Penn State Nittany Lions ©	Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Played November 15, 1986 at Notre Dame Stadium South Bend, Indiana

  

 

Teams' Belt Records

 

Team	Belt Reigns	Overall Record				Home Record				Away Record				Neutral Record
		W	L	T	PCT	W	L	T	PCT	W	L	T	PCT	W	L	T	PCT
Penn State ©	1	3	0	0	1.000	1	0	0	1.000	2	0	0	1.000
Notre Dame	1	8	5	0	.615	2	2	0	.500	5	3	0	.625	1	0	0	1.000

 

                          Previous Belt Meetings:       None

 

 

First-year coach Lou Holtz & the 4-4 Notre Dame Fighting Irish had their 2^nd chance of the season to take The Belt.  After losing earlier to 2^nd ranked Alabama, this opportunity came against the 2^nd ranked, 9-0 Penn State Nittany Lions of coach Joe Paterno.  Penn State’s defense put up an impressive goal-line stand with less than two minutes to play that helped the Nittany Lions retain The Belt with a 24-19 victory over the Fighting Irish.  Penn State took a 1^st quarter 7-0 lead when RB Steve Smith scored on a 1-yard touchdown run.  It looked as if Notre Dame had tied the game when WR Tim Brown returned the ensuing kick-off 97 yards for an apparent touchdown but the play was nullified by clipping penalty.  The 2^nd quarter saw Notre Dame's PK John Carney hit field goals from 20 & 38 yards as the Irish closed to within a point at 7-6.  After Penn State's All-American LB Shane Conlan forced a fumble from Notre Dame's QB Steve Beuerlein, Nittany Lions’ PK Massimo Manca hit a 19-yard field goal giving Penn State a 10-6 lead at the half.  Notre Dame took the lead in the 3^rd quarter when Beuerlein threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to Brown.  Penn State responded with 2 touchdowns within six minutes.  The first score came on a 37-yard touchdown pass from QB John Shaffer to WR Ray Roundtree that finished an 82-yard touchdown drive while the second came on a 1-yard touchdown run by Shaffer early in the 4^th quarter giving Penn State a 24-13 lead.  Beuerlein connected with Brown on an 8-yard touchdown pass midway through the final quarter making the score Penn State 24 Notre Dame 19 after the 2-point conversion attempt failed when Brown's option throwback to Beuerlein was underthrown.  The Nittany Lions ran down the clock before punting back to the Irish & Beuerlein took possession at the Notre Dame 15-yard line with 2:29 to play.  Five straight complete passes moved the ball to the Penn State 6-yard line with 1:28 left & set-up the goal line match-up that decided the game.  On first down, Holtz called for an option pitch to Brown with a two-tight end formation but the second tight end never entered the game.  Free from having to deal with an extra blocker, Penn State's CB Ray Isom tackled Brown for a 3-yard loss.  On second down, Penn State's DE Bob White sacked Beuerlein for a 9-yard loss pushing the ball back to the Penn State 18-yard line.  Faced with a third & goal with less than one minute to play, Beuerlein found TE Joel Williams open in the end zone but Penn State's CB Gary Wilkerson hit Williams as he was trying to make the catch & the ball fell to the ground.  On fourth down, Beuerlein threw a short pass to RB Mark Green but he was tackled at the Penn State 13-yard line with 0:39 to play & the Nittany Lions had the win.  Shaffer threw for 162 yards with a touchdown while All-American RB D.J. Dozier was held to 77 yards rushing.  Beuerlein had 311 yards passing with 2 touchdowns & WR Milt Jackson had 5 catches for 118 yards.  Penn State finished the season 12-0 & National Champions while the Fighting Irish finished 5-6.  Notre Dame would play for The Belt again in 1987.