Notre Dame & Jarrett Patterson Focused on Finishing Strong
Notre Dame could have folded after starting the season 0-2 or even after a disappointing loss to Stanford in October.
They didn’t.
Captain Jarrett Patterson and other veterans weren’t going to let the season go to waste, which meant digging deep to finish strong.
“Just that togetherness,” Patterson said of rebound. “Guys are playing for each other and knowing that we only have a month left of the regular season. This is the second-to-last home game of the year, so if it gets too tough, do it for the seniors in your room. Do it for the coaches, Coach (Marcus) Freeman because at the end of the day, you only get so many of these opportunities. I know for myself, this is one of the last few opportunities I get to do something like this.”
The 6-foot-4, 310-pounder has played in 43 games (41 starts) in the blue and gold and that immediately commands respect as Patterson has seen it all.
Patterson also has set a high bar for the entire team as he’s played hurt all season following a foot injury in fall camp.
“Coach (Harry) Hiestand does a good job just rep practice management,” Patterson explained. “Sometimes a walking boot is necessary just to ease that soreness off walking to class during the day, so I get to practice with as much juice as I have.”
With No. 4 Clemson heading to South Bend this weekend, it might be easy to get distracted, but Patterson is cherishing the final moments he gets to spend inside Notre Dame Stadium.
“I definitely think about that,” Patterson said. “Sunday, I was kind of thinking about that. Man, it's already November. It just felt like yesterday we were all in training camp together grinding and now we have four weeks of the regular season left and that's it.”
Notre Dame set an early tone in 2020 when Kyren Williams made a house call less than a minute into the game. Last weekend, Audric Estime and the Irish running backs punished Syracuse’s defense behind Notre Dame dominant offensive line.
The Irish will need to do the same on Saturday and a physical statement early could provide some much-needed confidence.
“It's a tone-setter,” stated Patterson. “We're seeing guys out there blocking. The tight ends or wideouts making a huge block. Seeing that film over the season and watching it through over and over, week and week, that's exciting because we like to think that upfront we want to set the tone. But eventually that kind of spreads throughout all the position groups on offense. When you see stuff like that, it's pretty cool and inspiring. It makes you want to push harder for those guys.”
Now, it’s easier said than done as Clemson boasts one of the nation’s top defensive lines and the best the Irish will face in 2022. Patterson has played Clemson twice and while he won’t be surprised with anything on Saturday, the California native knows the Irish will need to bring their best.
“You can just tell watching guys play like, ‘Yeah, that’s probably a guy that’s going to play on Sundays,’” Patterson explained. “You put the film on these guys. They're strong. They're quick. They play obviously really hard, but it's their technique that separate separates them from a lot of other units across the country.
“It’s definitely a motivating factor. You don't want to go out there and not be prepared and get put on your behind. You have to be ready to go. For these guys, it's exciting to see what they have to do against some of the best in the country.”
What would a win mean to Patterson? Everything.
“It would be really exciting,” said Patterson. “Being my fifth year, I don't really have left that many opportunities like this. Like I told the guys when it gets hard during practice — I told them this a couple of weeks ago — when it gets hard in practice, just do it for the seniors in your room. Do it for your coach because this time goes by just like that and it's over. Opportunities like these, it's why you come to Notre Dame.”
Under Armour White Notre Dame Fighting Irish 2022 Shamrock Series Fitted Hat
