Knute Rockne. The Gipper. The Four Horsemen. Joe Montana. And, of course, Rudy.

Notre Dame’s history is filled with such legendary figures. On Saturday, Syracuse will be introduced when it plays the Fighting Irish at 2:30 p.m. in South Bend, Ind. The game will be televised on NBC.

Syracuse (1-8) has played just twice in South Bend, the last time in 1961. The Orange and Irish have met just four times, with SU winning the last meeting at home, 38-12, in 2003.

‘I’m definitely excited,’ Syracuse senior cornerback Steve Gregory said. ‘There’s so much great tradition out there. It’s an exciting week.’

Gregory is one of many SU players who expressed anticipation about playing at Notre Dame Stadium. Despite being 35-point underdogs, Syracuse’s second-to-last game is providing a little excitement in what has otherwise been a dismal season. The No. 6 Irish (7-2) present the most difficult challenge for Syracuse, which has lost seven games in a row.

‘I think it will be special,’ SU head coach Greg Robinson said. ‘We went down to Florida State this year, we’ve been to a number of places, but Notre Dame is a special place. I think our players and coaches are all looking forward to it.’

Syracuse is traveling to South Bend today after holding an outdoor practice last night. The team is going to visit the College Football Hall of Fame, in part because there’s an exhibit on Syracuse’s No. 44. It’ll also let the team soak in some of the history that surrounds the Irish.

Gregory said his introduction to Notre Dame came when he watched the movie ‘Rudy’ as a kid. The film depicts the story of a walk-on who gains fame through his dedication to the team in practice. Rudy ultimately dresses for his final game his senior year and the entire Notre Dame crowd chants his name so he can get in for one play.

‘That’s probably the best part,’ Gregory said. ‘Having a whole stadium chanting your name like that sends chills down your spine.’

Junior punter Brendan Carney said Saturday’s game has been his most anticipated. He said Notre Dame’s history of playing memorable games, along with being arguably America’s favorite college team, makes Saturday a unique opportunity.

‘Growing up, you always hear about Notre Dame,’ Carney said. ‘With them having a great record and a great team, you couldn’t ask for anything better.’

Senior defensive end Ryan LaCasse, a Stoughton, Mass., native, not only sees the game as a chance to visit Notre Dame, but also an opportunity to go against first-year Irish head coach Charlie Weis. LaCasse, a New England Patriots fan, has attended several football camps under Weis, who used to be the Patriots’ offensive coordinator.

‘(Weis) throws some interesting plays out there and he’s an impressive guy as an offensive coordinator,’ LaCasse said. ‘It’s going to be a great challenge.’

Weiss has improved the Irish offense substantially in his first year. Notre Dame boasts the nation’s No. 10 offense, gaining 477 yards a game. Notre Dame’s passing attack is No. 5 and its starting quarterback, junior Brady Quinn, is No. 5 in passing efficiency.

Gregory said Notre Dame is difficult to defend because its offense uses numerous formations and has gotten great play out of its wide receivers. He said it’s important to stay within SU’s defense, attack and force turnovers, despite how good the Irish attack is.

‘It’s the biggest challenge we’re going to face all year,’ Gregory said. ‘With all the hype they’ve been getting, and the numbers they’ve been putting up, we wouldn’t expect them to come in and not throw the ball.’

A reporter asked Gregory if he considered SU to be a Rudy-like underdog this weekend. Pointing to the odds makers, he said nobody is expecting Syracuse to win, which eliminates a lot of the pressure of playing in South Bend.

‘We’re not thinking about spoiling their season or anything,’ Gregory said. ‘We’re more focused on what we’re trying to do, and going out and trying to get another win. We’re looking at it as a chance to upset a team that’s on top of the world.’

Published on November 17, 2005 at 12:00 pm