Today in College Football History: Two Games, Four Points Separate Michigan and Notre Dame
By Kyle Kensing
The Michigan-Notre Dame rivalry has provided countless memorable moments and exciting finishes. A September 10 date is fitting for a new chapter in the series given the recent magic between the Irish and Wolverines experienced on this date.
The foundation of Notre Dame’s 1988 championship season was set under the moon and lights of Notre Dame Stadium. The Irish opened that season on Week 2 hosting Michigan in a night affair, just six years after Notre Dame Stadium’s first such game. Not surprising, that game in 1982 was against Michigan. On the call for CBS was Brent Musburger — the more things change, the more they stay the same.
UND did not muster an offensive touchdown the entire evening, but built a 13-0 lead over the ninth ranked Wolverines by halftime. Ricky Watters’ 81-yard punt return touchdown was the sole time the ball crossed the goal line for the Irish. The standouts of this night were kicker Reggie Ho, who hit four field goals and the game winner, and the Notre Dame Stadium crowd. Have a listen to the audience disrupting the Wolverines down the stretch.
Michigan did rattle off 17 second half points, eventually wearing on a defense that was kept on the field by the offense’s inefficiency. Ho snapped the sole UM lead of the night with his fourth field goal, nearly 14 minutes into the final quarter.
The Wolverines and Irish played five more times between 1988 and 1994, UND compiling a 4-1 record in that time. Notre Dame had the wins and the momentum going into Sept. 10, 1994. But that day, UM exacted revenge not only for the five UND wins, but that heartbreaker in ’88.
Todd Collins was under center, and Tim Biakabutuka was in the backfield to lead the Wolverines against the No. 3 Irish. UND was coming off the slight of being past for the previous season’s national championship game and hungry to return. Things don’t always work out as planned.
Remy Hamilton’s 48-yard field with just two ticks on the clock overcame a 24-23 disadvantage and put the Wolverines ahead, 26-24 to win. As Hamilton’s ball sailed between the uprights, it marked more than an emotional Wolverine victory. Never since then have these two great rivals played each other as top 10 teams. UND has not seriously contended for a national championship since that ’93 heartbreak, and Michigan has experienced its own hard times undergoing coaching changes.
Perhaps today’s nod to the past while stepping into the future will mark a new era in this series, and return it to its past glory.