The 1985 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame as an independent during the 1985 NCAA Division I-A football season. Led by Gerry Faust in his fifth and final season as head coach, the Fighting Irish compiled a record of 5–6. The team played home games at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana.
| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Source |
|---|
| September 14 | 2:30 p.m. | at Michigan | No. 13 | | CBS | L 12–20 | 105,523 | [1] |
| September 21 | 7:30 p.m. | Michigan State | | | ESPN | W 27–10 | 59,075 | [2] |
| September 28 | 12:00 p.m. | at Purdue | | | TBS | L 17–35 | 69,338 | [3] |
| October 5 | 3:30 p.m. | at No. 17 Air Force | | | ABC | L 15–21 | 52,123 | [4] |
| October 19 | 12:00 p.m. | No. 19 Army | | - Notre Dame Stadium
- Notre Dame, IN (rivalry)
| USA, WGN | W 24–10 | 59,075 | [5] |
| October 26 | 2:00 p.m. | USC | | - Notre Dame Stadium
- Notre Dame, IN (rivalry)
| | W 37–3 | 59,075 | [6] |
| November 2 | 3:30 p.m. | Navy | | - Notre Dame Stadium
- Notre Dame, IN (rivalry)
| ABC | W 41–17 | 59,075 | [7] |
| November 9 | 12:00 p.m. | Ole Miss | | - Notre Dame Stadium
- Notre Dame, IN
| USA, WGN | W 37–14 | 59,075 | [8] |
| November 16 | 3:30 p.m. | at No. 1 Penn State | | | ABC | L 6–36 | 84,000 | [9] |
| November 23 | 12:00 p.m. | No. 17 LSU | | - Notre Dame Stadium
- Notre Dame, IN
| USA, WGN | L 7–10 | 59,075 | [10] |
| November 30 | 3:30 p.m. | at No. 4 Miami (FL) | | | CBS | L 7–58 | 49,236 | [11] |
|
Notre Dame at Michigan
| Team |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 13 Fighting Irish |
3 |
6 | 3 | 0 |
12 |
| • Wolverines |
0 |
3 | 14 | 3 |
20 |
Scoring summary |
| 1 | | ND | John Carney 34-yard field goal | ND 3–0 |
|
| 2 | | ND | John Carney 37-yard field goal | ND 6–0 |
| Mich | Mike Gillette 21-yard field goal | ND 6–3 |
| ND | John Carney 47-yard field goal | ND 9–3 |
|
| 3 | | Mich | Jim Harbaugh 10-yard run (Gillette kick) | Michigan 10–9 |
| ND | John Carney 25-yard field goal | ND 12–10 |
| Mich | Gerald White 3-yard run (Gillette kick) | Mich 17–12 |
|
| 4 | 5:12 | Mich | Mike Gillette 22-yard field goal | Mich 20–12 |
[12]
| Team |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cadets |
0 |
7 | 3 | 0 |
10 |
| • Notre Dame |
14 |
0 | 7 | 3 |
24 |
Scoring summary |
| 1 | | ND | Pernell Taylor 1-yard run (John Carney kick) | ND 7-0 |
|
| 1 | | ND | Tim Brown 19-yard pass from Steve Beuerlein (John Carney kick) | ND 14-0 |
|
| 2 | | ARMY | Bill Lampley 4-yard run (Craig Stopa kick) | ND 14-7 |
|
| 3 | | ARMY | Craig Stopa 22-yard field goal | ND 14-10 |
|
| 3 | | ND | Allen Pinkett 1-yard run (John Carney kick) | ND 21-10 |
|
| 4 | 6:23 | ND | John Carney 21-yard field goal | ND 24-10 |
[13]
Notre Dame played the first half in navy blue jerseys and changed into green jerseys for the second half.
USC at Notre Dame
| Team |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Trojans |
0 |
0 | 3 | 0 |
3 |
| • Fighting Irish |
14 |
13 | 3 | 7 |
37 |
Scoring summary |
| 1 | | ND | Pinkett 2-yard run (Carney kick) | ND 7-0 |
|
| 1 | | ND | Beuerlein 6-yard run (Carney kick) | ND 14-0 |
|
| 2 | | ND | Carney 26-yard field goal | ND 17-0 |
|
| 2 | | ND | Stams 5-yard run (Carney kick) | ND 24-0 |
|
| 2 | | ND | Carney 33-yard field goal | ND 27-0 |
|
| 3 | | USC | Shafer 39-yard field goal | ND 27-3 |
|
| 3 | | ND | Carney 43-yard field goal | ND 30-3 |
|
| 4 | | ND | Williams 8-yard pass from Andrysiak (Carney kick) | ND 37-3 |
Notre Dame finally had the opportunity to exact revenge on the Rebels for a 20-13 loss at Jackson eight years earlier.
Ole Miss at Notre Dame
| Team |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Rebels |
0 |
0 | 0 | 14 |
14 |
| • Fighting Irish |
3 |
14 | 14 | 7 |
38 |
- Date: November 9
- Location: Notre Dame Stadium • South Bend, Indiana
Scoring summary |
| 1 | | ND | Carney 41-yard field goal | Notre Dame 3-0 |
|
| 2 | | ND | Pinkett 1-yard run (Carney kick) | Notre Dame 10-0 |
|
| 2 | | ND | Brown 14-yard pass from Beuerlein (Carney kick) | Notre Dame 17-0 |
|
| 3 | | ND | Pinkett 2-yard run (Carney kick) | Notre Dame 24-0 |
|
| 3 | | ND | Redher 22-yard pass from Beuerlein (Carney kick) | Notre Dame 31-0 |
|
| 4 | | MISS | Meyers 10-yard pass from Osgood (Owen kick) | Notre Dame 31-7 |
|
| 4 | | MISS | Cleveland 1-yard run (Owen kick) | Notre Dame 31-14 |
|
| 4 | | ND | Southall 7-yard run (Carney kick) | Notre Dame 38-14 |
[14]
Notre Dame at Penn State
| Team |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Fighting Irish |
0 |
0 | 0 | 6 |
6 |
| • No. 1 Nittany Lions |
7 |
13 | 10 | 6 |
36 |
[15]
Ironically, Gerry Faust's last game in Notre Dame Stadium was against the same school he faced in his first game as Irish coach four years earlier.
LSU at Notre Dame
| Team |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • No. 17 Tigers |
0 |
3 | 0 | 7 |
10 |
| Fighting Irish |
7 |
0 | 0 | 0 |
7 |
Scoring summary |
| 1 | 9:26 | ND | Tim Brown 18-yard run (John Carney kick) | ND 7–0 |
|
| 2 | 0:00 | LSU | Matt DeFrank 27-yard field goal | ND 7–3 |
|
| 4 | 3:26 | | Garry James 2-yard run (Ron Lewis kick) | LSU 10–7 |
[16]
Notre Dame at Miami (FL)
| Team |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Fighting Irish |
0 |
7 | 0 | 0 |
7 |
| • No. 4 Hurricanes |
13 |
14 | 10 | 21 |
58 |
Scoring summary |
| 1 | | MIA | Greg Cox 39-yard field goal | MIA 3-0 |
|
| 1 | | MIA | W. Williams 6-yard run (Greg Cox kick) | MIA 10-0 |
|
| 1 | | MIA | Greg Cox 47-yard field goal | MIA 13-0 |
|
| 2 | | MIA | Bennie Blades 61-yard interception return (Cox kick) | MIA 20-0 |
|
| 2 | | ND | Allen Pinkett 3-yard run (John Carney kick) | MIA 20-7 |
|
| 2 | | MIA | Melvin Bratton 7-yard pass from Vinny Testaverde (Cox kick) | MIA 27-7 |
|
| 3 | | MIA | Greg Cox 48-yard field goal | MIA 30-7 |
|
| 3 | | MIA | Michael Irvin 15-yard pass from Vinny Testaverde (Greg Cox kick) | MIA 37-7 |
|
| 4 | | MIA | Vinny Testaverde 1-yard run (Greg Cox kick) | MIA 44-7 |
|
| 4 | | MIA | Andre Brown 17-yard pass from Geoff Torretta (Seelig kick) | MIA 51-7 |
|
| 4 | 4:44 | MIA | Bill Hawkins recovered blocked punt in end zone (Greg Cox kick) | MIA 58-7 |
[17]
| 1985 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team roster
|
| Players
|
Coaches
|
| Offense
|
Defense
|
Special teams
|
- Head coach
- Coordinators/assistant coaches
- Legend
- (C) Team captain
- (S) Suspended
- (I) Ineligible
|
| Player
|
Position
|
Round
|
Pick
|
NFL club
|
[19]
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- ^ "Irish upset No. 19 Army to answer critics." Gainesville Sun. 1985 Oct 20.
- ^ Gainesville Sun. 1985 Nov 10.
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