Notre Dame's Former Players Remember The Noise

The Michigan-Notre Dame rivalry has given fans many highs and lows throughout the years. 

It’s hard to forget Elijah Shumate’s interception return for a touchdown in 2014 to seal an incredible ‘ending’ to the series. Yes, it didn’t count, but the majority of Notre Dame fans point to that moment when remembering Brian VanGorder’s shutout. 

Yes, there are also bad memories in recent years. Gary Gray not turning around. Denard Robinson torching the Notre Dame defense, but all those memories, good or bad, stick with those who played in the game. 

Many significant moments stick out when you talk to former players, but there is one common theme when you mention Michigan Stadium. 

Noise. 

“It was my first marquee game I played in,” recalled former Notre Dame long snapper Scott Daly. “I was a redshirt freshman when we played them at their place in 2013. I remember our first punt and how I couldn’t hear our personal protector, Jarrett Grace, make the call because it was so loud.” 

For Robby Toma, the trip to Ann Arbor in 2011 didn’t end how the Irish hoped, but the atmosphere still gives him goosebumps eight years later. 

“It’s unlike any stadium I’ve played in,” stated the former Irish receiver. “Michigan’s stadium has the potential to be the loudest stadium. When they came in the last minute against us in 2011, it took almost an hour to get the ringing sound out of my ears.

“That stadium was rockin’, but when we scored during the game, it felt like we were the only ones in the stadium. It’s a great atmosphere to play in.” 

Despite the hiatus from the series, Notre Dame football coach Brian Kelly has coached at Michigan Stadium and while the results aren’t good, he has prepared his team to handle the tough environment. 

"We started our cadence, nonverbal cadence, last week,” explained Kelly. “I learned that that's something that requires much more repetition, so that was learned. We're not going to make that same mistake twice. 

"I think our guys are really tuned into understanding that the atmosphere will be loud and that you cannot be distracted if you are interested in executing at a high level. If you're distracted, then you're not in the right place emotionally and our guys are pretty locked in on that."

The emphasis on handling tough atmospheres has paid off for the Irish since the fateful Miami game in 2017. Quarterback Ian Book knows emotions will be high, but also knows Notre Dame must find a level of excitement to embrace the challenges they will face on Saturday. 

“Being able to embrace all those elements for some of those guys who haven’t played in huge, loud games like that – we have to find a way to calm down and have fun with it,” Book said “We like when it’s loud. We like when there is a lot of people there. We like when it’s primetime television. That’s why we come to Notre Dame.”

Notre Dame’s roster is filled with players from across the country, so players like Book understand it's a big game, they might not fully understand what the game means to those from the Midwest. 

Former Notre Dame linebacker Jarrett Grace knows all about the pride in the rivalry, but it was also about bragging rights during the offseason and respect.

“One of the more special experiences was playing Michigan since we didn’t play them every year and we knew there was some uncertainty about the series,” explained Grace. “As a Midwest kid, you had bumped shoulders with these guys for years during your recruitment and would almost label the other side as bad guys who lacked the intelligence and common decency it would take to succeed at Notre Dame. 

“It was especially fun for me having a great friend, Joe Bolden, on the other side, whom I greatly respected as a person and competitor. It was probably the most fun game I’d have circled on the calendar each year we played.” 

The rivalry is important to everyone associated with it and former Notre Dame receiver Chris Brown hopes the 2019 Irish can walk away with a good memory from the series as it’s set to take another hiatus in the coming years. 

“In my experience, under the lights was one of the more hype games on the schedule,” said Brown. “Though, from my experience, I have to say I had more pleasure in the game than the other way around.”