If you look closely at the crowd of Middies in Notre Dame Stadium tomorrow, you may see them holding a flag that reads, "DONT GIVE UP THE SHIP." The Fighting Irish will need to draw some inspiration from this famous Naval battle cry as they take on a fierce opponent in the wake of a humiliating defeat.
After a brutal loss at the hands of our bitter rivals from Southern California, several Trojans spoke out about the lack of fight in the Fightin' Irish when it came to the fourth quarter of that contest. Chris Galippo, a linebacker who is still bitter over being passed up by Notre Dame after visiting on a recruiting trip with Jimmy Clausen, claimed, "At the end there, when they didn't call those timeouts, they just quit. And that's what Notre Dame football's about. They're not anything like U$C." Running Back Marc Tyler (of TMZ fame) chimed in with less-than-perfect-English by sputtering, "That's what happens when you beat them down. We wore them out. They didn't want to play us no more. We out-physicalled them and beat them down." While such statements do little more than prove the lack of class spewing forth from the Kiffin-run program, they do sting somewhat when their impact is considered. Perception often is reality, and right now much of the country perceives the Fighting Irish as weak.
Lou Holtz was famously quoted as telling his National Championship team, "One thing nobody in this world can give you, men, is respect... the self respect you have for yourself, the way you play the game, and the way you believe... the way you do things. This is a game of respect. You are Notre Dame. You are special. You represent Notre Dame. You represent everybody that came before you and everybody that will come after you. At Notre Dame there is a spirit. The spirit is something that's within ya. Ya gotta listen to that spirit, and you gotta fight for it. Ya gotta believe."
On saturday, the Fighting Irish need to find the fightin' spirit within them, listen to it, and earn the respect that is needed to turn this program around for good. They're on the cusp of greatness, but they stand at a crossroads. This classic matchup against our historic rivals stands as the perfect opportunity to prove that we have not and will never give up the ship.
What do the Emerald Isle, the shamrock, St. Patrick's Day, Brian Kelly's last name, the Official Banner of the Fighting Irish, and the prettiest jerseys in all of college football have in common?
GREEN: a color worth fighting for.
The Notre Dame student section will be representing their true Fightin' Irish heritage on Saturday night by wearing green as their boys in Blue and Gold take on the Ketchup and Mustard wearing Trojans from the University of Sanctioned Cheaters. The students have called for a stadium-wide "Wearin' o' the Green." Do your duty for Fightin' Irish Nation by donning some Kelly, Emerald, Lime or Forest in a show of unity. Why is this color so important, you ask? Read on.
Pushups look sexy in green
Irish history directly influenced the Irish-American experience during the Civil War when Thomas Francis Meagher, an Irish rebel leader who had escaped to the United States, formed a brigade made up entirely of Irish soldiers which quickly gained a widespread reputation as one of the bravest and best fighting units in the entire Union force. Commonly rreferred to as the “Fighting Irish,” and marching under their notorious green flag which never seemed to fall from its position in the front line of every battle, these Irish-Americans established themselves as a widely celebrated symbol of both Irish pride and American patriotism. Both the original Banner of the Fighting Irish, as well as Meagher's sword (which I have held!) are currently in possession of the University of Notre Dame Archives.
Rev. William Corby, C.S.C., chaplain of the Irish Brigade and later president of the University of Notre Dame, also gained wide renown as a Catholic, Irish-American, and American figure due to his reputation for bravery on the battlefield. In 1863, moments prior to the Battle of Gettysburg, he “performed an act that seized the imagination of his countrymen” by granting general absolution to all of the Union troops about to engage the enemy. Matching statues commemorating that moment stand on the memorial sight in Gettysburg and outside the aptly named Corby Hall on campus at Notre Dame (you may know of it as "Fair Catch Corby").
Fr. Corby blesses the green Banner of the Fightin' Irish at Gettysburg
Legendary Coach and expert promoter Knute Rockne made use of the color green as he put Notre Dame on the map by building the greatest football franchise in history. He highlighted the color as a prominent symbol of Irish nationalism when he had his teams dress in blue to begin their toughest games before instructing them to reveal the fiery green sweaters they wore underneath at the right moment. This tactic worked more than once against heavily favored foes, eliciting praise from The Scholastic - 1928 Football Review: “Mr. K. K. Rockne may, or may not, be a psychologist. But, he did array his Fighting Irish in bright green jerseys for their battle with the United States Naval Academy. Mr. Rockne evidently surmised that garbing a band of native and adopted Irish in their native color is somewhat akin to showing a bull the Russian flag.”
The tradition lived on at Notre Dame when the color green played an integral role in our 1977 national championship run, which included the legendary “Green Machine” game (Ironically played on October 22) against our arch rival Southern Cal Trojans (click the link for a great video recapping that game).
The Trojans came into Notre Dame Stadium in 1977 riding a 7-1-2 record over the past ten contests against the Fighting Irish. Recognizing that “something special was going to be needed to get the Fighting Irish back in the winning trend,” Coach Dan Devine reached back to the days of Rockne and beyond in order to give his team the edge they needed.
After their final practice leading up to the game, he spoke to the team as a whole about the name “Fighting Irish” which they shared with the famous Irish Brigade of the Civil War. He told them the story of the Irish Brigade’s notorious green flag that brought fear to the hearts of Confederate soldiers while inspiring the Union forces to "fight like Irishmen." He then explained how the color green symbolized a great struggle for freedom in Ireland during which brave men had "died so that Ireland might be free."
Devine’s history lesson left his team feeling confused as they left practice, but when they arrived in the locker room before the game after warming up in blue, they were greeted by the sight of bright green uniforms hanging in each of their lockers. The players’ adrenaline began to pump at that moment, and when they came charging out of the tunnel into a surprised Notre Dame Stadium they overawed their fans and their opponents alike with “Fighting Irish” bravado.
Their newfound swagger led them to a 49-19 annihilation of the Trojans, and the momentum generated by that game carried them all the way to the Cotton Bowl, where they defeated Texas to claim their spot atop the college football world once again. The “Green Machine” game engineered by Devine would become a legendary symbol of the “Fighting Irish” spirit.
Green Fire: ND v SC midnight drum circle tradition
From Irish Rebels like Meagher, to legendary Irish-Americans like Corby, to National Champions like Rockne and Devine, the color green has remained central to the history of the Fightin' Irish. Honor this history on Saturday night by wearing green in solidarity with the students who proudly call themselves the Fightin' Irish.
Coach Kelly ventured into the Center of the Universe last week to honor the Dawgs of Alumni Hall, who he thanked for setting the standard in terms of support and enthusiasm on football game weekends. He commended the men of Alumni for playing such an integral role in the tradition, sense of family, and spirit that can only be found at Notre Dame, adding that he quickly learned to expect a lengthy delay while all the Dawgs in the house go berserk every time the word "Alumni" is uttered at a pep rally.
Located on Main Circle at Notre Dame,
Alumni Hall is the "Center of the Universe"
Coach challenged the Dawgs to make a valid attempt to “at least make it to the game” on Saturday night despite the late 7:30 start. Echoing the sentiments of Athletic Director Jack Swarbrick, who challenged the student body to tailgate responsibly and get loud once inside the stadium, Kelly asked the Dawgs to hydrate themselves thoroughly prior to bringing the ruckus come game time.
When asked about the typical game day atmosphere at Notre Dame, Coach again agreed with Swarbrick in admitting that Notre Dame Stadium is one of the quietest venues his team plays in from week to week. While he commended the students for their commitment, he spoke out in full support of a jumbotron and piped-in music to make up for the small size of our student section, as well as the lack of noise coming from the rest of the stadium.
Coach maintained that he understands the "tradition" argument against a jumbotron and/or "canned" music, but that he believes in our ability to make such improvements in a way that enhances the unique tradition and spirit of Notre Dame, rather than detract from it. He pointed to the way music and classic footage were used at the first night game ever in the Big House in a way that added tremendously to the "strength of the collegiate atmosphere" of the game without the clutter of advertisements or any other unnecessary distractions. He also made it clear that our fanbase should not expect to be held back by stubborn adherence to the status quo any more, citing the need for several changes which have already been made and will continue to take place in order to revive the most central of all our traditions... the tradition of winning football games.
While it seems as though a minority of Notre Dame alumni (small "a" alumni, not big "A" Alumni as in Dawgs) consistently makes the most noise in opposition of such changes, the unanimous consensus amongst the Dawgs stood in strong support of making such moves. With our student body, Head Coach, and Athletic Ditrector on board, I wouldn't be surprised to see and hear an extra boost to our home field advantage in the near future (If you disagree, please prove that we do not need these additions by getting loud enough to make a difference in our stadium).
When asked which rivalry he considers to be most important to the Fighting Irish, Coach chose the "Greatest Intersectional Rivalry in College Football" over our series with the skunkbears, stating that Notre Dame vs. Southern Cal epitomizes everything that a rivalry should stand for.
The Dawgs told Coach that the students were planning to fill the student section with green on Saturday night before asking him whether the team would sport matching threads. In response, he did not deny the possibility of green jerseys. With a wink and a nudge, he said that he looks forward to continuing the tradition of green jerseys, but would not specify which game (read: we are wearing green on Saturday, and so should you!).
Coach also explained that his newly implemented Hendrix package was here to stay, and that he plans to fully utilize this whole new side of the offense in order to prevent defenses from keying in on just a few playmakers the way Pitt was able to (we only scored 15 points in the win over Pitt). By offering a variety of looks, our offense will remain efficient even when certain aspects aren't working against a specific defense. Just when an opponent seems to have solved the puzzle, we now have the ability to play a wild card with potential to be game-breaking.
When one Dawg asked if his roommate, walk-on TE Arturo Martinez, will see the field this year, Coach said that by asking we pretty much guaranteed him some playing time. He also gave a shoutout to all of WOPU Nation, saying that walk-on players like Pat Coughlin and Chris Salvi have impacted the team tremendously this season.
Finally, the Dawgs gave Coach an ultimatum: whether he would rather be Johnny Depp or Will Smith. He mulled the choices over for a minute, then decided that neither would be preferable to his current position as the head coach of the Fighting Irish. Well played, Sir. Well played, indeed.
Coach Kelly strikes a power stance on the sideline
Alumni Hall proudly granted "Honorary Dawg"status to Coach Kelly (who now joins Coach Brey as the only two active "Honorary Dawgs" at Notre Dame), by presenting him with a Wake Week shirt and two of our signature frosted pint glasses. In response to the later, he happily declared, "I bet these look great filled with beer!” That they do, Coach. That they do.
Alumni Dawgs leading the charge at a football pep rally
The Blessed Men and Brothers of Alumni Hall would like to thank Coach Kelly for taking the time to pay us tribute, answer our questions, and for recognizing us as a leader and an icon amongst all halls.
We've all been waiting for this game since it appeared on the official schedule.
This Saturday, the Fighting Irish will host the once-mighty men of Troy for the first night game held at Notre Dame Stadium in over two decades. As we prepare for the 83rd chapter of "The Greatest Intersectional Rivalry in College Football," Irish Creed takes a look back at last year's matchup, which saw our Boys in Blue and Gold emerge from the Coliseum victorious.
Fall of Troy: Revisited
Tommy Reese, the first Notre Dame quarterback to defeat the mighty men of Troy since Carlyl Holiday did so in 2001, described the win in the only way he could by saying "Words can not do it justice."
In words borrowed from Lou Holtz, Brian Kelly talked about taking pride in the fact that his lads "didn't flinch" against a rival that has tormented all of Notre Dame Nation over most of the past decade. According to Kelly, "We put the fight back into the Fighting Irish today."
I’d love to say that a win over the Trojans has been a long time coming, but I personally can’t. Even though it feels like an eternity, the misery only began for me in 2005 with the Bush Push (which, Ironically enough… never happened).
That legendary game between #9 Notre Dame and #1 U$C was the first college football game I watched after applying to college, and my first experience as a Notre Dame fan. I’ll always remember exactly where I was and what I was doing during that game. Actually, I was on a double-date at a bowling alley and I was attempting (unsuccessfully) to divide my attention between the amazing spectacle on TV and the not-quite-as-amazing spectacle that was my date. I remember jumping up and down screaming when it appeared as though the Fighting Irish had won, since the students had begun to rush the field and there was no sound on the TV at the bowling alley. I then watched in disbelief as the officials ushered fans back into their seats and added time back on to the expired clock. Let’s just say what transpired next ruined the rest of the night not only for every Notre Dame fan watching, but for my date as well…
As a student at Notre Dame, I lived through 3 brutally embarrassing defeats before finally feeling the tide begin to change direction during my senior year. The stars seemed like they just might align in 2009. The entire campus breathed “BEAT SC,” and loyal students spent more time hanging up posters, writing on sidewalks, and building a Trojan Horse than they did studying for midterms. At the Friday night rally, I burst out of the horse sporting a mohawk and Tommy Trojan’s sword (which I broke over my knee) and tens of thousands roared as Rocket Ismail delivered a gospel-like speech that none in attendance will ever forget. I had never been more amped in my life, and the energy coming from the greened out student section during that game lifted our team to come soaring back within striking distance of our mighty foes late in the second half. Alas, my dreams of standing atop the north-endzone goalpost as the students tore it down flew out the window when our fourth-and-goal pass fell incomplete. At that moment, in agonizing pain, I vowed that I would one day witness the fall of Troy.
I did what any traumatized recently-retired leprechaun would do by deciding to live in Southern California with fellow Irish Creed writer FightingIrish1313 during the summer of 2010. While living behind enemy lines, not only did I visit the soon-to-disappear Heisman trophy belonging to Reggie Bush, but I also left behind a small Irish charm somewhere on their campus, thus putting the dreaded Curse of the Leprechaun on the University of Spoiled Children (You can read about my SoCal adventure here).
Flash forward to this November, as I arrived in Huntington Beach for Thanksgiving by the ocean where the sign at my hotel read “The word of the day is: STOKED!” Stoked I was, possibly even hella-stoked, to spend a few days soaking up some cosmic rays in the OC before venturing into a quaint neighborhood known as South Central LA for a rivalry showdown featuring backup quarterbacks starting on both sides. Hella-stoked for a win… brah.
I must admit that I was impressed with the tailgating scene prior to Senior Night in the Coliseum (whoa… totally sorry for spoiling your big night… brah). Some creative Californians even hanged an effigy of a leprechaun from a tree, which was lovely.
Once inside the Coliseum, I discovered that most Fighting Irish fans had been relegated to the cheap temporary bleacher style seats that are literally nowhere near the football field. Not to worry, because the Trojans failed to fill their own house as expected. It didn’t take long before we created a cheering section of our own in the corner of the endzone. More than once, our celebratory cheers and jeers could be heard on the field over the lifeless din of the So Cal crowd. While the Irish Tricolour flag upon which I had spray-painted “KILL SO CAL” did not amuse those around us, it did spark some energy when I joined the crowd-surfing students in the fourth quarter. Our small band of faithful fans shared tremendous highs and lows throughout the game, and as the clock hit 00:00 an overwhelming sense of relief swept over us all. An army of security guards surrounded us to make sure any attempts to rush the field would be thwarted, but we were perfectly content standing arm in arm singing our Alma Mater with smiles on our faces. As we exited the friendly confines of the Coliseum, we thanked our gracious hosts for the win, and echoes of the Notre Dame Victory March reverberated throughout every hallway.
There's no use crying over spilled trojans...
In reference to the thousands of Cali brahs who showed us the real meaning of the term “fair-weather fan” when they left the game early in droves after finding the blustery 50 degree night far too frigid for their liking, I guess revenge actually is best when served cold (pun intended). I do respect their loyal fans who stuck it out in a losing effort on Senior Night though, because I’ve been there and done that.
I left the game excited for the future of the “Greatest Intersectional Rivalry” in college football. It takes two to tango in a true rivalry, and we haven’t shown enough fight to even make the games interesting as of late. As one of about 3 Notre Dame fans (and the only one decked out head to toe in bright green) at the 9-0 (the CJ’s of SoCal) after the game, I was a bit surprised at how many Trojan fans approached me with toasts “to the rivalry” (and even more surprised that I escaped with my life after half the SC football team showed up). If Coach Kelly was right, and the Fall of Troy was a sign that we finally put the fight back into the Fighting Irish, then I’d like to join those Trojan fans by raising a glass “to the rivalry.”
All in all, my ND v SC experience has been an eventful journey, and I am hella-stoked for its continuance now that the drought is over and Kelly’s reign has begun (also hella-stoked to have the Jeweled Shillelagh back in the JACC... brah).
The Fightin' Irish looked pretty in pink this Saturday, honoring breast cancer awareness with bright accents to the traditional Blue and Gold garb. On a picture perfect Midwestern fall afternoon, Kelly's offense had its way with the Flying Falcons of Air Force, while Diaco's defense shut down one of the top rushing offenses in the nation.
Jamoris Slaughter highlighted the defensive play as he flew all over the field from what was essentially an outside linebacker position. He turned the tide early by forcing a fumble at the tail end of the first play Air Force ran from scrimmage, added a textbook pass breakup on a deep pass, and had an acrobatic interception by tipping the ball to himself as he dove. He also finished the day with 6 tackles.
On the other side of the ball, Kelly fully showcased just how dangerous his squad can be when his full arsenal of playmakers get their hands on the ball. Touchdowns came from Floyd, Eifert, Toma (first in his career - respect), Gray (2), Wood, Riddick, and even freshman George Atkinson III got in on the action with his second trip to the endzone this season.
The most impressive part of Saturday's dominating performance, however, had to be the offensive coaching. Kelly expertly picked apart the outmanned Air Force defense by using multiple looks, new formations, utilizing the screen game more effectively, finding creative ways to get Riddick the ball early, and unleashing the secret weapon that is Andrew Hendrix.
I suspect that Kelly knew exactly what he was doing when he waited until the final game before the rivalry showdown against $C to give everyone a glimpse of the extra section of the playbook reserved for his dual-threat quarterback. He gave the Kiffins just enough of a taste to keep them awake at night trying to come up with ways to defend what has truly become one of the most versatile offenses I have ever seen. As our boys get a few days of well-deserved rest over fall break, then extra time to gear up for the first night game in a couple decades against the once-mighty men of troy, the $C squad still has to take care of business against Cal before having only a few days to try to figure out how to deal with our multifaceted attack. Luckily for us, Air Force failed to show them any good ways to stop us.
Since starting 0-2, we couldn't have asked for a better bounce-back than the one we just witnessed. We won a tough game against MSU, we won an ugly game against Pitt, we dominated an inferior Purdue, and we unleashed our big guns against Air Force. Winning in all of those different ways has given this team character that it will need to depend on if it is going to finish out the final 6 games of the season strong.
Now, we sit in the driver's seat with a chance to extend our winning streak against our rivals. As we wait in anticipation for that day, let me leave you with some final words from Kelly's pregame speech to the boys in Blue and Gold before they took the field against Air Force:
"… You put in a lot of time, a lot of effort. Here's your pay day. Here's why you get the opportunity... ...to be a Notre Dame football player... ...'cause you can play the game in front of 81,000 people... ...you can play it on national television. You put in so much hard work. You sacrifice so much. Don't let these opportunities pass you by.... ...or why is it worth it then? It's not worth all that work you put in... enjoy yourself today. Take it in. You know how to play. This isn't our first talk. You know what our level is and what's expected. Ya gotta be disciplined. Ya gotta be tough. Ya gotta have your eyes on your technique. You know that... but you also know this... ya gotta go play. Ya gotta go enjoy yourself in this game... ...and if you can't do that, then why do all the other stuff? Let's go play football today. Today is a football day. It's Saturday. Let's make it a great Saturday."
It was a great Saturday in Sunny South Bend, Indiana
"Sacrifice, unselfish sacrifice... These other fellas, they say, are pretty good, but I think we're better... and I think if we get ourselves to a point, where we're confident in that... why... the results will take care of themselves..."
As the oft-forgotten lyrics of the traditional ND football song proudly proclaim, "...when the Irish backs go marching by, the cheering thousands shout their battle cry..." This year, more so than those of recent past, two "Irish Backs" in particular have proven the once-famous line true. For that reason, the Irish rushing attack, which was originally pegged as a weakness by experts during the preseason, just may be the key to the rest of our season. With little depth behind them, it is up to running backs Cierre Wood and Jonas Gray to share a heavy load as the workhorses that drive our offense. Luckily, they seem to be hitting a galloping stride at just the right moment.
Cierre Wood has steadily built his game up to a level deserving of the
praise given by Brian Kelly during the preseason when he described him
as a "complete player." Expect big things out of
"Two Oh" over the remainder of the season.
Through our first 5 games, we are averaging an impressive 5.41 yards per carry and 179.6 yards per game on the ground. In our most recent game, we racked up 289 rushing yards against a Purdue defense that prides itself on stopping the run. This bodes extremely well for us as we hit the heart of our season, especially considering both Wood and Gray recorded career highs on the same night. If they can continue their ways, a mountain of pressure will be lifted off of Tommy Rees's shoulders (see our game against Purdue) as the ability to establish the run early on forces the opposing defense to commit, thus rendering their line unable to go all out rushing the pass and their secondary unable to double-cover Michael Floyd (which prompted the announcer to describe Mike as "a weapon that cannot be stopped" midway through our game in West Lafayette).
Next up, we have a matchup against the most talented service academy team, the ever-scrappy and never-quitting Air Force squad that boasts one of the nation's best rushing attacks with the type of option-style offense that keeps Bob Diaco up at night. While we know we will be seeing almost nothing but running plays from them, they should expect much of the same from us as we look to exploit their 114th ranked rushing defense with our two aforementioned workhorses. Hopefully doing so will allow both Wood and Gray to peak in confidence prior to facing the staunch rushing defense of U$C (ranked 37th) after the bye. Due to that bye, both backs should have had enough rest to get their legs back by the time we play the Trojans. Thus, I expect Brian Kelly to run them ragged against the Flying Falcons of Air Force.
Gray has been able to bounce back from the costly fumble that turned the tide against the Irish during the opening drive of the season against Southern Florida. Not only has he proven his ability to pick up tough yards between the tackles, but he showed Pitt that he can be a home run threat as well by breaking a 79 yard touchdown.
As a former running back, I personally prefer run-oriented play calling that allows the backs to develop into a rythm. I'm excited to watch what Wood and Gray can do against an Air Force defense that our offensive line should have no problem dominating due purely to size differential. Look for Cierre to build upon, and possibly top, his career high 191 yard performance last week as the line gives him time to choose his holes and make the moves that have launched him into the spotlight as the 14th ranked leading rusher in the NCAA. When we need tough yards against their gritty defense that we should expect to go all out every single play, Jonas should be able to prove that his past two 90-plus yard games weren't flukes. If all goes according to plan, we may even get to see some carries from upcoming freshman speed demon George Atkinson III.
Creed: Statement of Faith; From Latin Credo "I believe"
The words "Fighting Irish" are a testament to the indomitable spirit that has persisted at Notre Dame throughout history. In an effort to revive that spirit in full, Coach Kelly created "The Irish Creed" to guide Notre Dame Football into the future: "The pride and tradition of Notre Dame Football will not be left to the weak, timid, or non-committed."
