Notre Dame keeps her title alive with a 31-21 win

Gallery: Notre Dame vs. Northwestern

"I got up and had a whole lot of grass and dirt in my eyes," said Coney. "I could not see what was happening."

Before the panic set in, his Fighting Irish teammates rushed to get him back and bring him back to safety.

"My brothers came over there and caught me and said," Let's go back to our sideline. Let's keep playing football, "said Coney with a relieved smile.

Looking for an appropriate metaphor after Notre Dame, third in the standings, was put to the test bench and raised to 9-0, this Coney anecdote could serve as well as anything else that goes back on the surface.

Things went awry for the visitors, who played Alize Mack (concussion) loosely and with a limited dose of disabled linebacker Drue Tranquill, who still managed to flash several times in the third try.

Notre Dame escaped a 7-all tie at half-time to let the Wildcats return to the three points in the middle of the last quarter. In the end, however, they did just enough to be taken on the team buses and pointed the way to the national championship.

It remains to be seen whether this track will really go through South Bend this season, especially after first place Alabama, ranked first, manhandled by LSU 29-0 in prime time. But the Irish continue to take care of their business so as to suggest that they can avoid the same kind of November disaster that struck them a year ago.

"I think with the experience we have, it's easier than in the past," said cornerback Julian Love after a successful comeback in Chicago. "The teams of (Notre Dame) in the past years, they felt that the pressure was rising every week, which is the case. We will just continue to do what we did and that led us to be 9-0. "

TO CLOSE

"In the margins, we said to ourselves:" Do not crack, "said Notre Dame's linebacker, Te Coney, after surviving the fear at Northwestern.
Mike Berardino, IndyStar

This formula generally featured a fierce pass race, a curvy but undefeated defense, the precise death of Ian Book and a good dose of "Juice", offered by running back Dexter Williams.

The stew of Saturday's win also included a series of bewildering penalties, including a handful of false starts by the offensive line; Houston Griffith, freshman, during the furious fourth quarter Northwestern rally and a failed mission that led to a blocked kick and another easy game for the Wildcats.

Notre Dame also lost a fumble when the match opened for the second week in a row, but as it did last weekend in San Diego, the Irish defense prevented this lack of vigilance from quickly changing. in deficit.

At that time, and in the more tense situations that occurred in the second half, the mood was at the limit of determination and balance.

"We said," Do not worry, no matter what, "said Coney after collecting two out of five purses for the Irish," We've had challenges all year round, and our coaches are doing a great job in putting us in situations like this where we have to go and try to win the game. "

Once again, the Irish responded to the challenge.

"It's like waking a sleeping beast," said Love. "When they got up at three o'clock, everyone paced the sideline, shouting one to the other, shouting, motivating themselves, saying:" Let's go! " # 39;

TO CLOSE

Notre Dame's receiver, Chase Claypool, explains how he became a de facto DB to unleash a potential interception just before half-time.
Mike Berardino, IndyStar

Certainly, according to Love, Notre Dame sometimes lacked the energy required during a first half. What's more, the 10-point favorites seemed to relax once they took advantage 24-7 in the fourth quarter, and then slaughtered the hammer one more time with a 89-yard touchdown on a 89 yards passes that Book has curled scamper around the left end.

Now it's time to finish a perfect regular season to earn a spot at the college football playoff table. The next step is Senior Day and a home finals against a Florida State program that has experienced an unspeakably difficult time.

These unbalanced road losses in Miami and Stanford last November remain quite fresh in the minds of the Irish to serve their cautionary purpose, no translation required.

"We have to stay humble," receiver Chase Claypool said after a 130-yard evening. "Last year at about the same time, the rankings were released and Miami arrived. I think that's why we're coming into these games and staying focused, because you never know who can beat you. "