unknown date 1993; South Bend, IN, USA; FILE PHOTO; Notre Dame Irish head coach Lou Holtz leads his team onto the field during the 1993 season at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Photo By Imagn Images © Copyright Imagn Images RVR Photos-Imagn Images

A Look Back at the 'Catholics vs. Convicts' Game between Miami & Notre Dame in 1988

Originally posted on Miami Hurricanes on SI
By Ryan Boman | Last updated Aug 30, 2025 8:31 AM ET

With the #10 Miami Hurricanes kicking off the new season against #6 Notre Dame, it adds another chapter to one of college football's most storied rivalries. The two squads have met in titanic battles where National Championships, individual accolades, and a dose of pride have all been on the line. But perhaps there's no better illustration of the bad blood between the two schools occurred in 1988, which became famously known as the 'Catholics vs. Convicts Game'

Miami entered the match-up as the defending national champion, having won 36 consecutive regular-season games. In contrast, Notre Dame was back to respectability under new coach Lou Holtz. In the meantime, the 'Canes had humiliated the Fighting Irish, 58-7 in 1985, and again, 24-0, in 1987.

The Hurricanes had not only established themselves as a dominant, perennial national title contender, but they also did so with plenty of swagger. They had emerged as a glamour team in NCAA Football, and they played with an overabundance of confidence. Some might even call it arrogance.

"You hear the stir on campus about what Miami has done to Notre Dame over the years and [the Irish students] want this payback coming to them at home," Irish quarterback Tony Rice said. "Coach Holtz wanted to take us out of that element."

That same feeling was also permeating the campus at South Bend. The students themselves had grown tired of the upstart Hurricanes and the way they disrespected the hallowed Irish program. Suddenly, they had a new t-shirt, one that would only add flames to the fire.

'Catholics vs. Convicts' Causes Controversy

Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

In the build-up to the epic battle, some students came up with an idea to not only make a little money... but to fire off a rallying cry, as well. They began selling t-shirts embazoned with the phrase, 'Catholics vs. Convicts'. The theme played off of Notre Dame's Catholic identity and Miami's image as college football's 'bad boys'.

The message was clear: the Hurricanes were no more than thugs, while the Irish symbolized everything RIGHT with college football. However, it was also seen by some critics as having racial, social, and even religious overtones. Essentially, it painted the Miami team as nothing but criminals. For a roster filled with African-American players who came from inner-city neighborhoods, it's understandable why this riled up the Hurricanes.

At the same time, many 'Canes wore that as a badge of honor - being the villains, while Notre Dame were the guys in white hats. And stereotypes aside, all the controversy helped create one of the most intriguing college football games ever.

The Game Lived Up to the Hype

Even before the game, tempers flared when the two teams began brawling in the tunnel leading to the field. Taunting again was the spark for this scuffle, which required police to intervene. Then, it was time for kickoff.

In what turned out to be a back-and-forth battle, both teams threw haymakers at each other until it finally came down to the wire. Miami head coach Jimmy Johnson opted to go for a two-point conversion and the win, with his team down 31-30 with 48 seconds to play. Fighting Irish free safety Pat Terrell batted away a two-point conversion pass by Hurricanes quarterback Steve Walsh with 45 seconds to play to seal the upset victory for the Golden Domers.

Miami quarterback Steve Walsh threw for 424 yards in defeat.
It would be the only loss of his two-year career as a starter at Miami.

"We knew that defensively Notre Dame was going to be talented," Walsh remembered. "They had a much better pass rush than I was expecting. They put a lot of pressure on me. So, that was something that we certainly weren't expecting. Normally, we go into a game, and Miami wanted to run the ball for 125 yards and throw for 275. We couldn't run it very well. I ended up throwing for 400. So, we were a little out of our element.

"It kept us from winning the national championship."

Behind the coaching of Lou Holtz and the spirited play of quarterback Tony Rice, the Irish went on to capture the school’s first national title since 1977. The loss would be Miami’s only defeat that year. The following season, the Hurricanes were again national champions, finishing with an 11-1 record.

While the game itself had tremendous historical overtones, perhaps it's the cultural and social reaction to the entire 'Catholics vs. Convicts' controversy somewhat overshadowed that. It lent to a lot of debate, self-reflection, and maybe even some anger for those who had a vested interest in a supposed battle of good vs. evil. It stirred up fiery emotions and had fans heavily invested... which is exactly what sports are supposed to do.

This article first appeared on Miami Hurricanes on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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