Notre Dame Club of Boston

The Brian Kelly era begins tomorrow against in-state rival Purdue.

Tomorrow marks the first competitive game in the Brian Kelly era at ND. The Irish will take on Purdue tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. at Notre Dame Stadium.

As a freshman eagerly anticipating his first ND game last year, it felt like a month before it actually came. This year, I feel like it almost snuck up on me. Less than two weeks into the year and the season is about to begin.

The atmosphere on campus the last day or so has been electric. There’s a renewed sense of optimism going around that I honestly just did not feel last year. As tomorrow approaches and fans start to crowd the campus its going to feel a bit like déjà vu. I’ve never really been a part of something as exciting as a game at Notre Dame Stadium. Lou Holtz was right, there really is nothing like it, and you can’t describe it unless you’ve seen it in person. Tonight will be the annual Dillon Hall Pep Rally, where many of the players as well as Coach Kelly (or so I’ve heard) are scheduled to speak. After that, it’s all a blur until the game begins.

The Irish are favored by eleven points over the Boilermakers( as a side note, why would anyone make boilers? And why would you name your sports teams that?) of Purdue in tomorrow’s game. I think the offense will have a big day, say more than thirty points. My concern, though, is the defense. I think a lot of people are overlooking the fact that Purdue’s offense is led by Robert Marve, a Miami transfer. If the defense hasn’t improved from last year, the game may turn into a shootout.

Scott