The Irish are 15-4-3 on this date. Our top two are the last two played, and it’s not a case of recency bias:
Bronze Medal, 1984: For the first time in 18 years, Notre Dame wins at the Los Angeles Coliseum after having gone 0-7-1 there since 1968 with one nightmare after another. In a monsoon, the 19-7 victory caps a dramatic turnaround for head coach Gerry Faust’s crew that began 3-4 but finishes 7-4. Those four straight wins include shocking SEC champ LSU (30-22) in Baton Rouge, snapping a three-game losing streak to Penn State with a 44-7 walloping and ending the jinx at the Coliseum.
Silver Medal, 2018: For the second time in seven seasons, Notre Dame caps a 12-0 regular season with a 24-17 victory at USC, which finishes 5-7 but provides an early scare while taking a 10-0 lead. The win ostensibly seals a bid to the four-team College Football Playoff. For head coach Brian Kelly, it is his third 12-0 regular season in 10 years, including his final year at Cincinnati in 2009.
Ian Book completes 22 of 39 passes for 352 yards, highlighted by a perfect corner route to Chris Finke for a score before halftime, a 51-yarder to Tony Jones Jr., and Dexter Williams adds a 52-yard tally.
Gold Medal, 2012: In year 3 under Kelly, after five straight years of losing a minimum of five games and going 32-31 overall, No. 1-ranked Notre Dame caps a remarkable 12-0 campaign with a 22-13 conquest of USC in the Los Angeles Coliseum. Kyle Brindza kicks a school record-tying five field goals, while Theo Riddick earns the game ball with a 146-yard rushing effort and a touchdown on 20 carries.
Bronze Medal, 1984: For the first time in 18 years, Notre Dame wins at the Los Angeles Coliseum after having gone 0-7-1 there since 1968 with one nightmare after another. In a monsoon, the 19-7 victory caps a dramatic turnaround for head coach Gerry Faust’s crew that began 3-4 but finishes 7-4. Those four straight wins include shocking SEC champ LSU (30-22) in Baton Rouge, snapping a three-game losing streak to Penn State with a 44-7 walloping and ending the jinx at the Coliseum.
Silver Medal, 2018: For the second time in seven seasons, Notre Dame caps a 12-0 regular season with a 24-17 victory at USC, which finishes 5-7 but provides an early scare while taking a 10-0 lead. The win ostensibly seals a bid to the four-team College Football Playoff. For head coach Brian Kelly, it is his third 12-0 regular season in 10 years, including his final year at Cincinnati in 2009.
Ian Book completes 22 of 39 passes for 352 yards, highlighted by a perfect corner route to Chris Finke for a score before halftime, a 51-yarder to Tony Jones Jr., and Dexter Williams adds a 52-yard tally.
Gold Medal, 2012: In year 3 under Kelly, after five straight years of losing a minimum of five games and going 32-31 overall, No. 1-ranked Notre Dame caps a remarkable 12-0 campaign with a 22-13 conquest of USC in the Los Angeles Coliseum. Kyle Brindza kicks a school record-tying five field goals, while Theo Riddick earns the game ball with a 146-yard rushing effort and a touchdown on 20 carries.
Last edited:
