Notre Dame football bowl history: Every bowl game the Fighting Irish have played in
By Josh Yourish
![Slap the Sign presents the definitive Notre Dame football all-time Lou Holtz team, spanning from the 1986 season to his departure from South Bend in 1996 Mandatory Credit: RVR Photos-USA TODAY Sports Slap the Sign presents the definitive Notre Dame football all-time Lou Holtz team, spanning from the 1986 season to his departure from South Bend in 1996 Mandatory Credit: RVR Photos-USA TODAY Sports](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/37f870dbf7940f5f5451227dfbf828546e7655873e35dd35f9ae4cc74d91f583.jpg)
Fiesta Bowl (1-5)
1989: Notre Dame 34 West Virginia 21
There was no official national championship game in place in the 1980s, but the 1989 Fiesta Bowl was the unofficial title game because it featured two unbeaten teams, No. 1 Notre Dame and No. 3 West Virginia.
The winner would almost certainly be awarded the title, but a lot of the excitement surrounding the game went away on the third play when West Virginia’s Heisman candidate quarterback, Major White separated his shoulder. Harris would return but was limited and Lou Holtz’s Fighting Irish marched on to a national title with a convincing win.
Notre Dame led by as much as 26-6 in the third quarter and 34-13 in the fourth before West Virginia scored late to make the game look more competitive than it was.
1995: Colorado 41 Notre Dame 24
2001: Oregon State 41 Notre Dame 9
2006: Ohio State 34 Notre Dame 20
2016: Ohio State 44 Notre Dame 28
2022: Oklahoma State 37 Notre Dame 35
Marcus Freeman’s first game as head coach of the Fighting Irish was a close loss to the Oklahoma State Cowboys.