By james art Back in September, it looked like the season had stopped for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. A shocking loss to the Northern Illinois Huskies at Notre Dame Stadium sent shock waves throughout the college football world. How can Notre Dame, a football powerhouse with a top 10 recruiting class, lose to a Northern Illinois team that is a 28.5 point underdog. The Huskies just wanted it more than the Fighting Irish on this day. The loss also reminded every team across the country to never take their opponent lightly, no matter who they are. When the Notre Dame players walked off the field that day, you could hear the crowd booing throughout the stadium. Was it already the end of Notre Dame in 2024? As legendary Gameday host Lee Corso has stated more times than anyone can count, “not so fast, my friend.” The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are showing the entire country that they are alive and well.
The twist
The Irish marched into East Rutherford, New Jersey yesterday to take on the undefeated Navy Midshipmen. Navy wanted to show the college football world that they were for real after their 6-0 start to the season. Unfortunately for the Midshipmen, they ran into a red-hot Notre Dame team. The incredible upset at Northern Illinois is now a distant memory for the Fighting Irish, who are getting stronger as the weeks go by. Notre Dame routed Navy 51-14 to improve its record to 7-1 and keep its playoff chances alive. Riley Leonard, who continues to improve each week, threw for 178 yards and two touchdowns. Sure, it doesn’t exactly light up the stat sheet, but Leonard’s control of the offense is a huge shot in the arm. After the loss to Northern Illinois, this Notre Dame team is playing with a chip on its shoulder the size of Texas. Maybe the loss to the Huskies is all the motivation the Irish will need this season. Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman reportedly likes to show his team game film from the upset at Northern Illinois to remind them to never get complacent. Freeman mentioned that he likes to show his team the Northern Illinois game to make sure they stay scared. Is the fear of losing much stronger than the joy of winning? It actually makes a lot of sense. Not a bad way to motivate a group of college football players.
Notre Dame cornerback Benjamin Morrison (20) walks with his team during warmups before an NCAA college football game between Notre Dame and Northern Illinois at Notre Dame Stadium, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in South Bend.
Moving forward
With four games remaining on their 2024 season schedule, the Fighting Irish are looking to continue their hot streak and make the College Football Playoff. The Irish should be favored against Florida State, Virginia, Army and USC. Army seems to be the only team that can pose a threat at this point. Florida State is in the midst of a historically bad season, Virginia is under par, and USC is struggling tremendously. Notre Dame controls their own destiny. A win, they’re in, another loss, let’s cross that bridge when we come to it. Losing to Northern Illinois turned out to be the best thing that could have happened to the Notre Dame football program. Fear is an extremely strong emotion that plays a role in the life of every person on Earth. Fear of the unknown, fear of rejection or, in the case of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, the fear of failure. Fortunately for players, Marcus Freeman has taken that fear and used it to keep them grounded. Keep winning and that fear will never haunt them again.
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