I was lucky to be in that stadium tonight - special feeling. Most incredible thing I've ever been a part of. So happy for the players but also the students. This is their last game this year (last week of class is next week), and it's been quite the semester - COVID, elections, student deaths, Fr. Jenkins, etc. and I think you all could see the 3+ months of pent up anxiety and stress and grief exploding out into joy. I'm proud to be a Domer tonight.
The Good:
1. This team. They play for each other. The defense picks up the offense. The offense made some up plays tonight despite struggles. Coaches making enough adjustments. Book having the guts to come back out after the drop by Skowronek. So much more.
2. The students/ND stadium experience. Best I've ever seen it (compares to USC a couple of times in the last decade, Michigan in 2012, end of Stanford 2012, maybe some others). 10,000 felt like 80,000, especially when defense was on the field - even when Clemson kept on driving. They've done an excellent job with the video board/band to keep students energized. A couple of really cool clips (former ND games/Rudy clips/even a clip from The Miracle!) that fired the kids up. And right before the last stand in 2OT, they showed a compilation of pep rally/pre-game speeches that included Digger, Lou (including the Spirit of Notre Dame won this game clip). I don't know how or why they saved it for 2OT, but I'm glad they did. Place was rocking. I'd be interested to know how it came across on TV.
The Bad:
1. We can play better/more disciplined, and I think that's such a great message to be able to give a team that just beat the number one team.
2. Refs/replay. Without going into bad/missed calls and picked up flags, just too many replays and re-replays that screwed up the flow of the game. I know some of the replays were warranted, but it seemed like it took forever just for them to go to replay.
The Worst:
1. As I was walking back from the stadium, I realized we missed a golden opportunity to chant "A-C-C" at the end of the game... Hopefully we won't get that chance again.
Go Irish!
