Notre Dame’s ‘Spasmodic’ Performance in 1898 Loss to IU Marks Hoosiers’ Sole Victory in South Bend

In a historic matchup, the Indiana Hoosiers will face off against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff. The game is set for Friday, December 20, with IU entering as the No. 10 seed and Notre Dame as the No. 7 seed.

This upcoming clash marks the first meeting between these two storied programs since September 7, 1991. In that encounter, Notre Dame emerged victorious with a commanding score of 49-27 while finishing their season with an impressive record of 10-3. The last time IU triumphed over Notre Dame was back in 1950, when they secured a win in Bloomington.

Historically, Notre Dame has dominated this rivalry with an overall record of 23 wins, 5 losses, and 1 tie against Indiana. Remarkably, the last time IU defeated the Irish in South Bend was on November 5, 1898—the first recorded football game between these two teams. While official records indicate that IU won that match by a score of 11-5, discrepancies exist among various newspaper accounts from that era. The Indianapolis Journal reported a final score of 12-6, while The Inter Ocean noted it as an 11-6 victory for IU.

An excerpt from one game recap described Notre Dame's performance as having been “spasmodic.”

The anticipation for this historic in-state rivalry continues to build as both teams prepare for their next matchup at Notre Dame Stadium on December 20 at 8 p.m.

Due to the CFP Selection Committee prioritizing conference champions, both teams have been seeded lower than their rankings; IU finished ranked eighth while Notre Dame concluded its regular season at fifth. The winner will advance to play against the No. 2-seed Georgia Bulldogs in the Sugar Bowl on New Year’s Day in New Orleans.