Army scored first and last, but Notre Dame walloped them in between. Led by Heisman hopeful, Brady Quinn, the Irish made senior day in South Bend a memorable experience for all who packed inside Notre Dame Stadium. The Black Knights had the intensity, but lacked the offense to keep up with the luck of the Irish. Notre Dame came pouring out of the famed tunnel in their rarely worn green jerseys. When the captains met at midfield, Brady Quinn received the largest ovation – one of many to come on this nippy November Saturday…
A moment of silence began the festivities in honor of Michigan great, Bo Schembechler, who passed away the day before. The Notre Dame family, as most of the nation, had deep respect for this legend and properly offered this memorial.
After shaking off the silence, the United States Military Academy overpowered Notre Dame when making their entrance. Several parachuters donning black and gold dropped from the sky, each landing on the fifty-yard line to raucous applause. Army used the momentum to get deep into Irish territory early and took a 3-0 lead. But, the efficient combo of Quinn to Samardzija took over. Quinn played the entire game and totaled four touchdowns in the effort. The Black Knights couldn’t keep up. Even when they would get near scoring distance, their offense would sputter or in one case, their field goal attempt would get blocked. Today was all about Notre Dame and sending their beloved seniors out on a high note.
The Notre Dame experience never disappoints. Our seats looked over the golden dome and “Touchdown Jesus.” The crowd remained mostly subdued since the game never reached the worrying barrier. Brady Quinn brought some attention to himself when the student section began chanting his name in the waning moments of the game. He motioned to them and got them to cheer louder. He has become both a campus and national football icon and the crowd adores him. The game ended with the Army team singing their alma mater with their fans and the core. Notre Dame respectfully joined in before charging over to their fans and sending off the seniors. The Irish sang their alma mater and closed another historic season on the hallowed grounds of Notre Dame. Would they be heading to the national championship game to face Ohio State? How historic could this season be?
