It was a very, very long two years, but the Charlie Weis era at Notre Dame finally reached the Hawaii Bowl as the Fighting Irish outscored a slower Hawaii team, 49-21, thankfully ending the negative and burdensome 9-game bowl. of Notre-Dame. losing streak. The Irish hadn’t won since their 24-21 win over Texas A&M in the 1994 Cotton Bowl, 15 years ago after the 1993 season.
When Notre Dame’s regular season had just ended with a 6-6 average mark after a 3-9 season a year ago, it was questionable whether the apologists outnumbered the rabid Irish fans calling for the head of Charlie Weis. in a tray. It wasn’t like Weis had taken over a successful show and ruined it.
He had inherited a team that Tyrone Willingham had led to an 11-12 record over two seasons, and given the recruiting talent he inherited from Willingham, he led Notre Dame to a 9-3 record in his first year before losing in a BCS Fiesta Bowl game. .
Weis’ sophomore season was a 10-3 goal, then his Irishman suffered a second straight loss in a BCS Sugar Bowl game. There were already rumors among the Notre Dame faithful that they are very faithful to the Fighting Irish tradition but impatient and disloyal to their losing coaches. That’s because Notre Dame’s tradition is unmatched in college football history.
Notre Dame has 11 consensus national championships and has been selected for 10 other shared national championships. Notre Dame has 102 winning seasons in 120 years of play, it has had 12 undefeated seasons and another 10 with a maximum of only 1 loss or tie. Notre Dame has the second-highest winning percentage (.736) among all Division I-A schools, second only to Michigan (.738).
Notre Dame has storybook coaches, including Knute Rockne (105-12-5), Frank Leahy (87-11-9), Ara Parseghian (95-17-4) and Lou Holtz (100-30-2). And the players. The Fighting Irish has 7 Heisman Trophy winners and has produced more All Americans than any other school.
When you go 9-15 over 2 seasons at Notre Dame, you’re in trouble and Charlie Weis was until the Hawaii Bowl. The Irish faithful kept asking “where is all the talent he was supposedly recruiting?” Much of that freshman and sophomore talent finally turned up in a big way at the Hawaii Bowl. Sure, an argument can be made that Hawaii isn’t exactly the powerhouse of college football, but for those who watched the game, this is abundantly clear:
Second-year wide receiver Golden Tate’s speed was evident with 6 receptions for 177 yards, including 3 receptions and rushing touchdowns of 18, 40 and 69 yards running away from the covering defensive back. Tate led the team with 52 receptions for 903 yards and 7 TDs during the regular season.
Rookie running back Amando Allen’s speed was evident with 2 receptions for 59 yards, including an 18-yard touchdown and an electrifying 96-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.
The size and hands of 6-foot-3, 200-pound freshman wide receiver Michael Floyd, who set Notre Dame’s freshman regular season record with 46 receptions for 702 yards and 7 TDs.
Freshman tight end Kyle Rudolph, 6-foot-6, 252-pound, who caught 4 passes for 78 yards.
The play of 6-foot-5, 304-pound rookie right guard Trevor Robinson, who helped the offensive line drop sacks allowed in the regular season from 58 to 20, the lowest total in 8 years.
Second-year quarterback Jimmy Clausen’s accuracy was incredible. Clausen was 22 of 26 for 401 yards and 5 touchdowns. Hawaiian Warriors coach Greg McMacklin said that, including his years in the NFL, Clausen was “as precise as he’d ever seen him.”
Notre Dame clearly has some impressive position players who have come of age despite their youth. Now Charlie Weis needs to find more linemen to protect them and help them succeed. The Irish defense had 8 sacks and 2 forced turnovers in their Hawaii Bowl win. Notre Dame is developing a “we are one” mentality. When the Hawaii Bowl pineapple-football trophy was presented at center field after the win, every Irish player stepped forward to put their hands on the award; they were so interested in what the statute meant for Notre Dame, the tradition of Irish football, and for themselves.
Did anyone notice that Charlie Weis called a big game from the booth above? Trust me when I say the Hawaiian Warriors figured it out. Notre Dame fans need wonder no more, the Charlie Weis Era at Notre Dame has officially begun with his players, his system and his first bowl win as coach of the Fighting Irish.
Copyright © 2008 Ed Bagley