Back again, Brian.

We talked to you in the spring we talked to in the summer.

Now it's December and we meet again.

And if you think back to the conversations you and I had about what might be right and what you've had to do and your teams had to do to get Thio here, how do you think years from now you'll remember what this 2020 season was like, Wow, you know, in a lot of ways, Scott, it gives me, um, so much more motivation to coach young men.

Um, in this game, because of what they've had to sacrifice to get to this point, they're incredible sacrifices to just just to play this game, you know, because of Cove, it the incredible passion, uh, the sacrifices in terms off, giving up so many things at their age just to be able to test negative so they can practice and play a za coach, uh, man, that gives you so much excitement and energy for for our youth to be able to do this.

We had Ian book on after you guys beat Clemson, and I asked him about that.

You know Field gets stormed and he I felt so bad for your guys because he said, Of course you want to celebrate.

That's why you come to Notre Dame.

But every instinct of celebration is met with I gotta get the hell out of here.

We got to get off the field, you know?

I mean, but he and your guys for the for the most part, I think they they were able to do that.

I think, did that speak to you as well that after that incredible moment that they all had the discipline to try to get to try to stay safe?

Absolutely.

Look, they wanted to take it in just like our students wanted to take it in.

And look, a lot of people didn't know that that all those students were tested as well.

But having said that, they the moment was so special because of what I said earlier.

Scott is that even those students that were there on they were there for their last home game.

They sacrificed so much in this year's well in terms of coming to Notre Dame and having to be in hybrid classes and taking classes online.

It was special that our players were able to share that with them.

They wanted to make sure that they got a chance to celebrate in it, but they also wanted to play the next week to.

So they did a little celebrating and they got off the field real quick.

I know the coaches look at their their their players to a degree like Children, and you can't pick one who's a favorite.

That's an impossibility.

But I do wanna ask about In who with another win in his last game Saturday against Syracuse, would become the all time winningest quarterback at Notre Dame.

That's a heck of a thing to say, man.

And as you shake your head at the acknowledgement of that, how do you best describe who he and book has been for you, Brian Champion, a Ah guy that has taken the slings and arrows of outrageous misfortune on DNA not being given the credit that he has rightfully deserved and that he's gonna earn on Saturday as the all time winningest quarterback in Notre Dame history.

That's that's an incredible feat for all the great great players that have played here.

Notre Dame and he's done it, um, with the scrutiny.

He's done it with unfair criticism on.

He's done it with with class and dignity all the way.

And and so I love the in book I love for what he represents and what he stands for and and how he's handled himself throughout his time here.

Notre Dame.

We.

We are a better football program because of his presence at Notre Dame.

And so the news of Tuesday, Brian, is that there won't be a makeup with Wake, which means the Syracuse game will be your last until you play in Charlotte, presumably in a rematch against Clemson.

So, I mean, you're in a situation here where you obviously don't look past your opponent.

That's here and now.

But we got a couple of games coming up.

That would be, you know that.

And then presumably the playoffs.

So I guess at the end of this remarkable year of sacrifice could be an incredible opportunity.

So how do you present?

Prepare yourself?

I should say for this this next month of of what's ahead of you.

Yeah, great question.

So what's important now is our preparation this week, which has been really great you know, just sticking with our process.

I know it's it's coach speak to you, But you clearly understand being in this how important it is to take care of business against Syracuse once we do that, um, we're able then to put our entire focus on who the next opponent is.

And you know, obviously, Clemson's got to beat Virginia Tech.

They do that.

We'll have a full week of preparation for a rematch with cleansing.

But take care of business with very spirited, young, aggressive, defensive minded Syracuse team.

And and then we can look forward to what's next.

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