Notre Dame hit rock bottom at the end of last November.

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The program was reeling following a 4-8 season, capped by a 45-27 loss to USC. The defeats wore on the Irish to the point where cultivating a sense of belief in close games became difficult.

"We say 'Play Like a Champion Today,' but I don't think anyone really bought into that last year," senior captain Drue Tranquill said. "When you're going 4-8…there wasn't an expectation to lose, but there was an uncertainty of what the outcome was, and I think if we were to step on the field now I think our mentality would totally be to win every game and expect to win every game."

Part of the reason behind the drastic change in morale likely is because the Irish haven't lost a game in four months. Spring practice is a time for building confidence, not watching it erode. But a handful of moves Irish coach Brian Kelly made during the three months that preceded spring practice contributed to what left tackle Mike McGlinchey described as "a complete 180."

"It's absolutely different," McGlinchey said of the attitude around the program. "Everything about it. The way we work, the preparation that we're putting in, the detail that we go about our business, the way that we train—everything has changed and we all believe that it's for the better. We've really, really come to terms with catching our stride in the changes now that we're 10 practices into spring we fee as though we're on a great track and we have goals in sight, and we have the confidence now that we feel we can finally meet."

Kelly hired offensive coordinator Chip Long, who runs an up-tempo system, and brought in Wake Forest defensive coordinator Mike Elko to repair a porous defense. Director of football performance Matt Balis is the recipient of rave reviews; after only a few months in his program, players say they've made eye-opening progress in the weight room.

The forecast during the flight back to South Bend from Los Angeles last November was clear: "After USC and you have your eighth loss of the season, you kind of know a storm's coming," McGlinchey said.

The overcast skies have since made way for sun, though.

"The deal was we didn't know what was coming," McGlinchey said, "but we trusted coach Kelly and the guys that he's put into place and the way that he has gone about taking back control of this football team have been tremendous."