For the second time in three seasons, Notre Dame will head to Orlando, Fla., for its bowl game, but this year it won’t be for the Citrus Bowl.
The 15th-ranked Irish (10-2) were selected Sunday to play Iowa State (7-5) in the Camping World Bowl on Dec. 28 at Camping World Stadium. It will be the first time the programs have met.
Notre Dame played in the Citrus Bowl in the same stadium on New Year’s Day after the 2017 season, defeating LSU 21-17 on Miles Boykin’s 55-yard touchdown reception from Ian Book with 1:28 to play.
This is Notre Dame’s second appearance in the Camping World Bowl. The Irish lost 18-14 to Florida State in 2011, when the game was called the Champs Sports Bowl.
While the Irish posted a third consecutive 10-win season for the first time since 1991-93, the bowl destination is a bit of a letdown coming off a 12-0 regular season in 2018 and the program’s first berth in the College Football Playoff.
Notre Dame lost to the two highest-ranked teams on its schedule, falling 23-17 at No. 5 Georgia in September and getting crushed 45-14 at No. 14 Michigan in October. The Irish have won five straight since the loss in Ann Arbor, Mich.
Iowa State, on the other hand, comes in with three losses in its last five games, falling to Oklahoma State at home and at Oklahoma and Kansas State.
Three of the Cyclones’ five losses were by one or two points, all to ranked teams: 18-17 to No. 16 Iowa, 23-21 at No. 7 Baylor and 42-41 at No. 4 Oklahoma.
