The No. 6 Notre Dame Fighting Irish and No. 10 Miami Hurricanes renew a rivalry Sunday night at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, FL, which peaked in the late 1980's and early 1990's, known by many fans and writers as "Catholics versus Convicts".
Sporting News presents five moments which defined the Notre Dame-Miami series over the years.
The top-ranked Hurricanes came into Notre Dame Stadium in a clash for the ages agains the fourth-ranked Fighting Irish on Oct. 15, 1988.
Billed as Catholics vs Convicts, both teams lived up to the hype going back and forth in terms of scoring. Quarterback Steve Walsh's touchdown pass on 4th and 7 to wide receiver Andre Brown pulled Miami to 31-30 with 45 seconds left in regulation.
Miami head coach Jimmy Johnson opted to go for a two-point conversion to go ahead as opposed to settle for a potential tie, but Notre Dame cornerback Pat Terrell had other plans in mind.
Terrell batted down Walsh's pass intended for wide receiver Leonard Conley in the end zone to preserve the lead and a 31-30 Notre Dame win. The Fighting Irish went to 6-0 and never looked back as they won the 1988 national championship.
The Oct. 20, 1990 edition of the rivalry would be the last until 2010 as Notre Dame held off Miami, 29-20 at Notre Dame stadium behind stellar special teams play.
Down 10-3 late in the first quarter, Raghib "Rocket" Ismail took advantage of a well-timed wedge by Notre Dame's special teams and bursted to the left side of the field for a 94-yard kickoff return touchdown. Placekicker Craig Hentrich also played a critical role for the Fighting Irish with five field goal makes in the win.
After the epic 1988 meeting, the Orange Bowl served as the site on Nov. 25, 1989 for the highly contested rematch as the Hurricanes looked for revenge on the Fighting Irish.
Notre Dame appeared to be a virtual lock to get the ball back on offense, down 17-10 in the third quarter, but on 3rd and 44 at Miami's own 10-yard line, quarterback Craig Erickson connected with wide receiver Randall Hill for a 48-yard gain, as it achieved the impossible - a first down.
The Hurricanes scored 12 plays later, which put a cap on a 27-10 win over the Fighting Irish. The win kept Notre Dame from a second straight title as Miami claimed the 1989 national championship.
The Nov. 11, 2017 edition of No. 3 Notre Dame and No. 7 Miami at Hard Rock Stadium looked to recapture the past magic of the rivalry, but the run game opted to silence any plans.
Miami's one-two punch of Travis Homer and DeeJay Dallas put on a clinic on Notre Dame's run defense in a 41-8 rout. Homer ran for 146 yards, while Dallas added a pair of touchdowns on the ground.
Notre Dame's offense failed to produce a single point in the first half and turned the ball over four times in the game. The loss would be the Irish's second-worst in the history of the series against the Hurricanes.
Soldier Field, home of the National Football League's Chicago Bears served as the site Miami and Notre Dame under the lights on Oct. 6, 2012. The primetime stage showcased the Fighting Irish offense in a 41-3 rout of the Hurricanes.
Quarterback Everett Golson produced a balanced effort going 17-of-22 in the air and running for 51 yards, despite starting the game on the bench due to being late to practice as Tommy Rees got the start in his place, but only lasted three plays.
Running backs Cierre Wood (118 yards) and George Atkinson III (123 yards) ran for at least 100 yards each for Notre Dame. Wood scored pair of touchdowns, while Atkinson added one himself.
The one-sided win over Miami propelled Notre Dame to a 12-0 regular season and a spot in the 2012 Bowl Championship Series national championship game.