Terrail Lambert, My Hero

Man crush.

I really wanted to post immediately after the game but my emotions and body were spent. My reaction is a lot like other Notre Dame bloggers in that you go from being ready to move on to next year and benching Brady to seeing his final stat line (20-36, 319, 5 tds, 1 int) in amazement.

I have been victim to bouncing ball heroics, so Terrail Lambert's interceptions, both juggling acts, soothe my soul since that day in Lexington against LSU.

If you've seen Fever Pitch I was the fifth member of the Red Sox clan drowning their sorrows heading into the fourth quarter. (I know, bad mix between football and a baseball movie. Sue me.)

The Irish were down 37-21 and new meterologist Brent Musberger kept reminding my tortured soul about the driving rainstorm that had now switched its wind direction back into the face of the Irish. Could their please be more salt to rub into this wound?

Maybe Charlie had said to the alumni that he would never beat the Spartans?

Touchdown, Shark. 37-27. We need this two-point conversion... nevermind. Fumble by Stanton! Fumble by Stanton! Two plays later the Irish had moved back to near midfield after some dumb penalties. Eventually, lightning struck as Rhema McKnight proved to be Maurice Stovall for a play and make it 37-33, PAT pending.

WHAT!??!??! He missed?!??!?!! "Ugh to come back all that way to be deflated by the missed PAT." Surely the heroic Stanton would come onto the field now. The one ready to scramble for first downs and break my heart. We have got to force him to throw.

Stanton goes back...

"Oh YEAH, RUN DANG YOU, RUN LAMBERT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!", I said in my mind but thoughtful to stay quiet with my sleeping, 2-year old nephew just feet away. My body shook and I did the only thing I could think of... I opened the front door, closed it behind me, and screamed like a madman into the Lexington night. Surely someone in the neighborhood spotted me and is having a great laugh today.

Back into the house now, 40-37 Irish and I am ready for the crushing drive and win by the Spartans who are now forced out of their self-induced offensive coma. The Spartans move the ball down the field with Stanton completing passes and making key, fourth down runs.

Just make them kick a field goal, guys. Then Terrail Lambert became my personal hero when I had just settled for an incomplete pass. I stared at the replay as the ball bounced around, off Richardson coming back to try and make a play, off Lambert heading over to deliver a hit on the Sparty receiver and ultimately off the Sparty receiver and into Lambert's hands like a gift-wrapped present.

WOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!

:24 left, new rules=ballgame, without a snap and I love that Charlie immediately knew that and just started to walk onto the field, pointing to the clock and the clock keeper that could do nothing about it, unlike in other cases.

Notre Dame 40, Michigan State 37.

Give me a call today, Scott, because I have a priceless recording on my machine about the struggling Irish from you. Can't wait, pal.