Coral Gables When Ryan Hill first heard about the three-game series between Miami- Notre Dame starting in 2012, he wished he would have had a chance to play against the Fighting Irish.
Sunday, the senior cornerback learned he'd get to do just that in the Sun Bowl on New Year's Eve in El Paso, Texas.
"I can't think of any better way to go out,"
Hill said. "This is a good game for us to try to go out with a bang. Obviously Notre Dame's not where they want to be and neither are we, but I think we can go out, have a fun game and leave a lasting impression."
Hurricanes players had talked amongst themselves about their bowl possibilities. When the matchup with Notre Dame became official Sunday, Hill said, players took pride in taking on a major rival from the 1980s.
The teams last played 20 years ago, with No. 2 Miami losing to No. 6 Notre Dame 29-20.
Both teams enter this matchup with a 7-5 record in the regular season.
"My second cousin goes to Notre Dame so I'm sure there will be some family bickering over the holidays,"
center Tyler Horn said. "I'm excited. It's a big-time game. There's a lot of history with this game…Catholics vs. Convicts. I watched 'The U" documentary. It's going to be fun to get out there and have our own little legacy of [the rivalry]."
Hill, who doesn't know much about the rivalry beyond the "Catholics and Convicts"
tag attached to it, said he plans to watch games from the '80s to "see how fun it was and how much of a heavy rivalry it was back then."
"You hear stories about it all the time from older players, older fans and alumni,"
he added. "I'm looking forward to it."
Players participated in a team workout Monday morning – skill players ran through 7-on-7 drills while linemen did individual drills. Interim coach Jeff Stoutland said he was curious to see the team's demeanor, and was pleased with what he saw on the field. Spirits were high in the weight room as well, Hill said.
"The morale of the team is a lot better than it was probably a week ago,"
Hill said.
The high-profile opponent helps.
"I don't know what else you could ask for,"
Stoutland said. "Forget about me. For the players, to have a chance to play in a Miami-Notre Dame matchup is pretty neat."
The Hurricanes will start practicing for the Sun Bowl this weekend. They'll be in pads both Saturday and Sunday, Stoutland said. They'll arrive in El Paso on Dec. 26.
"I'm all up for going to places I've never been,"
Hill said.
Added left tackle Orlando Franklin: "I heard we might have to put on some sombreros and big cowboy boots. I'm all for it."
