It is almost a certainty that both sides in the UCLA vs. Notre Dame contest are disappointed. The Bruins carry the burden having come tantalizingly close to a great upset win, only to see it dissolve in the game's last thirty seconds. For the Irish, Charlie Weis, though relieved to have come away with the win, will surely remind his charges this week that they underachieved in a game they were expected to win by a double digit margin. However, there is something useful for both teams to take from the experience.
As a Bruin partisan who also happens to pay attention to Notre Dame football, the prospect of the match was clouded in the expectation that while “my boys” might be ready to play, the environment would eventually overcome them. The team, which has not had success on the road, could hardly expect to find warm hospitality in South Bend. Yet, for fifty-nine minutes and thirty seconds the team was not adversely impacted by the crowd or the aura of performing at the greatest of football venues. The Bruins should be able to look at their defensive performance and understand the level of improvement that they have achieved. Unfortunately though, it is the record that is of importance more than the quality of performance. The coaches and partisans can only hope that the disappointment of losing will not detract from one of the best defensive performances the program has shown in the last five years.
As for the Irish, they need only look at the scoreboard when the time clock slipped to zero to find what they can take from this game. Any team can win when it is playing well. But champions must find a way to win when they do not perform up to their standards. Notre Dame was surprised by UCLA's defense. It seems impossible that the Irish went into the game with the expectation that they would encounter the resistance that they did. But in the face of UCLA's defenders, Notre Dame punched back with repeated efforts to convert on fourth down. And when all but the last half-minute had been played, they did what all champions do-they found a way to win. Their money players, Quinn and Samardzija demonstrated why they are the team leaders. They simply were not going to lose.
A team that refuses to be beaten can overcome any number of other deficiencies. It is hard to say at this point if this quality will be enough to allow the team a chance, given the right set of breaks, to emerge at or near the top when the music stops. But either way, Coach Weis will continue to drive the team to improve, and it looks like he will do it on a base that is founded on a will to win. While disappointing to Bruin fans, it is not altogether bad. This is because when Notre Dame tees it up against USC, our allegiance will be fully with the Fighting Irish.
By Guest Columnist Dick Lister