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✦ NEWS & NOTES BY LOU SOMOGYI THE LAST HURRAH Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly has often stated this season that he doesn't delve into historical or statistical footnotes as it relates to his 2012 team. However, he admitted during his Tues- day weekly conference that there was one piece of data he was aware of and shared with the team during their Monday meeting: A victory against 5-5 Wake For- est this weekend would give the Fight- ing Irish their first unbeaten campaign at home in 14 years, the longest such drought in school history. The previous high was eight straight years from 1956-63. Many of those home setbacks have come on Senior Day, an event which for- mer Notre Dame head coach Lou Holtz (1986-96) used to say, in jest, was chal- lenging because playing football can be ex- tremely difficult when all the seniors have tears of sentiment impeding their vision. It was no laughing matter for Holtz, though, when his powerful top-10 Irish teams lost on Senior Day three out of four years from 1990-93, most notably when his 10-0 and No. 1 Notre Dame unit suf- fered a 41-39 defeat to Boston College in 1993. The Fighting Irish have lost four other Senior Days since then, including 2008 to 2-8 Syracuse — when high school senior linebacker Manti Te'o made his official visit to Notre Dame — and 2009, when the current fourth-year seniors were fresh- men and saw Notre Dame fall 33-30 in double overtime to Connecticut in what would be head coach Charlie Weis' final home game. Kelly remembers only one item about his Senior Day at Assumption College in 1982. The Greyhounds, captained by Kelly, suffered their lone loss of a 7-1-1 season. Tight end Tyler Eifert is among 29 Irish seniors that will be honored on Saturday, but their focus will be on put- ting the finishing touches on Notre Dame's first unbeaten season at home in 14 years. PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA ✦ PAGE 13 "The most important thing is for them to get the proper perspective through the week," Kelly said of the message delivered to his players. "Yes, it is your last home game, but we've got a lot in front of us. What you'll remember the most is whether you win the game, not that it was your last home game." The Irish have won their five home games this season by an average of only 4.6 points — none by more than seven and two in extra sessions — and committed 10 of their 13 turnovers this season in Notre Dame Stadium. Conversely, it has won its five road games by an average of 25.4 points, with its 21-6 victory at Boston College last weekend its closest call. The emotion of Senior Day promises to ratchet those home distractions to a new level, especially with the No. 3 Irish in the hunt for the national title. "Make sure that you keep the distrac- tions to a minimum," Kelly reiterated to his troops. "And if there is any emotion … let's have the emotion after the game celebrating a great victory. "Our guys have been around it. They know what it's like. I expect them to han- dle it appropriately." THE HONORED ONES Twenty-nine seniors will be introduced prior to Saturday's game with family members greeting them on the field. For many, though, it won't necessarily be their final game at Notre Dame, be- cause just more than one-third has a fifth season of eligibility. Alphabetically, here are the seniors who will be honored: Walk-on safety Blake Brelua Will linebacker Carlo Calabrese Center Braxston Cave Long snapper Jordan Cowart