# 1985 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team

The 1985 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame in the 1985 NCAA Division I-A football season. The team was coached by Gerry Faust and played its home games at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana.

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 14 | 2:30 p.m. | at Michigan | No. 13 | Michigan StadiumAnn Arbor, MI (rivalry) | CBS | L 12–20 | 105,523 |
| September 21 | 7:30 p.m. | Michigan State | | Notre Dame StadiumNotre Dame, IN (rivalry) | ESPN | W 27–10 | 59,075 |
| September 28 | 12:00 p.m. | at Purdue | | Ross–Ade StadiumWest Lafayette, IN (rivalry) | TBS | L 17–35 | 69,338 |
| October 5 | 3:30 p.m. | at No. 17 Air Force | | Falcon StadiumColorado Springs, CO (rivalry) | ABC | L 15–21 | 52,123 |
| October 19 | 12:00 p.m. | No. 19 Army | | Notre Dame StadiumNotre Dame, IN (rivalry) | USA, WGN | W 24–10 | 59,075 |
| October 26 | 2:00 p.m. | USC | | Notre Dame StadiumNotre Dame, IN (rivalry) | | W 37–3 | 59,075 |
| November 2 | 3:30 p.m. | Navy | | Notre Dame StadiumNotre Dame, IN (rivalry) | ABC | W 41–17 | 59,075 |
| November 9 | 12:00 p.m. | Ole Miss | | Notre Dame StadiumNotre Dame, IN | USA, WGN | W 37–14 | 59,075 |
| November 16 | 3:30 p.m. | at No. 1 Penn State | | Beaver StadiumUniversity Park, PA (rivalry) | ABC | L 6–36 | 84,000 |
| November 23 | 12:00 p.m. | No. 17 LSU | | Notre Dame StadiumNotre Dame, IN | USA, WGN | L 7–10 | 59,075 |
| November 30 | 3:30 p.m. | at No. 4 Miami (FL) | | Miami Orange BowlMiami, FL (rivalry) | CBS | L 7–58 | 49,236 |
| Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Eastern time |||||||||

## Game summaries
### at Michigan

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 13 Fighting Irish | 3 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 12 |
| • Wolverines | 0 | 3 | 14 | 3 | 20 |

### Army

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cadets | 0 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 10 |
| • Notre Dame | 14 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 24 |

### USC

Notre Dame played the first half in navy blue jerseys and changed into green jerseys for the second half.
| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Trojans | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| • Fighting Irish | 14 | 13 | 3 | 7 | 37 |

### Ole Miss

Notre Dame finally had the opportunity to exact revenge on the Rebels for a 20-13 loss at Jackson eight years earlier.
| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Rebels | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 14 |
| • Fighting Irish | 3 | 14 | 14 | 7 | 38 |

### at No. 1 Penn State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Fighting Irish | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 |
| • No. 1 Nittany Lions | 7 | 13 | 10 | 6 | 36 |

### No. 17 LSU

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.
| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • No. 17 Tigers | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
| Fighting Irish | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |

### at No. 4 Miami (FL)

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Fighting Irish | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| • No. 4 Hurricanes | 13 | 14 | 10 | 21 | 58 |

## Awards and honors

* Allen Pinkett finished 8th in voting for the Heisman Trophy.
* Former Fighting Irish players Paul Hornung and Jim Martin were inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame

## Team players drafted into the NFL

| Player | Position | Round | Pick | NFL club |