This weekend, the Holy War travels to Chestnut Hill as Boston College prepares to host Notre Dame. Despite the rivalry’s fierce name, the “Holy War” doesn’t stem from hostility, but from numerous similarities between the schools. Notre Dame and Boston College are the only two Catholic universities that play football at the Division I level in the NCAA. While they battle on the field and courts, they compete in the classroom as well, both consistently being ranked among the nation’s top universities.
The Irish and Eagles met for the first time on September 15, 1975, and their last matchup was on November 19, 2022. Though they haven’t played annually, the two have met 27 times, with Notre Dame leading the series 17-9. The Irish win in 2012 was vacated (along with all their wins from the 2012 and 2013 seasons) due to academic misconduct by a trainer, but the Irish hold the longest active streak (2009-present) and the largest victory margin of 54-7 in 1992. While the series itself has been inconsistent, it’s been home to memorable games that have left an impact on both fanbases.
As mentioned earlier, Notre Dame held Boston College to only seven points in 1992; however, the Eagles had entered the game with high expectations, thinking they could reach a bowl game. In the third quarter, the Irish were up 37-0, which is when Boston College knew it was over. Additionally, the crowd shots from the final game in “Rudy” were shot at halftime of this matchup. The next year, the Eagles came back hungry for a win as they held a 38-17 lead with a little over 10 minutes left in the game; however, the Irish fought back and successfully had a 22-point comeback. Although fans thought the game was secured, Boston College’s David Gordon kicked a 41-yard field goal to beat Notre Dame, drop them to fourth, and ruin their plans of finishing first in the nation. This also marked the Eagles’ first win over the Irish.
In 1999, the Irish came into the matchup with even more riding on the line, since they were in need of a win to avoid an ineligible bowl season. However, the Eagles fought hard to a 17-17 tie at halftime. Boston College’s Tim Hasselbeck snuck into the end zone to secure touchdowns in both the third and fourth quarters, and Notre Dame battled back but missed a crucial extra point. After a 67-yard punt return touchdown by Julius Jones, the Irish failed a two-point attempt, and a late interception led Boston College to a 31-29 win.
In 2002, for the first time in three years, and their first time at home in 17 seasons, Notre Dame sported its green jerseys for its matchup against the Eagles. The Irish had a rough game where they fumbled the ball seven times and threw two interceptions, causing Boston College to win 14-7 and walk away with its first top-five win since beating Notre Dame in 1993. In 2008, the Irish traveled to Chestnut Hill in hopes of finding a win against the Eagles; however, it led to the first shutout in series history: Boston College on top 17-0. This marked their sixth straight win over Notre Dame and tied the series at nine wins each. The following year, the Irish sought redemption, and in a close game that had five different lead changes, Jimmy Clausen threw two touchdown passes to Golden Tate, securing the Irish victory before a final interception by linebacker Brian Smith.
More recently, in 2015, after a couple of seasons off, Notre Dame entered ranked fourth. However, it dealt with Boston College’s number one-ranked defense, which kept the game close and secured five turnovers. Despite throwing three interceptions, quarterback DeShone Kizer threw two touchdowns, securing the Irish victory 19-16.
This weekend, Notre Dame is the 28.5-point favorite to beat Boston College. However, another time we saw this spread was when the Irish were favored by the same amount to beat Northern Illinois in 2024. Despite spreads or rankings, traditions stay the same, and the Holy War is sure to be a matchup of faith, pride and history: one that no fan will want to miss.
Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. on Saturday in Chestnut Hill.
