1979 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team

1979 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
ConferenceIndependent
Record7–4
Head coach
Captains
Home stadiumNotre Dame Stadium
1979 NCAA Division I-A independents football records
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 6 Florida State – – 11–1–0
No. 7 Pittsburgh – – 11–1–0
UNLV – – 9–1–2
No. 17 Temple – – 10–2–0
Tulane – – 9–3–0
Rutgers – – 8–3–0
Tennessee State – – 8–3–0
East Carolina – – 7–3–1
No. 20 Penn State – – 8–4–0
South Carolina – – 8–4–0
Navy – – 7–4–0
Notre Dame – – 7–4–0
Southern Miss – – 6–4–1
Syracuse – – 7–5–0
Colgate – – 5–4–1
Boston College – – 5–6–0
Holy Cross – – 5–6–0
Memphis State – – 5–6–0
Miami (FL) – – 5–6–0
North Texas State – – 5–6–0
Villanova – – 5–6–0
Virginia Tech – – 5–6–0
West Virginia – – 5–6–0
Georgia Tech – – 4–6–1
Louisville – – 4–6–1
William & Mary – – 4–7–0
Illinois State – – 3–8–0
Northeast Louisiana – – 3–8–0
Army – – 2–8–1
Air Force – – 2–9–0
Cincinnati – – 2–9–0
Richmond – – 0–11–0
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1979 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team was an American football team that represented the University of Notre Dame as an independent during the 1979 NCAA Division I-A football season. In their fifth year under head coach Dan Devine, the Irish compiled a 7–4 record, outscored opponents by a total of 243 to 197, and were unranked in both the AP poll and UPI polls for the first time since 1963.[1]

Running back and team co-captain Vagas Ferguson was a consensus first-team pick on the 1979 All-America college football team.[2] Offensive tackle Tim Foley also received first-team All-America honors from multiple selectors. The team's statistical leaders included quarterback Rusty Lisch (1,781 passing yards), running back Vagas Ferguson (1,437 rushing yards, 102 points scored), and tight end Tony Hunter (27 receptions for 690 yards).[3]

The team played its home games at Notre Dame Stadium in Notre Dame, Indiana.

Schedule

DateTimeOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendanceSource
September 153:20 p.m.at No. 6 MichiganNo. 9
ABCW 12–10105,111[4][5]
September 222:30 p.m.at No. 17 PurdueNo. 5
L 22–2870,567[6]
September 292:30 p.m.No. 7 Michigan StateNo. 15
W 27–359,075[7]
October 62:30 p.m.Georgia TechNo. 10
  • Notre Dame Stadium
  • Notre Dame, IN (rivalry)
W 21–1359,075[8]
October 133:30 p.m.at Air ForceNo. 10
W 38–1334,881[9]
October 2012:50 p.m.No. 4 USCNo. 9
  • Notre Dame Stadium
  • Notre Dame, IN (rivalry)
ABCL 23–4259,075[10]
October 272:30 p.m.South CarolinaNo. 14
  • Notre Dame Stadium
  • Notre Dame, IN
W 18–1759,075[11]
November 31:30 p.m.NavyNo. 13
  • Notre Dame Stadium
  • Notre Dame, IN (rivalry)
W 14–059,075[12]
November 101:30 p.m.at TennesseeNo. 13
L 18–4086,489[13]
November 171:30 p.m.No. 14 Clemson
  • Notre Dame Stadium
  • Notre Dame, IN
L 10–1659,075[14]
November 2411:00 p.m.vs. Miami (FL)
W 40–1562,574[15]

[16]

Game summaries

At Michigan

Notre Dame Fighting Irish (0–0) at Michigan Wolverines (1–0)
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Notre Dame 3 3 6012
Michigan 3 7 0010

at Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, Michigan

Game information

Bob Crable (10 tackles) leaped to block the potential-game winning field in the final seconds.

[17]

At Purdue

Michigan State

Georgia Tech

At Air Force

Team 1 234Total
• Notre Dame 10 2107 38
Air Force 0 760 13
Scoring summary
Q1NDFerguson 5 yard run (Male kick)ND 7–0
Q1NDMale 43 yard field goalND 10–0
Q2NDLisch 1 yard run (Male kick)ND 17–0
Q2AFAJames 1 yard run (Sturch kick)ND 17–7
Q2NDVehr 2 yard pass from Lisch (Male kick)ND 24–7
Q2NDFerguson 23 yard run (Male kick)ND 31–7
Q3AFASchafer 2 yard pass from Ziebart (run failed)ND 31–13
Q4NDHunter 75 yard pass from Lisch (Male kick)ND 38–13

[18]

USC

South Carolina

A football gifted by the Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team to President Gerald Ford, commemorating their 18–17 victory over South Carolina on October 27.
Team 1 234Total
Navy 0 000 0
• Notre Dame 7 007 14
  • Date: November 3
  • Location: Notre Dame Stadium
  • Game attendance: 59,075
Scoring summary
Q1NDLisch 1 yard run (Male kick)ND 7–0
Q4NDFerguson 3 yard run (Male kick)ND 14–0
  • ND: Ferguson 34 Rush, 155 Yds (first player in school history with 3,000 career rushing yards)

[19]

At Tennessee

Clemson

Vs. Miami (FL)

Roster

1979 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team roster
Players Coaches
Offense
Pos.#NameClass
G 65 Bob Burger Jr
WR 80 Dave Condeni So
QB 2 Mike Courey Jr
C 53 Jeff Crippin Sr
WR 1 Ty Dickerson Jr
RB 32 Vagas Ferguson Sr
OT 73 Tim Foley Sr
WR 31 Pete Holohan Jr
G 78 Tim Huffman Jr
QB 13 Greg Knafelc Jr
QB 6 Rusty Lisch Sr
OT 75 Rob Martinovich Sr
TE 86 Dean Masztak So
OT 71 Phil Pozderac So
C 57 John Scully Jr
 Defense
Pos.#NameClass
DT 94 Tom Bock So
LB 43 Bob Crable So
DL Mark Czaja
S 22 Dave Duerson Fr
CB 27 Tom Gibbons Jr
DE Joe Gramke
DT Kevin Griffith
DE John Hankerd
DT Don Kidd
DT Pat Kramer
CB 19 John Krimm So
LB 61 Bobby Leopold Sr
DB 34 Dave Waymer Sr
LB 54 Mike Whittington Sr
DE 70 Scott Zettek Jr
 Special teams
Pos.#NameClass
P Dick Boushka
K Chuck Male Sr
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • Injured Injured
  • Redshirt Redshirt

Team players in the NFL

Player Position Round Pick NFL club
Vagas FergusonRunning back125New England Patriots
Dave WaymerCornerback241New Orleans Saints
Tim FoleyTackle251Baltimore Colts
Rusty LischQuarterback489St. Louis Cardinals
Bobby LeopoldLinebacker8210San Francisco 49ers
Rob MartinovichTackle10261Kansas City Chiefs

References

  1. ↑ "1979 Notre Dame Fighting Irish Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 24, 2026.
  2. ↑ "Football Award Winners" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). 2016. p. 10. Retrieved October 21, 2017.
  3. ↑ "1979 Notre Dame Fighting Irish Stats". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 24, 2026.
  4. ↑ Mick McCabe (September 17, 1979). "Irish upend punchless U-M, 12-10". Detroit Free Press. pp. 1F, 5F – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ↑ Billy Neff (September 16, 1979). "Irish upend Wolverines, 12-10". The Michigan Daily. pp. 1, 12 – via Bentley Historical Library.
  6. ↑ "Purdue rallies to upset Notre Dame". The Gloucester County Times. September 23, 1979. Retrieved October 26, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ "Notre Dame rips Michigan State 27–3". The Santa Fe New Mexican. September 30, 1979. Retrieved October 26, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ "Irish dump Ga. Tech". The Shreveport Times. October 7, 1979. Retrieved July 25, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ "Notre Dame routs Air Force, 38–13". The Kokomo Tribune. October 14, 1979. Retrieved October 26, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ↑ "Southern Cal attack grinds Irish, 42–23". The Cincinnati Enquirer. October 21, 1979. Retrieved October 26, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ↑ "Irish escape Gamecocks". The Indianapolis Star. October 21, 1979. Retrieved January 27, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ↑ "Notre Dame blanks Middies". Great Falls Tribune. November 4, 1979. Retrieved October 26, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ↑ "Irish humbles by Vols, 40–18". The Indianapolis Star. November 11, 1979. Retrieved May 8, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ↑ "Clemson feasts on Irish errors". Dayton Daily News. November 18, 1979. Retrieved October 26, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ↑ "Irish run to victory over Miami". The Kokomo Tribune. November 26, 1979. Retrieved January 18, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ↑ "1979 Notre Dame Fighting Irish Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 26, 2024.
  17. ↑ "Irish Topple Michigan On Walk-on's Field Goals." Palm Beach Post. 1979 September 16.
  18. ↑ Palm Beach Post. 1979 October 14.
  19. ↑ Eugene Register-Guard. 1979 November 4. Retrieved 2018-December-22.
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