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✦ NEWS & NOTES THEY SAID IT "It's a different energy around here. I "So Heisman Trophy, MVP, top col- haven't really felt that energy before. It's an exciting, about-time feeling." — Notre Dame sophomore defensive end Stephon Tuitt freshman year. It's going to mean a lot to me and my family. It's going to mean a lot for this program. We're going to make sure that we're ready for this game.'' — Miami junior quarterback Stephen Morris on playing Notre Dame, following his record-setting perfor- mance against North Carolina State "I've been waiting for this game since my doesn't he? It's funny, but you never heard those kind of stories come out of Notre Dame when they were losing those games. He should just be happy the Big Ten official gave him that game or he wouldn't have won his one national championship and I would've won my second. He should just be happy about that. … Scrawny Lou Holtz" — Former Miami head coach Jimmy Johnson in the Sun Sentinel responding, 25 years later, to Lou Holtz asking his players to "save Jimmy Johnson's ass for me" prior to the legendary 1987 game between Miami and Notre Dame in South Bend "Scrawny Lou Holtz takes pride in that, Although defensive players rarely win the Heisman Trophy, senior Manti Te'o has been men- tioned as a candidate for the prestigious award. PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA "The program is under the cloud of an NCAA investigation and a self-imposed post- season ban last year. Just about every upperclassmen with a professional future bailed early to pursue it. If there was ever a team that might slink away, give in or struggle to fight through adversity, be it in mid-week preparation or tight late-game moments, it'd be Miami. Only the opposite has come true. … It's Notre Dame week — big stage, big opportunity, big moment for a coach and a program that don't appear willing to go down without one heck of a fight." — Dan Wetzel, Yahoo! Sports games, but to be able to play in Soldier Field that's going to be a great experience." — Notre Dame senior safety and Chicago native Chris Salvi "Growing up a Bears fan this is going to be great. I've been there to watch plenty of just possible that Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o has the combination of skills and platform for a breakthrough? Although two-thirds of the season remain, no frontrunner has emerged for college football's most prestigious award. Meanwhile, Te'o has led the Fighting Irish to a 4-0 start." — George Schroeder, USA Today "It's a time-tested tradition: Defensive players don't win the Heisman Trophy. But is it all teams in college. He's the best football player that I've personally coached." — Notre Dame defensive coordinator Bob Diaco "I would say that Manti [Te'o] is the finest football player in America — all positions, Sophomore defensive end Chase Hounshell's ailing shoulder requires additional corrective surgery and will cause him to miss the remainder of this season. PHOTO BY JOE RAYMOND ✦ PAGE 13 legiate player — we think Manti fits those categories." Te'o and fellow Hawaiian classmate and slot receiver Robby Toma both went back to the Islands during the bye week. It was the first trip back for Te'o since the death of his maternal grandmother Annette San- tiago and girlfriend Lennay Kekua within hours of each other Sept. 12. "There is probably some closure to it which allows you to continue on in the grieving process," Kelly said. INJURY UPDATE Head coach Brian Kelly confirmed at his weekly press conference that sopho- more defensive end Chase Hounshell and junior safety Austin Collinsworth will sit out the remainder of this season, thereby allowing them to be eligible for medical redshirt years after their senior seasons. Collinsworth had shoulder surgery in June. Hounshell missed spring drills fol- lowing shoulder surgery and will undergo more corrective surgery. The defensive line did receive good news when both fifth-year senior Kapron Lewis-Moore and freshman Sheldon Day used the bye week to recover from nagging lower body injuries. With Hounshell sidelined, the second- team defensive line will feature junior Kona Schwenke rotating with junior Louis Nix III at nose guard, Day behind Lewis- Moore and sophomore Tony Springmann in a "swingman" role along the line, with sophomore end Stephon Tuitt a mainstay. Junior Prince Shembo also has lined up at end in pass-rush situations at his hybrid Cat linebacker position. Senior kicker Nick Tausch also isn't fully healthy after suffering a groin injury after the first game. In his place, sopho- more Kyle Brindza has converted 6 of 7 field goal attempts, highlighted by the 27- yard game winner with seven seconds left against Purdue. ✦