1992 Sugar Bowl

Teams

Main article: 1991 NCAA Division I-A football season

Notre Dame

Main article: 1991 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team

Florida

Main article: 1991 Florida Gators football team

Game summary

The game kicked off shortly after 7:30 p.m. CST, following the Rose Bowl on ABC, and shortly after the start of the Orange Bowl on NBC, which matched top-ranked Miami and #11 Nebraska.

The Florida Gators built an early 7–0 lead when their Heisman Trophy candidate, quarterback Shane Matthews, found All-SEC wide receiver Willie Jackson on a 15-yard touchdown pass. Florida led 10–0 at the end of the first quarter, after Arden Czyzewski added a 26-yard field goal to cap the quarter.

Czyzewski added a 24-yard field goal, early in the second quarter, allowing the Gators to take a 13–0 lead. Notre Dame quarterback Rick Mirer capped a methodical drive with a perfect 40-yard touchdown pass to wideout Lake Dawson, making it 13–7 Gators. The Gators led 16–7 at half, after Czyzewski's third field goal of the game. In the third quarter, Notre Dame got a 23-yard field goal from Kevin Pendergast, and a 4-yard touchdown pass from Rick Mirer to Irv Smith to take a 17–16 lead into the 4th quarter.

In the fourth quarter, Czyzewski's 37-yard field goal made it 19–17, and his fifth field goal of the game gave the Gators a 22–17 lead with under twelve minutes remaining. Notre Dame's Jerome Bettis then took over the game, as he rushed for touchdowns of 3 and 49 yards, and the Irish led 32–22. Florida quickly responded with a 36-yard score from Matthews to Harrison Houston with 2:28 left to reduce the lead to four points at 32–28.

Notre Dame put the game out of reach following Bettis' third rushing touchdown of the quarter, a 39-yarder, to push the score to 39–28, which was the final. Bettis finished with 150 yards rushing and was the game's MVP, scoring his three touchdowns in less than three minutes. Florida quarterback Shane Matthews set Sugar Bowl records for passing yards (370), and completions (28). Florida lost despite outgaining Notre Dame 511–433, and committing only two turnovers to Notre Dame's four.

Scoring

;First quarter:

• Florida – Willie Jackson 15-yard pass from Shane Matthews (Arden Czyzewski kick)
• Florida – Czyzewski 26-yard field goal ;Second quarter:
• Florida – Czyzewski 24-yard field goal
• Notre Dame – Lake Dawson 40-yard pass from Rick Mirer (Craig Hentrich kick)
• Florida – Czyzewski 36-yard field goal ;Third quarter:
• Notre Dame – Kevin Pendergast 23-yard field goal
• Notre Dame – Irv Smith 4-yard pass from Mirer (Hentrich kick) ;Fourth quarter:
• Florida – Czyzewski 37-yard field goal
• Florida – Czyzewski 24-yard field goal
• Notre Dame – Jerome Bettis 3-yard run (Brooks pass from Mirer)
• Notre Dame – Bettis 49-yard run (Pendergast kick)
• Florida – Harrison Houston 36-yard pass from Matthews (pass failed)
• Notre Dame – Bettis 39-yard run (Pendergast kick) :Source:

Statistics

:{| class=wikitable style="text-align:center" ! Statistics !! Notre Dame !! Florida |- |First downs || 23 || 29 |- |Rushes–yards|| 49–279 || 33–141 |- |Passing yards || 154 || 370 |- |Passes (C–A–I)|| 14–19–1 || 28–58–2 |- |Total offense || 68–433 || 91–511 |- |Return yards || 31 || 4 |- |Punts–average ||2–34.0||2–52.5 |- |Fumbles–lost ||4–3||0–0 |- |Turnovers||4||2 |- |Penalties–yards ||3–15|| 4–40 |- |} :Source:

Aftermath

Notre Dame climbed five spots to thirteenth in the final AP poll and Florida fell to seventh.

References

References

1. "Orange Bowl Odds". Orange Bowl Odds.
2. "Betting line". Orange Bowl Odds.
3. (January 2, 1992). "Fighting Irish run wild in second half comeback". Eugene Register-Guard.
4. (January 2, 1992). "Irish give the critics a rebuttal". Pittsburgh Press.
5. Shearer, Ed. (January 2, 1992). "Irish top Gators on Bettis TDs". Wilmington Star-News.
6. (January 1, 1992). "College football". Toledo Blade.
7. (January 2, 1992). "Polls render split decision". Reading Eagle.