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The 1977 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame during the 1977 NCAA Division I football season. The Irish, coached by Dan Devine, ended the season with 11 wins and one loss, winning the national championship. The Fighting Irish won the title by defeating the previously unbeaten and No. 1 ranked Texas Longhorns in the Cotton Bowl Classic by a score of a 38–10.[2] The 1977 squad became the tenth Irish team to win the national title and were led by All-Americans Ken MacAfee, Ross Browner, Luther Bradley, and Bob Golic. Junior Joe Montana, a future Pro Football Hall of Famer, was the team's starting quarterback.

Season[edit]

Dan Devine entered his third year as head coach, coming off of a 9–3 season in 1976 that culminated in a Gator Bowl win over Penn State .[3] Devine returned a highly touted defense, featuring 1976 Outland Trophy winner Ross Browner, defensive end Willie Fry, and All-American linebacker Bob Golic.[3] On offense, quarterback Joe Montana earned the starting job and led an offense that included running backs Jerome Heavens and Vagas Ferguson and All-American tight end Ken MacAfee.[3] Montana, earned a reputation as "the comeback kid", had two come from behind victories in the fourth quarter, against Purdue and Clemson, down 17 and 10 respectively.[3] After a surprising loss to unranked Ole Miss, patience among the fans was running thin, who considered Devine's previous 8–3 and 9–3 seasons as lackluster compared to the team success under Devine's predecessor, Ara Parseghian.[4] The Irish rebounded to win their remaining games, including a 49–19 rout of USC in the now famous "Green Jersey Game."[4] The Irish earned a berth in the Cotton Bowl Classic, where they defeated No. 1 and unbeaten Texas by a score of 38–10 to capture Notre Dame's tenth national title.[3] The Irish leaped four spots in the polls after the Cotton Bowl Classic victory to claim the consensus title.[3]

Schedule[edit]

Roster[edit]

Game summaries[edit]

Pittsburgh[edit]

Notre Dame Fighting Irish (0–0) at Pittsburgh Panthers (0–0)

at Pitt Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

  • Date: September 10, 1977
  • Game attendance: 56,500
  • TV: ABC
  • Recap

Ole Miss[edit]

Notre Dame Fighting Irish (1–0) at Ole Miss Rebels

at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium, Jackson, Mississippi

  • Date: September 17, 1977
  • Game weather: Sunny, 90 °F (32 °C)
  • Game attendance: 48,200
  • Recap

Ole Miss gave the eventual national champion Notre Dame its only loss of the season.

Purdue[edit]

[5]

Michigan State[edit]

Army[edit]

  • ND: Jerome Heavens 34 Rush, 200 Yds (single game school record - Sitko 1948 vs. Michigan St)[6]

USC[edit]

Notre Dame wore green jerseys for the first time since their 1963 game against Syracuse.

[7]

Navy[edit]

Notre Dame wore green jerseys for the second straight week.

[8]

Georgia Tech[edit]

Clemson[edit]

Air Force[edit]

Miami (FL)[edit]

[9]

Texas (Cotton Bowl)[edit]


[10]

Post-season[edit]

Award winners[edit]

  • Ross Browner, Lombardi Award,[11] Maxwell Award[12]
  • Ken MacAfee, Walter Camp Award[13]

Heisman Trophy voting

Ken MacAfee, 3rd[14]
Ross Browner, 5th[14]

All-Americans

College Football Hall of Fame inductees

[15]

1978 NFL Draft[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/years/1977-standings.html
  2. ^ a b "2007 Notre Dame Media Guide: History and Records (pages 131-175)". und.cstv.com. Archived from the original on June 10, 2008. Retrieved December 29, 2008.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "2007 Notre Dame Media Guide: 2007 Supplement (page 164)". und.cstv.com. Retrieved December 29, 2008.
  4. ^ a b Walters, John (July 21, 2004). Notre Dame Golden Moments. Rutledge Hill Press. ISBN 1-59186-042-3.
  5. ^ "Wolves Subdue Stubborn Navy; Notre Dame Overcomes Purdue." Ocala Star-Banner. September 25, 1977.
  6. ^ "Irish looking to Heavens: He responds with record." Eugene Register-Guard. 1977 Oct 16. Retrieved 2017-Sep-02.
  7. ^ "Green Irish thump Trojans." Eugene Register-Guard. October 23, 1977.
  8. ^ "Irish wear green and don't need it, 43-10." Eugene Register-Guard. October 30, 1977.
  9. ^ Palm Beach Post. December 4, 1977. Retrieved May 10, 2015.
  10. ^ 2012 Notre Dame Football Supplement Retrieved 2017-Sep-03.
  11. ^ "Winners & Finalists". Rotary Club of Houston. Archived from the original on 8 January 2009. Retrieved December 30, 2008.
  12. ^ "The Maxwell Award Collegiate Player of the Year: Past Recipients". The Maxwell Football Club. Archived from the original on February 14, 2009. Retrieved December 30, 2008.
  13. ^ "Walter Camp Football Foundation Awards (Page 3)". The Walter Camp Foundation. Archived from the original on February 4, 2010. Retrieved December 30, 2008.
  14. ^ a b "Heisman Voting". und.cstv.com. Archived from the original on December 17, 2008. Retrieved December 30, 2008.
  15. ^ "Hall of Fame: Select group by school". College Football Hall of Fame. Football Foundation. Retrieved December 30, 2008.
  16. ^ "Notre Dame NFL Draft History". uhnd.com. Archived from the original on January 6, 2009. Retrieved December 30, 2008.