Notre Dame Football's Dismal Year Won'y Doom Fighting Irish

There's no question that this has been a rough year for Notre Dame football fans. Disappointing losses to Air Force and Navy were only two of the countless number of indignities the Irish faced this season to end up 3-9. Even the once-close rivalry with USC provided a horrifying 38-0 blowout in South Bend. But while many are screaming for Charlie Weis to be fired, killed, or worse, the subpar season wasn't totally his fault, and believe it or not, there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Afterall, no one should have expected this Irish team to be capable of playing on the same level as last season's. The team lost a poised leader in Brady Quinn, who holds a total of 36 school records, including the one for most touchdown passes (95), highest average yards-per-game (239.6) and lowest interception percentage (2.43).

Quinn wasn't the only major loss, though. Jeff Samardzija also parted ways with the Fighting Irish, leaving behind a massive pair of shoes to fill. Despite spending his first two seasons with the squad as a reserve, Samardzija made up for lost time, recording 12 touchdowns and 78 catches in 13 games during the 2006 season. His stellar performances also netted him the Notre Dame record for receiving yards, with 2,593.

The Irish running game also took a hit, as star running back Darius Walker elected to forgo his fourth season at Notre Dame and instead pursued a career in the NFL. Walker was a phenomenon from the day he hit campus, setting Irish freshman rushing records with 7 touchdowns and 786 yards. Though Walker has yet to appear in an NFL game, his presence is sorely missed in South Bend.

Considering these personnel losses alone, it's not surprising that Notre Dame is no longer the powerhouse that it once was. Losing a core of record setting offensive players is not an obstacle that is easy to overcome instantaneously. However, there still is hope for the Irish, even after the pathetic year that mercifully came to an end Saturday afternoon.

It's draw much optimism from a 3-9 season, especially when one of those wins came from a too-hard fought victory against Duke. However, the Irish did manage to handle UCLA with little difficulty, defeating the Bruins 20-6 in Pasadena. While this wasn't an impossible task, UCLA is a solid team - an upset over USC could earn the Bruins a Rose Bowl bid if some other chips fall into place.

And as depressing as Notre Dame's first loss to Navy in 43 years was, the game was far from a blowout. The ailing Irish offense racked up 44 points and the Midshipmen needed to take the game into a lengthy overtime to finally sink Notre Dame. Sophomore James Aldridge put up some impressive statistics, rushing for 125 yards. The scrappy running back can only improve and will likely cause some defensive headaches next season.

The season also ended on a positive note with two victories over Duke and Stanford. Though neither school's football program should strike fear into the hearts of their opponents, the games showed more about what the Irish could do right than either of the others could do wrong.

Freshman quarterback Jimmy Clausen turned in performances that could spark some hopes for next season, completing 35 of 64 passes between the two games and recording three touchdowns. His efforts also paid off in ways not visible on the scoresheet, such as his developing decision making and scrambling technique. With the aid of some experience, Clausen should blossom into a skilled leader.

Notre Dame's disappointing season may have finally drawn to a close, but their legacy is destined to live on. After all, there's always next year.