For Notre Dame Football, close games often define the season. Unfortunately, these close losses from the past 10 seasons have been particularly excruciating.
From National Title games to a 4-8 season, and almost everything in between, Notre Dame has had its share of ups and downs over the last decade. In many ways, this has been a decade of disappointment. So many near-misses and “what if’s” that could have led to bigger and better things.
Off the field issues and blowout losses are partially to blame, but heartbreaking defeats have been a staple. Today, we’ll look at the 10 most gut-wrenching, crushing defeats suffered by Notre Dame over the last 10 years.
Note: The 2012 National Title game is not included in this list. Although crushing in its own way, the game was all but over midway through the third quarter of the 42-14 loss.
10: Pittsburgh, 2008
The only game on this list from the Charlie Weis era, this game was a heartbreaker in so many ways. Coming off a 3-9 season, Notre Dame was looking to rebound and ease some of the sting of the terrible season. The Irish went into halftime up 14, thanks to two Jimmy Clausen touchdown passes to Michael Floyd in the final 1:27 of the second quarter. They couldn’t capitalize, as Pitt held the Irish to just 7 yards on 10 third quarter plays.
Pitt chipped away at the lead, even overcoming a Notre Dame touchdown with 5 minutes left, scoring a touchdown of their own with 2:22 left. It only got worse, as the game ended up going into FOUR overtimes. After a back and forth battle in the first three overtimes, kicker Brandon Walker missed a field goal attempt in the top of the 4th OT, leaving an opening for a Pitt field goal to take the win, 36-33. It was Notre Dame’s 3rd loss of the season.
9: Stanford 2013
Unlike most games on this list, this is a game that Notre Dame was trailing for the majority. The Irish trailed 21-6, but were able to bring it within 4, at 24-20 with 1:37 left in the 3rd quarter. Stanford managed to kick another field goal early in the 4th. The game was wide open for the Irish to tie or win, and going for two to steal a huge win may have been the plan, but Tommy Rees threw back to back interceptions on the final two Irish possessions, both to Wayne Lyons, to end the game and seal the deal for a 27-20 Cardinal victory. A win would have given the Irish a win over the number 8 team on the road, pushing Notre Dame to 9-3 on the season. A BCS berth was possible.
8: Georgia, 2017
The most recent game on this list, this was a close defensive battle where offense was at a premium. Of the nine scoring plays, six were field goals. Notre Dame’s longest rush in the game was 8 yards. Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm averaged 4.9 yards per completion. The game did go back and forth, with Notre Dame leading with as little as 4 minutes remaining. Fromm lead Georgia on a 9 play, 63 yard drive, as Georgia hit a field goal which would end up being the game winner. Notre Dame had two chances to try to take the lead, the first being a three and out, the second being a Brandon Wimbush fumble that would officially end the game. Wimbush went 1/5 over the final two possessions, and the second ranked Bulldogs came away with a 20-19 victory. Georgia then went on to not only win the SEC; but also played for the National Championship.
7: Clemson, 2015
In yet another failed comeback attempt, the 6th ranked Irish traveled to Death Valley to take on number 12 Clemson. Unfortunately for the Irish, four turnovers in the game, including two in the last seven minutes, killed any chances. Trailing 21-3 going into the fourth quarter, DeShone Kizer lead the Irish on an incredible rally against a top level defense. Kizer threw two touchdown passes and rushed for one, bringing he score to 24-22 Clemson. The final touchdown came on a one yard touchdown pass to Torii Hunter, Jr. The Irish had no choice but to go for two to send the game to overtime. A Kizer run attempt was no good. The Irish then failed to get an onside kick, leaving victory hanging inches away. Clemson would go on to play for the National Championship.
6: Texas, 2016
Notre Dame traveled to Austin to take on the Longhorns for a rare Sunday night showdown. The Irish offense looked great to start the game, but a stretch of the last 3 minutes of the second quarter through 9 minutes remaining in the 3rd quarter are what did the Irish in. Texas turned a 14-14 game into a 31-14 lead in what felt like the blink of an eye, thanks in part to an unnecessary, momentum-killing quarterback change by Brian Kelly.
Notre Dame managed to storm back, even taking the lead with three touchdowns over 13 minutes of game time. Texas scored a touchdown with 3:29 remaining in the game, taking a 2 point lead. The extra point was blocked, and Shaun Crawford ran it back for two more Irish points. The game was tied, and heading into overtime. After exchanging touchdowns in the first overtime, which included a 25 yard touchdown from C.J. Sanders, the Irish were ineffective on offense, forcing Justin Yoon’s 39 yard field goal. Texas got the ball back with the chance to win, and made the most of it. After a 10 yard run by Tyrone Swoopes on 3rd and 1, Swoopes took it in himself on second and goal to give the Longhorns an impressive 50-47 victory, leading announcer Joe Tessitore to proclaim “Texas is BACK!”
But it turned out Texas wasn’t really back, and that loss continued to look worse as the season went on. Things only got worse for the Irish that season.
5: Virginia Tech, 2016
Trying to salvage a season of nightmares, the trend continued when Notre Dame faced the Hokies on a snowy Senior Day. Isaac Rochell, Tarean Folston and James Onwalu were among the players set to play their final game at Notre Dame Stadium and looking to go out victorious. Things were looking great as Notre Dame jumped out to a 24-7 lead half way through the second quarter. Then, everything collapsed.
Bud Foster’s defense dominated the Irish, especially in the second half, as the Irish only managed 150 yards. The only Notre Dame points in the second half came on a 67 yard Folston run. Basically, take away one play, and the Irish only gained 83 yards. Not exactly a recipe for success. A Virginia Tech field goal sealed the game with just over 4 minutes remaining, giving the Hokies a 34-31 victory. It was a devastating way to end the careers of some good Notre Dame athletes.
4: Michigan, 2011
This was a historical matchup in the fact that this was the first ever night game at the Big House. Add to that the huge rivalry between the Irish and Wolverines, and this was a special night. Unfortunately, things didn’t go Notre Dame’s way. It looked great for Notre Dame to begin: the Irish held a 24-7 lead heading into the 4th quarter. This was headed to be a great victory for the Irish, shutting down a fierce rival on what was supposed to be Michigan’s night.
Then, the legend of Shoelace Robinson was born.
The Wolverines stormed back, scoring 3 touchdowns to take a 28-24 lead with just 1:12 left. Things weren’t looking good now, but Tommy Rees still had something to say about the situation. Thanks to a huge pass interference call, Rees completed 3 of 4 pass attempts for 46 yards, with the big one being a 29 yard touchdown to Theo Riddick with just 30 seconds left. Once again, the Irish were in good shape, but once again, everything came crashing down.
Denard Robinson connected with Roy Roundtree with just two seconds left, giving the Wolverines a thrilling 35-31 victory, dropping Notre Dame to 0-2 on the season. This was an absolutely deflating game.
3: Florida State, 2014
On October 19, 2014, the Fighting Irish traveled to Tallahassee to take on the Florida State Seminoles. It was a huge matchup, number 2 vs number 5. College Gameday was there, and it was a primetime ABC game. Notre Dame had four different one touchdown leads, as late as 4 minutes left in the third quarter. But Florida State never quit fighting, and eventually took the lead with 7:39 to go in the game, 31-27.
The last drive of the game was mostly a great one: Everett Golson lead the Irish down the field in just under 3 minutes, getting to a first and goal with 26 seconds remaining. After three unsuccessful attempts to punch the ball into the end zone, it was 4th and goal. From the two yard line, Golson found an open Corey Robinson in the end zone, and with just 13 seconds left, the Irish scored what appeared to be the game winning touchdown.
But it wasn’t.
A pass interference penalty was called on a receiver for a pick play. The touchdown was erased, a win ripped away. On the second fourth down attempt, Golson threw an interception. The Irish lost, 31-27. What makes the loss worse, is that the win was in their hands. This game could also be to blame for their tailspin, as the Irish lost 4 of their final 5 regular season games.
2: Michigan State, 2010
I don’t even know where to begin with this one. Notre Dame came in 1-1, trying to avoid the dip below .500. Dayne Crist had a great day, throwing for 369 yards and four touchdown passes. With the game tied, the Spartans and Irish headed to overtime.
This is where the drama came in.
Notre Dame took the lead in overtime, thanks to a David Ruffer field goal. Michigan State got the ball, and the Irish defense did a good job stopping the Spartan attack. MSU lined up for a chip shot field goal to send the game to a second overtime. T
he problem was they didn’t attempt a field goal.
Instead, the Spartans faked the attempt, surprising just about everybody. Holder Aaron Bates got the ball, stood up, and found a wide open Charlie Gantt down the right sideline for a touchdown pass, and just like that, Michigan State won the game 34-31. Notre Dame was stunned and the East Lansing crowd went nuts.
1: Stanford, 2015
On the surface, this may not appear as bad as the Michigan State loss, but this defeat is absolutely gut-wrenching once you start thinking about all the “what if’s.” This wasn’t an incredible comeback, but it was a thrilling back and forth game. The contest featured 9 lead changes, and the biggest lead of the day was just 7 points. It was everything you could want in a football game, until the end.
Thanks to some DeShone Kizer heroics the Irish ripped the lead away from the Cardinal, this time on a two yard run with 30 seconds left. The question was, did they leave too much time on the clock? Stanford had the ball at their own 43 with 15 seconds to go. Things were looking great.
Then, Kevin Hogan hit Devon Cajuste for a 27 yard completion. The ball was down to the Irish 30, and all of a sudden, things weren’t looking good. A Christian McCaffrey run got them two yards closer and more centered. After a timeout by each team, Stanford kicked the game winning, walk off field goal that split the uprights. Stanford walked away with a 38-36 victory.
This was painful for a couple reasons. First, had Notre Dame converted an earlier two point conversion attempt, the Irish would have had a three point lead, sending the game to overtime. Second, had Stanford been stopped, the Irish would have been 11-1. They would have beaten three ranked teams, including victories over both Pac-12 division champions, the AAC East champions, and a extremely close loss to the ACC Champions.
The Irish more than likely would have made the playoff over an 11-1 Oklahoma team that lost to a common opponent in Texas. This truly was excruciating.