Give Notre Dame time, says former coach Faust

Gerry Faust is still a Notre Dame fan, despite the fact that during his tenure there as coach, things did not go as well as expected. A successful high school coach, Faust said he wasn't as tough on the Notre Dame players as he was on his high school ones, and now believes that had he been, some of the seven point losses would have been on the win side.

The devout Catholic now devotes his time to overseeing youth football leagues and his grandchildren. He is also a motivational speaker, who rarely takes fees for his engagements, seeing it as a form of service.

He's an enthusiastic fan, once arguing with a spectator at the game who complained about the playing. He now sits in the box to watch the game.

And about the present team? He says Charlie Weis is a good coach and that they need to "give it time". A perspective borne, perhaps, out of the experience of hindsight.

{This weekend, Notre Dame was upset by Syracuse, allowing them to come from behind in the third quarter on Senior Day. It's being hailed as a "humiliating loss" and a fork in the road for Weis and Notre Dame by some. Others say the bowl system still favors Notre Dame after mediocre seasons.

Check out these unusual trophy awards from the vaults of Sports Illustrated.}