Spring Break
The Daily OrangeNotre Dame football is at one of the lowest points in the program's history
By Scott Lieber
Posted: 12/5/03, 3:06 AM EST Section: Sports
Tom Zbikowski was 8 years old when he went to his first Notre Dame football game, a 44-0 drubbing of Pittsburgh.
The fans rose early that day, like most on fall Saturdays in South Bend, Ind., tailgating in the parking lots surrounding campus. It's common to see a bagpipe player roaming the streets, tooting the sounds of the Notre Dame victory march.
This was Notre Dame football circa 1993. Tradition. Lore. Prominence. A century-long tradition of winning effectively, convincingly and, most importantly, consistently.
This is not Notre Dame now. Tomorrow the Fighting Irish face Syracuse at the Carrier Dome at 1 p.m. as a 5-6 team scrapping for a bowl spot but unlikely to land one, even with a win. With a loss, Notre Dame would endure one of the worst five-year stretches in its history, going 31-26 in that span.
"The most disappointing, of course, is our start," Notre Dame head coach Tyrone Willingham said. "We didn't get off to a good start. But the most rewarding part has been the way that our guys have hung in there. They have never stopped working. They have never stopped being focused on winning."
After an embarrassing 24-7 loss to Rutgers, Syracuse returns to the Dome, where SU is 4-2 this year.
Zbikowski will be there, too. Now a freshman cornerback on the Fighting Irish, Zbikowski joined during the fall of Notre Dame from perennial national contender, a team that won despite scheduling the toughest schedule in the country, to one that's now using that as an excuse for its struggles.
"Our goal is always to win," Zbikowski said. "I mean, don't forget, we play the toughest schedule in the country. So I wouldn't say we've fallen off. We're rebuilding right now."
A five-year rebuilding plan is unacceptable by Notre Dame's lofty standards.
The luster Notre Dame once had is gone. Its downfall follows an embarrassing path - like the false resume George O'Leary submitted before being hired - and disappointment - two losing seasons over the last three years with a loss tomorrow.
The fans rose early that day, like most on fall Saturdays in South Bend, Ind., tailgating in the parking lots surrounding campus. It's common to see a bagpipe player roaming the streets, tooting the sounds of the Notre Dame victory march.
This was Notre Dame football circa 1993. Tradition. Lore. Prominence. A century-long tradition of winning effectively, convincingly and, most importantly, consistently.
This is not Notre Dame now. Tomorrow the Fighting Irish face Syracuse at the Carrier Dome at 1 p.m. as a 5-6 team scrapping for a bowl spot but unlikely to land one, even with a win. With a loss, Notre Dame would endure one of the worst five-year stretches in its history, going 31-26 in that span.
"The most disappointing, of course, is our start," Notre Dame head coach Tyrone Willingham said. "We didn't get off to a good start. But the most rewarding part has been the way that our guys have hung in there. They have never stopped working. They have never stopped being focused on winning."
After an embarrassing 24-7 loss to Rutgers, Syracuse returns to the Dome, where SU is 4-2 this year.
Zbikowski will be there, too. Now a freshman cornerback on the Fighting Irish, Zbikowski joined during the fall of Notre Dame from perennial national contender, a team that won despite scheduling the toughest schedule in the country, to one that's now using that as an excuse for its struggles.
"Our goal is always to win," Zbikowski said. "I mean, don't forget, we play the toughest schedule in the country. So I wouldn't say we've fallen off. We're rebuilding right now."
A five-year rebuilding plan is unacceptable by Notre Dame's lofty standards.
The luster Notre Dame once had is gone. Its downfall follows an embarrassing path - like the false resume George O'Leary submitted before being hired - and disappointment - two losing seasons over the last three years with a loss tomorrow.
