Orange Crushed

Senior Day at Notre Dame Stadium was, for the first time in several years, what it is supposed to be, a celebration of a strong season, including a big win that day. The pre-game hype for the occasion tightened up the Irish offense, which was held scoreless in the first quarter for the first time this year. The defense, however, played lights out from kickoff. The anemic Syracuse offense scored just three points before Charlie Weis emptied the bench. After a slow start, the Irish offense came to life, opening up a 14-3 halftime lead. All doubt about the outcome was erased by sophomore nickleback Leo Ferrine's pick-6 on the first play from scrimmage in the second half. During the game, Brady Quinn became the first quarterback in Irish history to throw for more than 3000 yards in a season, adding to the several new marks he has set throughout the year. A win over Stanford next week would all but assure the Irish a spot in a BCS bowl.