Many students said they couldn't have been happier with Notre Dame's 35-17 win over Michigan on Saturday, especially after many analysts predicted an Irish loss.
"We got our respect back," said sophomore Emily Hutchens, referencing Irish linebacker Maurice Crum's speech during the pep rally Friday.
After suffering through a 3-9 campaign last year and watching the team only beat San Diego State by eight last week, many students were happy to see the Irish take a commanding 21-point lead in the first quarter.
"The first quarter was the best quarter of football I've seen from the Irish in a while," freshman Joey Horan said.
Freshman Reggie Henke agreed, adding he could see the fan's excitement bubbling over after the game.
"Afterwards there were people sliding around in the mud and you could tell the fans couldn't have been more happy," he said. "We've only been here a month and to experience a win over Michigan was awesome."
Just before halftime, it started to rain, but most fans remained to watch the game.
"It was great. Everyone was in a good mood overall, and I think the rain contributed to that," senior Michael Wodarcyk said.
Horan said he was happy to stand in the rain to watch the Irish victory despite a cold.
"I was sick, and the rain didn't help, but it was still great," he said.
As a senior, Woodarcyk said he was happy to see the team defeat its rivals during his last season as a member of the student body.
"It was a really fun game with a lot of big plays, especially considering last year's season and the rough game last week," he said.
However, while he was certainly happy with the win, sophomore Scott McIntosh said he would like to see a more efficient attack from an Irish running game, which averaged only 3.2 yards per carry.
"I was impressed, but I'd like to see more consistency in the running game," he said. "Although the offensive line has played spectacularly so far."
Sophomore Chris Schiraldi said he was even impressed by the halftime show, which featured the Michigan band playing some songs by once popular boy bands such as *NSYNC.
"I think they had some really good song choices," he said.
Though neither team is currently ranked, McIntosh said he was happy to see Notre Dame beat Michigan.
"It doesn't matter that we're both not ranked, a win against Michigan is still a big deal," he said. "This game is college football."
