IN THE TRENCHES ANDREW OWENS
F
ive years ago, Notre Dame jumped
for joy at the conclusion of head
coach Brian Kelly's inaugural sea-
son when it finished off a three-game
winning streak to qualify for a bowl
game.
For a program that stood at 4-5 after
losses to Navy and Tulsa just weeks
prior — and had reached only one
bowl game in Charlie Weis' final three
seasons — earning a Sun Bowl berth
was a vital step.
Five years later, there was no such
satisfaction in the Notre Dame locker
room after the Irish merited an invita-
tion to a New Year's Six bowl.
"I won't tell you that they were jump-
ing up and down when the announce-
ments were made today because they
were disappointed that they weren't
one of the four teams," Kelly said. "But
they also want to play one more game
together, and this is that opportunity to
play one more game together. They've
gotten an opportunity to play arguably
one of the top eight teams, and any one
of those eight teams could be playing
for a spot in the playoffs.
"Ohio State, in our estimation, could
be one of the best teams in the country,
and we're feel like we're one of the
best teams in the country."
Irish Eye Major Bowl Win
Head coach Brian Kelly's team is motivated to earn Notre Dame's first victory in a January bowl game
since it defeated Texas A&M 24‑21 in the Cotton Bowl following the 1993 campaign.
PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA
