100 Greatest Plays In Miami History: #55-Bernard Clark Interception Against Notre Dame 1989

Yesterday was a play from the 1985 Miami-Notre Dame game, and now today we’re fast-forwarding a few years later to 1989. A game and a night that will always be remembered in Miami football lore, the #7 Canes under new coach Dennis Erickson, welcomed in defending national champs and #1 Notre Dame, who were riding a 23-game win streak.

Still stinging from their 31-30 defeat at the hands of the Irish the year prior, Miami had nothing but revenge on their mind as Lou Holtz and his team came to town. A then-record crowd of 81,634 packed the Orange Bowl, in what many call the loudest Canes game they’ve ever been to.

With the score tied 10-10 with less than two minutes in the half, the Irish had all the momentum, erasing a 10-0 deficit to tie the game, and looking for more.

Hurricanes linebacker Bernard “Tiger” Clark jumped in front of a Tony Rice pass, and returned the interception all the way to the Notre Dame five-yard line. Three plays later, Miami fullback Stephen McGuire punched it in for a touchdown.

Clark played masterfully that evening against the Irish, finishing with 17-tackles as the leader of that ferocious Canes defense. The Hurricanes never looked back, running away with the game 27-10, on their way to a third national championship.

GO CANES!