-3 halftime advantage but was outscored 21-7 in the second half as LeSean McCoy ran for 169 yards in the the four-overtime contest, the longest in the history of Notre Dame football.
2009: 37-30 win vs. Washington
Golden Tate dominated the day with nine receptions going for 244 yards in the Irish win that moved Notre Dame to 4-1 on the 2009 season.
They would go just 2-5 the final seven games as Charlie Weis would be fired at the season’s end.
More on that, NOW.
2009: 33-30 loss vs. Connecticut
As if one needed anymore evidence that Charlie Weis needed to be replaced, senior day 2009 happened as a 4-5 Connecticut squad entered Notre Dame Stadium for the first time and shocked the Fighting Irish in a 33-30, 2 OT stunner.
UCONN remains one of seven teams Notre Dame has played but never beaten in program history.
2010: 34-31 loss at Michigan State
After a Notre Dame field goal in their overtime possession the Irish forced Michigan State to what appeared to be a 46-yard field goal attempt. Instead, Spartans head coach Mark Dantonio called for a fake that resulted in a walk-off touchdown for MSU.
2012: 20-13 win vs. Stanford
After a T.J. Jones touchdown catch put the Irish up 20-13, Notre Dame’s defense stopped Stanford on four-straight runs in a goal line stand for the ages as the unbeaten season remained.
2012: 29-26 win vs. Pittsburgh
I could live to be 110 and I won’t understand how Notre Dame pulled the rabbit out of this hat. The Irish trailed 20-6 entering the fourth quarter before Everett Golson rallied the offense for two scores to force overtime.
After Notre Dame lost a fumble in the second overtime, Pitt shanked a game-winning field goal attempt that meant for a third extra frame, one that Golson capped with a one-yard plunge to save the undefeated regular season.
2014: 43-40 loss vs. Northwestern
This one goes on the short list of worst and dumbest losses under Brian Kelly as Notre Dame surrendered an 11-point fourth quarter lead. Jack Mitchell hit from 45 yards out with 15 seconds left to force overtime and then won it for Northwestern as he hit from 41 yards in the stunning upset.
2016: 50-47 loss at Texas
“Texas is back!” proclaimed the national announcers when Tyrell Swoopes entered the end zone and walked off No. 10 Notre Dame in the second overtime of the 2016 opener in Austin.
The Longhorns wound up going just 5-7 that season but it set the tone for even worse things for Notre Dame as the Irish stumbled to a 4-8 mark that fall.
2020: 47-40 win vs. No. 1 Clemson
Ian Book found Avery Davis for the game-tying touchdown with under a minute to play in regulation. After exchanging touchdowns in the first overtime period, Notre Dame’s defensive line took over the second as multiple sacks resulted in the first Irish victory over a No. 1 ranked opponent in 27 years.
The best photos from Notre Dame’s upset of No. 1 Clemson
2021: 41-38 win at Florida State
Despite entering the fourth quarter up by 18, Notre Dame stumbled its way to the end of regulation and allowed the host Seminoles to tie things up. After Florida State missed their field goal attempt to start overtime, Notre Dame’s Jonathan Doerer hit from 41 yards out to give the Irish a week one victory.
This win was the first road overtime victory in Notre Dame history.
