THANK YOU, SENIORS!

God bless our seniors as they prepare for their final game

inside the Cathedral of College Football

Seniors' Final Salute

"When those books are written, 
they're written about championships." 

-Brian Kelly on the still unfinished legacy of his seniors

Saturday is Senior Day, and the last time I will ever watch a game from the student section inside Notre Dame Stadium.  It will be an emotional day for all those present, especially the senior class of players who have brought the light of hope back to this football program through their unyielding work ethic and undying faith in each other.  They will suit up in Blue & Gold to run out of that tunnel one last time, and over 81,000 inspired souls will salute their service.  

It's difficult to find the right words to describe what I hope will be the perfect ending to a great journey, so I will leave it to the pros:

From UND.com:

From Andrew Owens of The Observer,

 describing the significance of Manti's unlikely path to Senior Day: 

"The Loyal Son"

From Matt Fotruna of ESPN.com:

"Manti Teo's Irish Fairwell"

Score Prediction:

Notre Dame: 41

Wake Forest: 17

Taking Care of Business

Fightin' Irish fans have been hearing a lot about the lack of “style points” exhibited by the 2012 squad, and Saturday's seemingly routine 21-6 victory over Backup College did little to silence such noise.  

What some may have mistaken for a sluggish lack of energy probably should have been expected, though.  I mean... how many times can you beat up your little brother (BC) before doing so loses its excitement?  Once you've already established your unquestionable dominance, there's no longer any need to go any further than what is required to keep him in his place.  Am I right?

All joking aside... the "workmanlike" fashion with which the Fightin' Irish have amassed a perfect 10-0 record is not about to win them any beauty contests.  Most of the 10 wins have been anything but pretty... but who cares?  Kelly's lads have continued to bring their lunch pails to work each and every Saturday, and as their unblemished record shows, they haven't punched out early a single time in 10 games without taking care of business first.  

As long as we continue on in our "workmanlike" ways, we'll be fine.  We can't control who wins, who loses, and who “helps us out” in games that don’t feature the words “Notre Dame” on either side of the scoreboard… so all we can do is stick to Kelly’s master plan, take care of business, and let the chips fall where they may.  We'll leave the fussing, the whining, and the hapless prosthelyzing to the so-called "experts" at ESPN.  Why should we care what they have to say?  We don't have time for them.
We have business to take care of... 

Saturday is Senior Day in Notre Dame Stadium, where the Fightin’ Irish have struggled during their 2012 work schedule relative to their performances away from home.  It’s also the last game our captains Kap, Zach, Tyler, and Manti will ever play in the Cathedral of College Football.  Let’s honor them, along with all those playing in their final home game, by saluting the “workmanlike” mentality they've struggled so hard to instill in a program that lacked any real sense of direction prior to Kelly’s arrival.  

Let’s be “workmanlike” in fulfilling our own duties as fans.  Let's stay true to our unrelenting faith that, what though the odds be great or small, our team has the will to win overall.  Let’s take care of business by clocking in on Saturday, rolling up our sleeves, and going to work alongside our team as they march onward to victory.

Senior Night Pictures

It may not have been pretty, and it may have cost us our plow-horse, but a win is a win.  Especially in November.  Especially on Senior Night.  With the win, Kelly's Irish now hold a 6-0 record in November over his first two campaigns.  Before Kelly?  The old Irish won only 6 times over the previous 4 years, including a 1-8 finish during his predecessor's regime.

Saturday night wasn't about statistics, though.  It was about the seniors on the field and in the stands.  Spirits were high across campus both before and after the game, and the players enjoyed a well-fought contest.  I tried to capture some of that atmosphere through photos I took on the field and in the stands.  Enjoy:

Senior Night Scrimmage vs. Backup College

The 24th ranked Fightin' Irish will scrimmage their backups on Saturday evening in front of over 80,000 fans.  To the dismay of all those who would rather watch one of the several exciting real games taking place this weekend, the scrimmage will also be broadcast nationally on NBC.

All kidding aside, this rivalry Big Brother vs. Little Brother contest is significant not only because it presents the Fighting Irish with an opportunity to head into their showdown against the mighty Trees of Stanford while riding the momentum of a four-game winning streak, but it will also be the last time several of the boys in Blue in Gold suit up for a game in Notre Dame Stadium.

Due to the lopsided nature of the upcoming matchup, we find it unnecessary to waste your time with needless analysis.  Instead, we ask that all Fightin' Irish fans arrive at the game early enough to stand and cheer for all of the seniors who will be running out of that hallowed tunnel one last time.  We also ask that you remain standing and cheering throughout the game in order to send the seniors off in true Fightin' Irish fashion as they put on a show in what will be their final act within the House that Rock built.


Breaking News:  Unconfirmed rumors coming from @TheNDleprechaun via Twitter: "Could tomorrow really be the last game ever played on real grass in Notre Dame Stadium?! #bringacamera #GoIrish"

This may never happen again, as Saturday could be the last time Notre Dame
 ever plays on real grass in the house that Rock built

Senior Day Celebration

Notre Dame: 28  Utah: 3

Ask any current Notre Dame senior, and odds are they will tell you how differently they feel about the looming prospect of graduation after Saturday's 28-3 victory over #14 Utah.  When it comes to Notre Dame Football, fair-weather fans have found it hard to sing her glory and sound her fame as of late.  None have been tested more deeply than the loyal sons and daughters of the Class of 2011, who have remarkably remained strong of heart and true to her name despite becoming the losingest class in school history.  Saturday's matchup with Utah was literally their last chance to be part of a meaningful win at home, and our team could not have picked a better time to play inspired football.

On a day when, as Coach Kelly put it, the Fighting Irish "just flat out played," the senior class enjoyed Notre Dame Stadium at its finest.  The team was flying around the field, the crowd was buzzing, and the combination of a marshmallow fight followed by a party on the field capped off a perfect day for the Fighting Irish Faithful.

Marshmallows fly in the senior section at halftime

Coach Kelly was proud of the way his seniors led the team, describing the game as "the culmination of what we've been working on since December," but also just a small step in our overall progress.  Brian Smith spoke for the seniors after the game when he said his goal was to "keep on digging" to ensure that our future teams will have a strong foundation to start from.  Congratulations to the senior football players and every member of the Class of 2011 who can now graduate knowing they were part of what will be a glorious return to the top.

Students pour onto the field after the win

Waking up the echoes inside the tunnel

Banner #12 coming soon...