Notre Dame needed to get back over .500 in the worst way, and it did that with a 44-21 win over UNLV. No, a 4-3 record isn’t going to bring back a lot of the national attention that has been lost recently, but it’s a good step back towards respectability. And besides, the Irish needed to take some good vibes into a difficult two-game stretch against Syracuse and Clemson. With their bowl fate potentially on the line, a loss to the Rebels would not have motivated them at all.
Irish fans should be happy just to get back in the win column. Many took to Twitter after the game to express that happiness, but others weren’t so happy. Of course, they also probably are nervous deep down because the aforementioned tough stretch to come. However, the real nerves can come when they need to come, so how about some (mostly) good thoughts in the meantime?