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- Nov 17, 2007
By Adam Rittenberg, ESPN.com
SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- In a real game, the fight and the flip would have had dire consequences.
Two Notre Dame players would have been ejected for their roles in a scuffle following Harrison Smith's touchdown return. Running back Robert Hughes would have earned an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for flinging the ballafter reaching the end zone.
Andy Altenburger/Icon SMI
QB Jimmy Clausen impressed in Notre Dame's spring game.
But in the spring game, neither incident hurt the Fighting Irish. In the long run, both could help them.
Players reached and, at times, exceeded their emotional limits Saturday. Did they go too far? No doubt. But it beats the alternative.
"I thought we were allowed to at least celebrate a little bit," said Hughes, who rushed for 100 yards. "You play football to have fun.It's supposed to be the game you love, so why go out there and not play with emotion?"
But the Irish didn't play with great emotion last fall, enduring quite possibly the worst season in program history. If Notre Dame wasn't thenation's worst team, it was the most uptight.
"Our team came out and the other teams are partying, having a good time, ready to go," coach Charlie Weis recalled. "Our team's going outthere like tin soldiers."
Weis took the blame for that and tried to change the attitude. He even brought back the f-word.
"Making plays was the emphasis, and fun was a residual, positive effect," Weis said.
Smith achieved both when he picked off a Jimmy Clausen pass and raced to the endzone early in the second half.
"We're kind of sick of people talking about us," Smith said. "There's only a couple ways you can change that. One is getting tight,worrying about what people are saying. The other is doing what we're doing."
Clausen countered with 24 seconds left, lofting an 8-yard fade to Duval Kamarafor the game-winning touchdown. It was a throw Weis said Clausen couldn't have made last season.
"You've got to be yourself and play like you played in high school," Clausen said. "You can't change for anyone. … Guys are doingthat now."
...They have a lot to improve on from last year, reporters said that Clausen was looking like a real QB during the spring game.
They lost some key seniors so this year shall be interesting... i have a feelin Weis wont let last year happen again...
discuss
GO IRISH
SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- In a real game, the fight and the flip would have had dire consequences.
Two Notre Dame players would have been ejected for their roles in a scuffle following Harrison Smith's touchdown return. Running back Robert Hughes would have earned an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for flinging the ballafter reaching the end zone.
Andy Altenburger/Icon SMI
QB Jimmy Clausen impressed in Notre Dame's spring game.
But in the spring game, neither incident hurt the Fighting Irish. In the long run, both could help them.
Players reached and, at times, exceeded their emotional limits Saturday. Did they go too far? No doubt. But it beats the alternative.
"I thought we were allowed to at least celebrate a little bit," said Hughes, who rushed for 100 yards. "You play football to have fun.It's supposed to be the game you love, so why go out there and not play with emotion?"
But the Irish didn't play with great emotion last fall, enduring quite possibly the worst season in program history. If Notre Dame wasn't thenation's worst team, it was the most uptight.
"Our team came out and the other teams are partying, having a good time, ready to go," coach Charlie Weis recalled. "Our team's going outthere like tin soldiers."
Weis took the blame for that and tried to change the attitude. He even brought back the f-word.
"Making plays was the emphasis, and fun was a residual, positive effect," Weis said.
Smith achieved both when he picked off a Jimmy Clausen pass and raced to the endzone early in the second half.
"We're kind of sick of people talking about us," Smith said. "There's only a couple ways you can change that. One is getting tight,worrying about what people are saying. The other is doing what we're doing."
Clausen countered with 24 seconds left, lofting an 8-yard fade to Duval Kamarafor the game-winning touchdown. It was a throw Weis said Clausen couldn't have made last season.
"You've got to be yourself and play like you played in high school," Clausen said. "You can't change for anyone. … Guys are doingthat now."
...They have a lot to improve on from last year, reporters said that Clausen was looking like a real QB during the spring game.
They lost some key seniors so this year shall be interesting... i have a feelin Weis wont let last year happen again...
discuss
GO IRISH
