McGlinchey Wants a Bowl Game

Notre Dame knows what it has to do to reach a bowl game sitting at 4-6 on the year. Win the last two games. Captain Mike McGlinchey know Virginia Tech and USC are going to tough tasks, but there is a confidence the Irish can win both games to become bowl eligible.

“We want to play in a bowl game,” stated McGlinchey. “It's a huge honor to be able to continue to do that and continue a season, and on top of that it's a great learning experience for the year to come after that. Everybody wants to be in a bowl game. We don't want to be a team that doesn't qualify for a bowl. That would be a hard pill to swallow.

“The fight is there. We understand the challenge that comes in the next two weeks with Virginia Tech and USC the following week, but we're confident that if we prepare and approach the game the right way, we have a shot. And that's all we want to do is be able to qualify for a bowl.”

While 5-7 or 6-6 aren’t good records by Notre Dame standards, McGlinchey knows 6-6 would be a step in right direction. Notre Dame was 2-5 facing a very steep climb to becoming eligible for a bowl, but heading into the last two weeks of the season, the postseason is in the hands of the Irish.

“So to win four out of the last six against the schedule that we play and the season that we've had would definitely be a huge turning point for our program, and especially for the young guys that are in our locker room,” he explained. “I think it would be a very big accomplishment to overcome what we've had to deal with this year and the tough losses that we've had. I think it would be a huge deal for us to be able to make it to the bowl game especially with the two teams that we have remaining on our schedule.”

The 6-foot-7, 315-pounder stated he would be coming back to Notre Dame for a fifth-year a few weeks ago, but nothing is set in stone until McGlinchey is back after winter break. There is the chance he could run out of the tunnel for the final time on Saturday, but more importantly, McGlinchey wants to get a win for the senior class.

“I think anytime you get the chance to play in Notre Dame Stadium you get to soak it in,” McGlinchey said of his Senior Day. “It's a special place. It's a special day, and on top of that, you kind of approach football as if every game is going to be your last one because you never know when it's going to be taken away from you. There are a few guys on our team that understand that this is in fact their last game and that's just a factual statement, and we're going to be laying it all out on the line for them, and regardless of what, yeah, like I said, it's just special anytime you get to play in Notre Dame Stadium, but on top of that to put it all on the line for the guys that aren't going to be here next year is definitely a special thing.”

McGlinchey knows it will be an emotional game for his class and as a captain, it will be his role to help control the emotions during the game for his team.

“Not so much in the preparation of leading up to the game, but certainly afterwards,” McGlinchey said of when the seniors emotions come out. “We've had guys that are true, true Notre Dame guys that have gone through this program and prepared and done everything the right way and after the clock hits zero on senior day, it hits them a little bit that that's the last time they're going to put on the gold helmet in the best stadium in the country. And it brings tears to your eyes just looking at that knowing that that's over for them, and it obviously brings tears to their eyes knowing it's over for themselves.

“It's an honor to be able to play at this university. It's the best in the world. We all know that, and everybody in our locker room cherishes that, and the last time you step foot on that stadium is certainly an emotional day.”

Either way, McGlinchey will run out of tunnel and greet his family on Saturday and despite the record, there is a reason to be positive.

“I think it's just the energy, the attitude and the leadership have been the biggest things that this team has accomplished this season,” said McGlinchey. “Like we've talked about earlier today, it's easy to just kind of keep going into practice every day, jumping around, having fun when you're nine and one going into the last game -- or ten and one going into the last game of your season like we were last year.

“This year it's obviously been a little bit harder to understand what this team is working for now, and everybody has kind of gotten the message that it's just about getting better personally and as a team, and I think that the way that people have took that with stride and the way that this team has been fighting to get better and coming together, growing closer in this hard time is the biggest victory we could have had. And I think that it could have easily gone the wrong way, and it's a huge victory for this team that it didn't, and that's the biggest thing we've held onto this year.”