Throwback Thursday: The 1987 Regular-Season Game at Notre Dame

The Crimson Tide's 1987 trip to South Bend ended with its worst loss in the series

Most Alabama fans are familiar with the high-profile meetings with Notre Dame when a national championship was on the line, but they tend to gloss over the 1987 trip to South Bend. 

It's by far the Crimson Tide's worst showing in the series as the home team won 37-6. The previous four losses had been by a combined 13 points. 

"There is only one thing to say about a loss like that," Crimson Tide coach Bill Curry said at the time. "We were whipped by a vastly superior football team."

Perhaps also inspired by Alabama having notched its first win in the series the previous year, in the only meeting the game didn't feature two ranked opponents, Notre Dame out-gained the Crimson Tide 465-185. 

"They had superior personnel, coached in a superior fashion," added Curry, who was in his first year as Alabama's head coach. "They did everything they needed to do to dominate the football game."

Alabama's only lead of the game came in the opening minutes when Philip Doyle kicked a 34-yard field goal with 12:03 remaining in the first quarter. 

Things started to unravel for the Crimson Tide in the second quarter. At 3-3, The Fighting Irish pulled out ahead for good when Tony Rice kept the ball on the option and scored a 12-yard touchdown. 

On Notre Dame's subsequent possession, it converted a key fourth-and-2 on a 3-yard pass to tight end Andy Heck, to help set up a 21-yard field goal. 

Ahead 20-6 at halftime, Notre Dame turned more to its running game, with Mark Green and Ricky Watters leading the 348-yard effort. 

Crimson Tide running back Bobby Humphrey finished with 94 rushing yards on 14 carries.

It was the first of three straight losses for Alabama to close the 1987 season. 

Alabama vs. Notre Dame series 

2012: Alabama 42, Notre Dame 14 (BCS Championship)
1987: Notre Dame 37, Alabama 6 (Home)
1986: Alabama 28, Notre Dame 10 (Birmingham, Ala.)
1980: Notre Dame 7, Alabama 0 (Birmingham, Ala.)
1976: Notre Dame 21, Alabama 18 (Home)
1974: Notre Dame 13, Alabama 11 (Orange Bowl)
1973: Notre Dame 24, Alabama 23 (Sugar Bowl)