1984 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team

1984 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
Aloha Bowl, L 20–27 vs. SMU
ConferenceIndependent
Record7–5
Head coach
Defensive coordinatorA. J. Christoff (1st season)
MVPAllen Pinkett
Captains
Home stadiumNotre Dame Stadium
1984 NCAA Division I-A independents football records
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 5 Boston College – – 10–2–0
No. 11 South Carolina – – 10–2–0
Army – – 8–3–1
Rutgers – – 7–3–0
No. 17 Florida State – – 7–3–2
Virginia Tech – – 8–4–0
West Virginia – – 8–4–0
No. 18 Miami (FL) – – 8–5–0
Notre Dame – – 7–5–0
Temple – – 6–5–0
Southwestern Louisiana – – 6–5–0
Penn State – – 6–5–0
Syracuse – – 6–5–0
Memphis State – – 5–5–1
Navy – – 4–6–1
Southern Miss – – 4–7–0
Pittsburgh – – 3–7–1
Tulane – – 3–8–0
Cincinnati – – 2–9–0
East Carolina – – 2–9–0
Louisville – – 2–9–0
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1984 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team was an American football team that represented the University of Notre Dame as an independent during the 1984 NCAA Division I-A football season. In their fourth year under head coach Gerry Faust, the Irish compiled a 7–5 record, outscored opponents by a total of 279 to 212, and were unranked for the fourth consecutive year in the final AP and UPI polls. In five games against ranked opponents, Notre Dame defeated No. 7 LSU and No. 14 USC, but lost to No. 14 Miami, and No. 11 South Carolina, and concluded the season with a loss to No. 10 SMU in the Aloha Bowl.[1][2]

Tight end Mark Bavaro and center Mike Kelley received first-team honors from at least one selector on the 1984 All-America college football team. The team's statistical leaders included quarterback Steve Beuerlein (1,920 passing yards), running back Allen Pinkett (1,105 rushing yards, 108 points scored), Bavaro (32 receptions, 395 receiving yards), and linebacker Mike Kovaleski (108 tackles).[3][4]

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

Schedule

DateTimeOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendanceSource
September 81:30 p.m.vs. PurdueNo. 8
L 21–2360,672[5]
September 151:00 p.m.at Michigan State
W 20–1776,919[6]
September 222:30 p.m.Colorado
W 55–1459,075[7]
September 293:50 p.m.at MissouriNo. 19
ABCW 16–1470,915[8]
October 67:45 p.m.No. 14 Miami (FL)No. 17
  • Notre Dame Stadium
  • Notre Dame, IN (rivalry)
ESPNL 13–3159,075[9]
October 1312:20 p.m.Air Force
  • Notre Dame Stadium
  • Notre Dame, IN (rivalry)
ESPNL 7–2159,075[10]
October 2012:20 p.m.No. 11 South Carolina
  • Notre Dame Stadium
  • Notre Dame, IN
ESPNL 32–3659,075[11]
October 273:50 p.m.at No. 6 LSU
ABCW 30–2278,033[12]
November 312:10 p.m.vs. Navy
ESPNW 18–1761,795[13]
November 1712:20 p.m.Penn State
  • Notre Dame Stadium
  • Notre Dame, IN (rivalry)
ESPNW 44–759,075[14]
November 243:40 p.m.at No. 14 USC
CBSW 19–766,342[15]
December 298:00 p.m.vs. No. 10 SMUNo. 17
ESPNL 20–2741,777[16]

Game summaries

vs Purdue

#8 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (0–0) vs. Purdue Boilermakers (0–0)
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Purdue 3 10 3723
Notre Dame 14 0 0721

at Hoosier Dome, Indianapolis, Indiana

  • Date: September 8, 1984
  • Game weather: Indoors (dome)
  • Game attendance: 60,672
  • Recap/Box Score
Game information

[17]

External videos
video icon Television broadcast

At Michigan State

Team 1 234Total
• Fighting Irish 0 3714 24
Spartans 17 030 20
Scoring summary
Q1MSUButler 15 yard run (kick failed)MSU 6–0
Q1MSUButler 23 yard run (Ingram pass from Yarema)MSU 14–0
Q1MSUMojsiejenko 24 yard field goalMSU 17–0
Q2NDCarney 42 yard field goalMSU 17–3
Q3NDPinkett 40 yard pass from Beuerlein (Carney kick)MSU 17–10
Q3MSUMojsiejenko 43 yard field goalMSU 20–10
Q4NDJackson 8 yard pass from Beuerlein (Carney kick)MSU 20–17
Q4NDPinkett 5 yard run (Carney kick)ND 24–20

[18]

Colorado

At Missouri

Miami (FL)

Air Force

South Carolina

Team 1 234Total
• Gamecocks 7 7022 36
Fighting Irish 0 1796 32
Scoring summary
Q1SCARMitchell 1 yard run (Hogler kick)SCAR 7–0
Q2NDPinkett 4 yard run (Carney kick)Tie 7–7
Q2NDBavaro 5 yard pass from Beuerlein (Carney kick)ND 14–7
Q2SCARHagood 2 yard run (Hogler kick)Tie 14–14
Q2NDCarney 48 yard field goalND 17–14
Q3NDCarney 47 yard field goalND 20–14
Q3NDBeuerlein 6 yard pass from Pinkett (pass failed)ND 26–14
Q4SCARHold 1 yard run (Hagood run)ND 26–22
Q4SCARHold 33 yard run (Hogler kick)SCAR 29–26
Q4SCARLewis 4 yard run (Hogler kick)SCAR 36–26
Q4NDPinkett 1 yard run (pass failed)SCAR 36–32

ND: Third straight home loss (first time since 1956) [19]

At LSU

vs Navy

Team 1 234Total
• Fighting Irish 7 0011 18
Midshipmen 0 773 17
  • Date: November 3
  • Source:
Scoring summary
1NDPinkett 1-yard run (Carney kick)ND 7-0
2NAVYBerner 6-yard run (Solomon kick)Tied 7-7
3NAVYByrne 2-yard pass from Lauletta (Solomon kick)NAVY 14-7
4NAVYSolomon 32-yard field goalNAVY 17-7
4NDPinkett 1-yard run (Beuerlein to Howard pass)NAVY 17-15
4NDCarney 44-yard field goalND 18-17

Penn State

At USC

Aloha Bowl (vs SMU)

Roster

1984 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team roster
Players Coaches
Offense
Pos.#NameClass
QB 2 Terry Andrysiak Fr
OL John Askin
TE 82 Mark Bavaro Sr
QB 7 Steve Beuerlein So
RB Mark Brooks
WR 81 Tim Brown Fr
RB Ray Carter
WR Pat Cusack
RB Ian DeHueck
OL Tom Doerger
RB Lester Flemons
TE Ricky Gray
QB Scott Grooms
WR 24 Joe Howard Sr
WR Milt Jackson
RB Alonzo Jefferson
OL Mike Kelley
RB Dave Matcholf
WR Alvin Miller
RB Tom Monohan
RB Jeff O'Neill
OL Mike Perrino
RB 20 Allen Pinkett Jr
OT 62 Ron Plantz Jr
OL Tim Scannell
RB Chris Smith
RB Frank Stams
WR Reggie Ward
TE Joel Williams
G 75 Larry Williams Sr
 Defense
Pos.#NameClass
CB 40 Pat Ballage Jr
LB Robert Banks
DB 13 Pat Cummings Sr
LB 43 Rick DiBernardo Jr
DE 71 Eric Dorsey Jr
DB Hiwatha Francisco
LB 58 Tony Furjanic Jr
DE 78 Mike Gann Sr
LB 55 Mike Golic Sr
DL Mike Griffin
DB Mike Haywood
S 27 Joe Johnson Sr
DL Wally Kleine
LB Mike Kovaleski
LB Mike Larkin
DB Steve Lawrence
LB John McCabe
LB 48 John Wackowski Sr
LB Ron Weissenhofer So
DB Troy Wilson So
 Special teams
Pos.#NameClass
K 18 John Carney So
K Pat Chura
P Mike Viracola
K Hal Von Wyl
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • Injured Injured
  • Redshirt Redshirt

Awards and honors

Three Notre Dame players received recognition on the 1984 All-America college football team:

Former Fighting Irish halfback and fullback Red Sitko, who played on championship teams from 1946 to 1949, was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.[22]

References

  1. ↑ "1984 Notre Dame Fighting Irish Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 25, 2026.
  2. ↑ "Irish Eye, vol. 5, No. 1" (PDF). University of Notre Dame Sports Information Department. April 1, 1985 – via Notre Dame Archives.
  3. ↑ "1984 Notre Dame Fighting Irish Stats". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 24, 2026.
  4. ↑ Irish Eye, p. 64.
  5. ↑ "Purdue shocks Irish, 23–21". The Miami Herald. September 9, 1984. Retrieved February 28, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ↑ "Notre Dame nips Spartans". The Kalamazoo Gazette. September 16, 1984. Retrieved February 28, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ "Notre Dame wins a mercy killing, 55–14". The Grand Rapids Press. September 23, 1984. Retrieved February 28, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ "Notre Dame holds off Mizzou with FGs, 16–14". Tulsa World. September 30, 1984. Retrieved February 28, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ "Irish accosted by Kosar, Miami". The Indianapolis Star. October 7, 1984. Retrieved February 28, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ↑ "Air Force flattend Notre Dame 21–7". St. Petersburg Times. October 14, 1984. Retrieved February 28, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ↑ "Late burst lifts South Carolina by Notre Dame". St. Petersburg Times. October 21, 1984. Retrieved January 29, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ↑ "Upset of No. 6 LSU pulls Irish from ashes". The Indianapolis Star. October 28, 1984. Retrieved February 28, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ↑ "Late field goal lifts Notre Dame to disputed win". The Philadelphia Inquirer. November 4, 1984. Retrieved February 28, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ↑ "Pinkett's motivation carries surging Irish over Penn State 44–7". The Courier-Journal. November 18, 1984. Retrieved February 28, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ↑ "Irish trade mud for sand". Chicago Tribune. November 25, 1984. Retrieved February 28, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ↑ "SMU holds off Notre Dame". The Post-Crescent. December 30, 1984. Retrieved February 28, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ↑ Gainesville Sun. 1984-Sep-09. Retrieved 2022-Nov-19.
  18. ↑ Gainesville Sun. 1984 September 16.
  19. ↑ Eugene Register-Guard. 1984 October 21. Retrieved 2016 September 11.
  20. 1 2 "Honor Teams". The Indianapolis Star. December 5, 1984. p. 62.
  21. ↑ Joel S. Buchsbaum (December 2, 1984). "Flutie, Byars lead Gannett All-Americans". The Journal-News (White Plains, NY). p. D11.
  22. ↑ "Red Sitko". National Football Foundation. Retrieved July 25, 2026.
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