HONOLULU (AP) — It’s come to this for Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis: He needs a victory to have a merry Christmas – and a winning record. “When I’m sitting here on Christmas Eve after the game with my wife and kid, waiting for Santa and the sleigh to pull up, I want to have a smile on my face,” he said. “And I won’t be the happiest camper if it goes the other way.” Weis hasn’t had much to smile about this season, so a win over Hawaii in the Hawaii Bowl on Wednesday night would certainly be welcome.
Yes, the Fighting Irish are in the postseason, but with a 6-6 record and losses in four of their last five games. To make matters worse, Notre Dame has an NCAA-record nine-game bowl losing streak. The Fighting Irish haven’t hoisted a postseason trophy since beating Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl after the 1993 season. “Breaking our bowl streak, that’s very, very important,” tailback Armondo Allen said.
