This Team Believes
UHND.com - Eric Sims
September 14, 2000

Notre Dame, Ind - After the devastating loss on Saturday, I went to bed worried sick that the Irish would show up flat and get whipped against Purdue this coming Saturday.  The next morning I awoke to the news that Arnaz Battle and Grant Irons would both be lost for the season, and any opimism I had left in me quickly vanished.  Then some strange things began to happen.

The first was a small if not insignificant matter, but I read that five team leaders, Joey Getherall, Arnaz Battle, and Jabari Holloway among them, went to break the news of Battle's unfortunate injury to the 6-7 converted tight end backup Gary Godsey.  They told Godsey that they believed in him and that it was time to step up.  This small event led me to believe what I had already suspected; namely that there was strong leadership and unity on this team.

So, as my spirits slowly began to rise over the course of Sunday night and Monday, more good news began to roll in.  The big news from practice on Monday was that Godsey would indeed be the starter against Purdue, which came as no surprise to me.  What did surprise somewhat, however, was the tone of the comments from the coaches and players.

Coach Davie, in so many words, reiterated his liking of his team and continued to exude supreme confidence, something that has been lacking for several years and that may be hard to explain right now in the midst of several injuries.  Nevertheless, Davie even went so far as to say that he and the team expected to run the table and win the rest of their games.

Wait a minute, I thought.  Am I really hearing these words being uttered by Bob Davie, the man chastised in many circles for repeatedly making excuses for his team's poor play in the past?

Indeed I was, and the positive comments didn't stop there.  Many of the players and even some assistant coaches hinted that their goal at this point in the season was to face Nebraska before next year's rematch in Lincoln.  Whether realistic or not, these Irish are talking about running the table and playing for the national championship on January 3, 2001 at the Orange Bowl--and quite possibly against the very same Huskers who stole a victory in South Bend on Saturday.  Cornerback Shane Walton even went so far as to promise that the team wouldn't lose another game.

What nice words are coming out of South Bend these days.  Long gone are the phrases "We want to improve as a football team," or "We're not a very good footall team right now."  Even after these apparently disastrous losses to injury and an emotional setback against Nebraska, this team appears to have a swagger that embodies champions.  They believe in themselves, and believing is the first step in succeeding.

Will this belief in themselves translate into victory against the highly-touted Boilermakers of Purdue on Saturday?  Yes it will.  We will see as inspired an effort as we saw on Saturday against Nebraska, and the Irish will win.

Coach Davie, despite all of these recent setbacks, continues to emphasize that his team has a chance to be something special.  I believe him and I believe in the heart of this team.  Do you?