Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM NOV. 14, 2026 51 Irish coaches feared an emotional let- down after the big victory over Alabama and tried to keep the players on edge for Miami. Workhorse halfback Hunter had a big day, carrying 27 times for 128 yards. That gave him 943 yards on the season, breaking the school single-season re- cord of 927 set by Marchy Schwartz in 1930. Quarterback Rusty Lisch scored a 7-yard rushing touchdown and Kelle- her added two receiving scores to help Notre Dame race to a 23-0 halftime lead. Hunter then returned the second- half kickoff 54 yards to set up another Irish score for a 30-0 lead. That's when the Hurricanes, totally stymied on the ground, went to an almost exclusively aerial attack, completing 20 0f 46 passes for 246 yards with 3 touchdowns. On the ground, the Hurricanes had 36 carries for a net of minus-6 yards. Ross Browner alone had 4 sacks totaling 50 yards. The Irish added another 10 points off Miami miscues in the final period and survived with a 40-27 victory. After the game, Notre Dame was offered a spot in the Gator Bowl to face Penn State. By the evening the bid had been accepted, with Rev. Edmund P. Joyce, C.S.C., not- ing the decision was based "on the en- thusiasm of the Notre Dame team for this game." The regular season was not finished, however. The Irish had to make the trek west to face rival Southern Cal, ranked No. 3 with nine straight victories after an opening loss to Missouri. In a battle of running backs, Hunter bested Trojans star Ricky Bell, 115 yards to 75. Bell was hoping for a big finish to his Heisman campaign but finished second to Dorsett. The Trojans grabbed a 14-0 lead early in the second half, but the Irish never quit. With Lisch in at quarterback for an injured Slager, the Irish came back to score early in the fourth quarter. Fergu- son caught a screen pass and twisted his way through a gauntlet of Trojans for a 17-yard touchdown. A pair of interference calls against the Irish — one of which wiped out a Dave Waymer interception — helped South- ern Cal kick an insurance field goal. A late touchdown by Lisch made the final score 17-13 in Southern Cal's favor. Against Penn State in the Gator Bowl, MacAfee led the way, catching five Slager passes for 78 yards in a 20-9 victory. Afterward, he said, "I look at this as the first game of the 1977 season. We've made our first step to the na- tional championship. Now, we just have to win 11 more games." Ross Browner concurred: "This vic- tory sets the stage for us to win the na- tional championship next year. We're ready to take off." Kelleher, who with Slager was the only departing senior starter, did some math and noted, "Counting some in- jured players, they'll have 26 starters back. They are going to be tough next year." The South Bend Tribune headline said it all: "National championship next goal for Irish." ✦ Jim Lefebvre is an award-winning Notre Dame author and leads the Knute Rockne Memorial Society. He can be reached at: jim@ndfootballhistory.com SUPPORT THE Knute Rockne Knute Rockne Memorial Society! Since 2017, the non-profit Knute Rockne Memorial Society has been promoting and preserving the life and legacy of the great Notre Dame coach and national celebrity. Please consider helping us do this important work recognizing those who exhibit the traits of Rockne. Your tax-deductible donation helps make it possible. PLEASE VISIT: www.RockneSociety.org