Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/897211
38 NOV. 13, 2017 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED BY LOU SOMOGYI HIGH STAKES AGAIN Notre Dame and Miami with no more than two losses between them and national title implications was the way it was from 1987-90 when the Fighting Irish versus the Hurri- canes evolved into the nation's fierc- est rivalry. It became so heated that a "cooling down" period was invoked by Notre Dame. The two teams did not meet again until 2010 in the Sun Bowl, a 33-17 Irish victory to finish 8-5, but by then both football operations had fallen upon more trying times and were living in faded glory. They met again in 2012 when the Irish had their best season in 19 years, and it showed during a 41-3 rout of a Miami team that would fin- ish 7-5. Finally, last year Notre Dame was wallowing in the throes of a 4-8 cam- paign — yet defeated Miami 30-27 on a 23-yard field goal by kicker Justin Yoon with 30 seconds left. Miami then went on to win its next five games for a 9-4 record and No. 20 finish in the Associated Press poll, its best showing in seven years. A year later the Hurricanes entered their Nov. 7 showdown against Vir- ginia Tech with the nation's longest winning streak — 12 games — while Notre Dame that same weekend had a No. 3 ranking in the initial College Football Playoff rankings. It's not quite like the four-year hal- cyon era from 1987-90 when Miami won two national titles and finished No. 2 once while the Irish captured their most recent national champion- ship (1988) and also finished No. 2 in 1989, but there should be plenty at stake again. Notre Dame is 4-0 against the Hur- ricanes since that meeting in 1990, but this will be the first meeting in Miami since 1989. There was no greater venue of mis- ery for the Fighting Irish in the 1980s than the old Orange Bowl Stadium, where Miami was 5-0 against Notre Dame from 1981-89 while outscoring it 166-32 (with the Irish tallying only one touchdown on offense in those five outings). Meanwhile, the last time Notre Dame played in Hard Rock Stadium was Jan. 7, 2013, the 42-14 blowout versus Alabama in the BCS National Championship Game. This isn't like the Orange Bowl days in the 1980s, and the enmity from that era is not likely to occur or be at the same level. Nevertheless, the stakes are finally as high again as they once were. IS 2017 MIAMI SIMILAR TO NOTRE DAME 2002 & 2012? Remember how during Notre Dame's 8-0 start in 2002 or the 12-0 regular season in 2012 there was much discussion on how the Irish were doing it with "smoke and mirrors" while eking out one close game after another? That has been Miami this year, specifically during the four games in October. During its 8-0 start in 2002, the Irish captured five one-possession games. In 2012 while beginning 9-0 they clawed their way to 11th-hour 20-17, 13-6, 20-13 (overtime), 17-14 and 29-26 (three overtimes) wins. During Miami's 7-0 start this sea- GAME PREVIEW: MIAMI (FLA.) Top STorylineS The Irish have taken all three meetings with the Hurricanes after a two-decade hiatus in the series. Among them was last year's 30-27 victory in South Bend. PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA