Experience matters.
Notre Dame boasts one of the most experienced rosters in college football — and with that comes scars and lessons learned in the fire.
Hard Rock Stadium may sit half-empty most weeks, but when the Irish arrive Sunday night, it will be full and hostile.
Back in 2017, Notre Dame wasn’t ready for the chaos and melted under the pressure. Marcus Freeman has made his team well aware of what happened that night and prepared the Irish for the hostile environment.
Now, does that mean Notre Dame won’t have a false start, delay of game or have a communication breakdown? No. All three will likely happen on Sunday night, as it will be loud, and game one always brings simple mistakes.
The X-factor is that experience. Notre Dame has it. A significant portion of the Irish roster overcame adversity in the same stadium in January to punch a ticket to the National Title game.
For Notre Dame captain Aamil Wagner, the 2024 run to Atlanta provided priceless experiences to allow the offensive line to be prepared to avoid adversity from snowballing.
“It’s extremely valuable,” stated Wagner. “Big game environments are always unique wherever you play. I know whenever we go anywhere in the country, they’re going to give us their best. Having the opportunity to go to the playoffs, play in those environments and be around loud fanbases in tense moments with pressure just gives us experience. It gives us a chance to calm ourselves down when we see it again.”
Notre Dame receiver Will Pauling hasn’t played a game in the blue and gold, but he’s played in his fair share of big games during stops at Cincinnati and Wisconsin.
In fact, Pauling showed up big last fall against Alabama by catching nine balls for 83 yards and a touchdown.
The key for Pauling is reminding himself he’s played the game for 15 years and the game hasn’t changed despite the hype or noise away from the field.
“You can’t make the game bigger than it is,” explained Pauling, who was also voted a captain. “I think Coach Freeman has done a good job of explaining the history of this game. Understanding that has helped us attack practice each day. I’m looking forward to the game.”
Discussing how to block out distractions before the game or stating that the noise won’t be a factor is one thing. Executing and doing it on game day is another.
Defensive lineman Donovan Hinish has been told what to expect, as his older brother, Kurt, experienced Hard Rock Stadium in 2017.
The older Hinish saw the beer bottle fly through the bus window and saw his team melt on the field.
Hard Rock Stadium is going to be loud. The crowd is going to talk trash and the hype of a Top 10 matchup isn’t going away.
Hinish believes the key is weathering the storm and not wasting energy on the factors Notre Dame can’t change.
“I'd say I'm rather familiar,” Hinish said of hostile environments. “We've got to be able to handle what happens. You can't get caught up in the noise on the outside because once you get caught up, you won't play as well. You just can't get caught up in the emotion, trying to energize the crowd and feed back into what they're trying to do. You need to focus on the game. I can't go into the game, feed into the crowd and the fans trying to aggravate me. That's not going to do anything besides burn me out, so keep a level head.”
The Pittsburgh native also hopes the Miami crowd is loud early, which will lead to a quieter second half.
"By the third quarter, they're gonna lose their voice and won't be able to scream,” Hinish stated. “Scream as much as you want. I don't care. It doesn't bother me. I just go in there, head down, go to work. Don't be scared when they yell. It's a football game. They're going to yell.”
Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr will be making his first start in college on Sunday. It’s not a favorable situation for a young quarterback, but it’s one Carr is embracing after he watched how Riley Leonard conducted himself a year ago.
Carr might not have a routine as a starter, but he has a good idea of how he wants the weekend to go.
“Watching Riley was a big pro for me,” explained Carr. “Seeing how he handled himself and how he handled pregame, the night before the game and day of the game. Stuff like that has really helped. It’s given me a baseline of what I want to do, what I think I’m going to do going into the game.”
Former Notre Dame quarterback Ian Book has a long-standing relationship with Carr and shared some thoughts about his experience in 2017.
“He played at Miami,” stated Carr. “He talked about the crowd and the atmosphere. Getting those little tidbits has been really important.”
The Michigan legacy also got some quality advice from his grandfather, Lloyd Carr, who knows a thing or two about big stages.
“He texted me after I got named the starter,” said Carr. “He said football runs in the Carr family blood and that this is your moment. You’re ready for this. Go out against Miami, attack and don’t look back.”
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