In terms of the experience you enjoyed the most. I think mine was the UCLA game in '06. That was such a sweet victory-from-the-jaws-of-defeat type of win and the stadium went crazy.

What's your favorite experience?

ND-UM last they played. First and only game I've been to in South Bend. We were sitting surrounded by UM fans... it was magical to watch that shlacking and see the UM fans go from hooting and hallaring to crickets all around!!!

2nd best would be when here in LA vs SC when they punched their ticket to the BCS Championship game. So exciting

'77 ND-SC. Lots of points and a W to keep this kid happy.

Oh man, easily USC in '05. Yeah they lost at the end but the atmosphere at that game was completely unreal. Also the Michigan game in '04, the hype around Darius Walker and the win they were able to pull out.

For me it was the 1979 game against South Carolina. ND was down 17-3. Lisch hit Hollihan for a 2 point conversion with less than 1 minute left, to win 18-17.

1988 South Bend. Miami. Nothing in any sport compares to that day.

1983 Boston College game. I know the Irish lost this one in the final seconds. But it was cool to see all of the Irish are #1 signs around campus. This was the game after the Florida State game. The game was the most dramatic game I ever witnessed. Such emotion . A great Notre Dame comeback that had all of the makings of a great Notre Dame win. But then the anguish of defeat. The feeling that it was just a bad dream when it was over. Knowing we may have just lost the National Championship. The drive on Sunday back to Pennsylvania with my son who was 16 at the time. Seeing all of the distraught Notre Dame fans in the rest areas we stopped at all looking like they had lost a loved one. In hindsight, this was a pretty good Boston College and this win made Tom Coughlin an NFL coach.

1988 Miami in SB.

88 Miami game. Not only was game phenomenal, but it was truly a gorgeous fall day in mid October.

I will admit the 12 Pitt game would be in my top 5.

'99 vs USC in South Bend...came back down 21 in the rain. Jarious Jackson fumble in the endzone... Probably the best game vs USC in my lifetime. Only the second game I saw in person.

For me it was the 1973 ND vs. USC game. Anthony Davis had wrecked us the year before. The campus was crazy. Random images of Anthony Davis hanging from Dorm rooms. AD posters on every other sidewalk section to stomp on. Luther Bradley taking off Lynn Swann's helmet on USC's first play from scrimmage. Eric Penicks 85 yd TD to open the second half. It was the most electric game I have ever attended.

1998 ND vs Michigan.
Game Day on campus. Corso & Herbie pick the bad guys. ND rallies in 2nd half to win.
After the game, Game day crew was back on the air with the scoreboard show.
ND fans began chanting "say you're sorry " to the crew. They did.
I haven't been to more than 5 or 6 games in my life but could not have asked for a better one.

gary74 said:

---

For me it was the 1973 ND vs. USC game. Anthony Davis had wrecked us the year before. The campus was crazy. Random images of Anthony Davis hanging from Dorm rooms. AD posters on every other sidewalk section to stomp on. Luther Bradley taking off Lynn Swann's helmet on USC's first play from scrimmage. Eric Penicks 85 yd TD to open the second half. It was the most electric game I have ever attended.

---

My first game. Don't really remember in person particulars that much (with my memory being polluted by video and historical coverage over the years) but for those of us lucky enough to have enjoyed the 70's and 80's, it was a great 1st game to go to. I still have the ticket too.

LSU in '98... Until the unsafe safety

gary74 said:

---

For me it was the 1973 ND vs. USC game. Anthony Davis had wrecked us the year before. The campus was crazy. Random images of Anthony Davis hanging from Dorm rooms. AD posters on every other sidewalk section to stomp on. Luther Bradley taking off Lynn Swann's helmet on USC's first play from scrimmage. Eric Penicks 85 yd TD to open the second half. It was the most electric game I have ever attended.

---

Great summary of the best game I ever attended at ND stadium.

Best game I ever attended overall was the 24-23 Sugar Bowl win over Alabama. Al Hunter, who lived across the hall from me in Cavanaugh at the time, had a key kickoff return for a touchdown and, of course, the game was sealed with that famous Tom Clements pass out of the end zone to backup tight end Robin Weber.

Before the game, the French Quarter was a sea of red, with sickening chants of Roll Tide Roll. The ND fans were all crammed into Pat O'Briens, having a great time. After the game, the ND fans had the entire French Quarter to themselves.

Miami 1988...

'88 Miami

91 vs Miami

The "Bush Push" and BC '93 were the most emotional games I ever attended but I have to say standing in the end zone next to Jack Swarbrick and the team Priest for triple OT Pitt '12 game was the best.

After the game, Jack thanked Father for praying for the win to which Father replied, "I never pray to win but I did thank God for moving the goal post.

Game of the Century! Vs FSU..won't mention what happened a week later...

ND vs. Michigan 1980: UM student newspaper headline, "Michigan 27, Notre Dame 26, God 3"

gary74 said:

---

For me it was the 1973 ND vs. USC game. Anthony Davis had wrecked us the year before. The campus was crazy. Random images of Anthony Davis hanging from Dorm rooms. AD posters on every other sidewalk section to stomp on. Luther Bradley taking off Lynn Swann's helmet on USC's first play from scrimmage. Eric Penicks 85 yd TD to open the second half. It was the most electric game I have ever attended.

---

That would be my choice too. The "Perfect Play" game (Penicks 85 yd TD). To make it better, I was sitting in the USC section. When USC scored before the half, the USC fans were envisioning the year before when, as you say, AD wrecked us with a big comeback. As the USC fans were getting stoked in the '73 game, their betting offers were increasing rapidly. I never bet on ND games (jinx?), so I didn't make any money, but the smug look on my face after the game was enough.

At Oklahoma in 2012

I think it was the best game in the Kelley Era

I misread the title. It says best game you attended, doesn't mean you had to be inside.

After we couldn't score reasonable tickets (struggling grad students) we watched the '93 FSU game in the parking lot on a 50" big screen some guy had mounted in the back of his van. One of the best sports days of my life and met a life long friend that day to boot.

For the '88 Michigan game we went over to tailgate and score tickets... Still an undergrad and on a serious budget, we weren't even close so we headed out about 45 minutes before kick off to find a bar. We did a quick drive by of the local joints ans they all had lines so we headed to Michigan City and watched the game with our homies.

I had a ticket for the '88 Miami game but that was the first day of basketball practice for our new basketball coach we just inherited from Bethel College. 2 months and 2 days later we beat the #19 Irish in OT, which was also 2 weeks and 2 days before ND beat WV for the NC.

This is the one for me too. First ND game and all someone needs to say almost 40 years later is "Harry Oliver" and most know what that means.

muggsy16 said:

---

ND vs. Michigan 1980: UM student newspaper headline, "Michigan 27, Notre Dame 26, God 3"

---

Great thread, Nova. I've been at a few mentioned herein ('06 UCLA; '93 BC; '12 Stanford; Harry O game) but, probably because a lot of us tend to remember our actual ND attendance years most vividly/fondly, mine is one I'm pretty sure no one else will have.

I was a senior in 1970, and Purdue/Mike Phipps had ruined my year three times in a row. Purdue (a HUGE rival back then) came to the Stadium for the first home game and, in front of the 59,075, we punk-slapped them 48-0. It was glorious, and the start of a glorious year (until the Joe Theisman monsoon game at Southern Cal).

Couldn't agree more Chris. Cold, wet, windy, and in OT, ultimately triumphant.

1. FSU 1993 - Number 1 vs Number 2 and we win. I try to forget what happened 7 days later
2. Penn St 1992 - Score TD and make 2 point conversion to win in final seconds (This was pre OT so Lou went for the win and not the tie)
3. USC 2005 - Loudest game I've ever attended and just a great game. Can't rank it higher because we lost
4. Michigan 1998, 2002, 2014 - Any game I've attended against scUM that we've won has to be on this list
5. Jan 1 1993 Cotton Bowl against Texas A&M - Absolutely destroyed a damn good A&M team (The 28-3 score is not indicative of how badly we beat them). All the A&M fans were gone by the middle of the 4th quarter.

FSU 1993. Undefeated #1 FSU vs Undefeated #2 ND on the second to last game of the season. ND a big underdog at home. A perfect environment for a college football game.

Miami 88 was incredible and exciting. It was also an absolute must win for Notre Dame football redemption, so it was unbelievably stressful. So for sheer joy and euphoria, I will always cherish the Fiesta Bowl against West Virginia. Because we mostly had that game under control early, it felt like a championship celebration the whole time. I've never hugged and high-fived so many strangers. Little did I know at the time that I would never see that again (though I still remain irrationally optimistic every year).

Hands down, 1986 at the LA Coliseum. best comeback I've ever been in attendance for.
Tied for second would be two PSU beat downs in the stadium.