The Catholics Vs. Convicts Sequel Highlights 1989 College Football

The Notre Dame-Miami game that ultimately decided college football’s 1989 national championship game wasn’t the epic battle it had been the prior year. It wasn’t as clear-cut that these were the best two teams. The sequel to Catholics vs. Convicts was much like Godfather II—it was pretty good, but it could never measure against the standard set by the original.

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Notre Dame played a brutally difficult schedule that started with a 24-19 win at Michigan, a 1 vs. 2 battle in Ann Arbor to start the season. Raghib Ismail, Notre Dame’s electrifying kick returner and receiver, brought back two kickoffs for touchdowns to make the difference. Michigan head coach Bo Schembecler was in his final season and this loss—the only one his team suffered prior to the Rose Bowl—ended any hopes for a national title.

The Irish would win games against Top 10 opponents Pitt and USC, and also ranked foes in Air Force and Penn State. Notre Dame arrived in Miami for Thanksgiving weekend ranked #1 in the country and locked into an Orange Bowl date with unbeaten Colorado.

Miami had a good year, but their title hopes seemed to come undone when they were beaten at Florida State, a 24-10 game that didn’t even feel that close. For the Seminoles’ part, they were playing as well as anyone in November, but had lost their first two games—including a big upset loss to Brett Favre’s Southern Mississippi team—and were out of the national discussion.

The Hurricanes did what they could to help themselves. Their speed dominated Notre Dame, who looked and played tentative. Miami had control of the game from the early going and when they did the impossible and converted a 3^rd-and-44 in the third quarter (yes, 44 yards), you knew where this game was going. The ‘Canes won 27-10 and kept the national championship race alive.

Miami was going to the Sugar Bowl to play Alabama, and now, in the ironic plot twist that a good screenwriter loves, had to become Notre Dame fans. Colorado was #1 in the country, and it was the Irish who had to take them out.

Notre Dame did their part, taking control in the second half and winning 21-6. Miami got a good test from Alabama, but the Hurricanes kept it in reasonable control during the second half and won 33-25.

The Hurricanes were voted national champions for the third time in seven years, and each was under a different coach—Howard Schnellenberger in 1983, Jimmy Johnson in 1987 and now Dennis Erickson in 1989. They had won the sequel to the great Catholics vs. Convicts movie.

READ MORE ABOUT THE 1989 MIAMI HURRICANES
READ MORE ABOUT 1989 NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL
READ MORE ABOUT 1989 FLORIDA STATE FOOTBALL
READ MORE ABOUT 1989 MICHIGAN FOOTBALL