Irish face another tough test on Saturday

Associated Press

SOUTH BEND, Ind.

There are few things Notre Dame fans enjoy more than reveling in their history.

This is not what they had in mind.

After two straight losses, each by less than a touchdown, this year’s version of the Fighting Irish is starting to look an awful lot like last season’s. That team limped to a 6-6 finish and got Charlie Weis fired, and the Irish were confident that kind of ugliness was a thing of the past when Brian Kelly was hired.

But Kelly insists Notre Dame is not on the verge of another tailspin. Take away one play here and there, and the Irish record looks much different.

“We’re in the first quarter of our season, first chapter of the book. I think it’s a little frustrating to read right now, but I’d stick with the book. I think it’s going to be a good read,” he said. “This team is getting better each week.”

Now comes No. 16 Stanford on Saturday. The Irish are 0-for-10 against ranked teams dating back to 2006, with four of those losses at home.

“I’ve had teams that didn’t know how to win. You could just tell. That’s not this group,” Kelly said. “They need to play cleaner.

“When you play evenly matched football teams and they play well, then it comes down to a couple of plays,” Kelly said.

“That’s what we have to get to.”