NOTRE DAME Win over Vols has benefits

Notre Dame's remaining games are against Pittsburgh and No. 1 USC.
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) -- Notre Dame did more than silence the crowd of 107,266 fans at Tennessee's Neyland Stadium. It silenced its critics -- for a week at least.
Coach Tyrone Willingham spoke last week of how Notre Dame fans sensed there was no chance the Irish could beat the Volunteers.
"I think most of the people that have talked to me are really feeling great pity on our football team, that we even have to go into that environment. Gosh, I'm getting prayers already," he said.
No need for such anguish.
Winning season
The Irish rebounded not only from a wrenching 24-23 loss to Boston College two weeks earlier, when they squandered a 13-point lead in the second half, they earned their second win over a Top 10 team. The 17-13 victory in Knoxville on Saturday clinched a winning season, making the Irish bowl eligible.
Not bad for a team given no chance by many fans.
"This is the biggest win in my eyes since I have been here," guard Bob Morton said.
The story line heading into the game was reminiscent of Notre Dame's last visit to Neyland Stadium exactly five years earlier. The Irish entered the game in 1999 with an identical 5-3 record and coached by Bob Davie. Davie at that point had a career record of 21-12, one victory more than Willingham's 20-13 record at Notre Dame entering the game.
Tailspin effect
That Irish squad was beaten 38-14 by the then-No. 4 Volunteers. Notre Dame came out of the game beaten up and lost its next three to finish 5-7.
On Saturday, the Irish delivered the hard hits, holding the Vols to 58 yards rushing while knocking quarterback Erik Ainge from the game with a separated right shoulder.
Linebacker Mike Goolsby came up with the big play -- possibly the season-saving play -- intercepting a bad pass by third-string quarterback Rick Clausen and returning it 26 yards for a touchdown.
"There comes certain times in games where you've got to step up. That was one of those times," Goolsby said.
Goolsby was yelled at for celebrating a little early, raising the ball over his head about the 5-yard line and running into the end zone with it in the air. It was the first touchdown of his life, though.
"I really didn't know what was happening," he said.
What was happening was this: Goolsby was putting the Irish (6-3) back on pace for a decent finish, with two games remaining -- against Pittsburgh (5-3) and No. 1 USC (9-0). The win moved the Irish to No. 24 in the poll. The Vols dropped six spots to No. 15.
Loss, big-win pattern
This marked the second time this season the Irish followed a disheartening loss with a big victory. After a dismal performance in a season-opening 20-17 loss against BYU, the Irish bounced back with a 28-20 win over then-No. 8 Michigan.
Willingham said the Irish simply wanted to show the doubters what this team could do.
"I think most of us like to prove people wrong in life," he said. "That when they count you out, you like to stand tall and show that you can do something they don't expect you to do."
He couldn't put his finger on why the Irish play better a week after disappointing losses.
"But what I'll imagine for next week is that we lost this ball game," he said.