Florida State entered the game as the #1 team in the country, led by quarterback Charlie Ward who would go on to win the Heisman Trophy that season. Notre Dame came into the game ranked #2 in the country. Though Notre Dame was home they entered the game as the underdog to a powerful Bobby Bowden-led Florida State Squad. Notre Dame was led by head coachLou Holtz. This was the fourth time that Notre Dame had taken part in a Game of the Century. Notre Dame's 1935 showdown with Ohio State was their first appearance in one of these historic games. Their 1946 match up against the Army Black Knights was the second instance and their 1966 match up against the Michigan State Spartans was the third.
Television coverage
had exclusive rights to all Fighting Irish home games, and marketed the game as a "Game of the Century." The media coverage leading up to the game was so intense that ESPN decided to broadcast College Gameday on-location at The Edmund P. Joyce Athletic & Convocation Centerfor the first time in its history. ESPN also showed footage in the week leading up to the game of FSU players touring the Notre Dame campus wearing green hats with shamrocks and gold-embroidered FSU initials on the front.
The game
Notre Dame outplayed Florida State the entire game to the tune of a 31–17 lead in the fourth quarter. The offense had hung its shoulders around their junior back Lee Becton who had yet another 100+ yard afternoon. With 1:39 left, Ward drove Florida State down the field and hit Kez McCorvey on 4th-and-20 for a touchdown. The pass bounced off of Notre Dame safety Brian McGee and into McCorvey's hands. Notre Dame then went three-and-out on their next possession, giving Florida State one last shot. In just three plays, Ward led Florida State to the Notre Dame 14 with three seconds to play. On the last play of the game, Ward rolled out and had his final pass attempt batted down by Notre Dame cornerback Shawn Wooden, giving the Irish a 31–24 victory.
Aftermath
Notre Dame found itself atop of the polls after the victory, and would only need to defeat #12 Boston College in the next week to earn a berth in the Fiesta Bowl. Its opponent in the Fiesta Bowl would have been Florida State, which only dropped to #2 in the polls. The rematch would never take place though, as Boston College stunned Notre Dame 41–39 on a David Gordon 41-yard field goal as time expired, knocking the Irish from #1 and out of the national championship picture. After the loss, Florida State retook the #1 spot in the poll and Nebraska became the new #2, setting up a #1 vs. #2 matchup for the National Championship in the Orange Bowl. Florida State would go on to win the game 18-16 on a last second field goal miss by Nebraska. Notre Dame fans felt stifled by the polls, claiming that the Irish should have been given the Orange Bowl berth because of their win over Florida State despite the fact that Notre Dame lost at home to a 9-3 Boston College team in its last game of the regular season. Notre Dame accepted a berth in the Cotton Bowl where it would defeat #6 Texas A&M 24–21 and finish second behind the #1 Florida State Seminoles in the polls.
