Manny Diaz discusses favorite Miami football Orange Bowl memory
The Miami football game against Florida International at Marlins Park returns the Hurricanes to the sacred grounds that their home stadium the Orange Bowl once stood on. Manny Diaz discussed his favorite memory earlier this week.
There has been a lot of reminiscing this week about the Miami football team returning to the site that the Orange Bowl once stood. Head coach Manny Diaz reminisced about his favorite memory at the Orange Bowl involving the Miami football team earlier this week. Not so surprisingly it came against Notre Dame.
Thirty years ago Miami hosted Notre Dame Thanksgiving weekend. The Hurricanes needed a win to stay in the hunt for a national championship. Under the old bowl format, teams were often invited to bowl games before the end of the regular season. The Orange Bowl seized the opportunity to match one versus two.
Entering their showdown at the Orange Bowl, Notre Dame was 11-0 and ranked first and Miami 9-1 with the lone loss at Florida State and ranked seventh. Looming for the Fighting Irish on their return trip to Miami for the Orange Bowl game would be 11-0, Big Eight Champion and second-ranked Colorado.
Miami beat Notre Dame resoundingly 27-10 and moved up to fourth in the rankings. The win over the Fighting Irish was the catalyst to the Hurricanes winning their third national championship in seven years. Miami ironically needed a victory by Notre Dame over the Buffaloes in the Orange Bowl to win the title.
Diaz’s favorite moment as a Miami football fan is one of the most iconic in program history. Facing third down and 43 yards to go deep in their own territory following a fumble, Hurricanes quarterback Craig Erickson dropped back and let it fly down the right sideline. Randall “Thrill” Hill caught a 44-yard pass for a first down.
Diaz reminisced earlier this week
about Hill providing the Orange Bowl thrills.
"“I was in the UM student section so I kind of sneak in didn’t the obvious I wasn’t a student so but I would always find a way there was always a place you could stand in the student section…It’s actually funny I saw a video of it online just recently…It’s not even just the catch it’s the it’s the reaction afterwards.As you know the rules of college were so different and you know thrill Hill you know you know comes out at you know after the catch gets up runs to the middle field. I mean it’s just that was the it was one of those moments where the Orange Bowl is just going crazy.You know it actually reminds me of when Trajan’s (Bandy) pick six in the Notre Dame game couple years ago (2017) or is that same thing where the place (roof) almost comes off its moorings. You know so and I think that was late second quarter.I’m not mistaken it early third yeah so and it didn’t matter what happened after that you knew Miami was gonna win."
The 27-10 victory by Miami over Notre Dame ended the Fighting Irish’s 23 game winning streak. It avenged a loss in South Bend in 1988 on a controversial fumble call that helped Notre Dame win and go on to win the National Championship. It was the Hurricanes third straight double-digit home win over Notre Dame.
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That was the final game of the regular season for the Miami football team. With Colorado and Notre Dame already matched in the Orange Bowl, the Hurricanes needed a victory by the Fighting Irish over the Buffaloes to capture the national championship. Notre Dame won 21-6 earning Miami it’s third National title.