After the victory against Maryland on Aug. 31, Irish fans waited in anticipation for the first home game of the season against Purdue. Psyched Notre Dame students were ready to root for the team at the pep rally and cheer them on to yet another victory — this time against the Boilermakers. Freshmen were especially enthusiastic about the game since it was their first time cheering on the Irish as students.

Early Saturday morning, keeping with the longstanding "Freshmen Fire Drill" tradition, upperclassmen from many dorms hurried the freshmen outside in their pajamas to cheer the band and jump into the fountain. The tradition succeeded in cementing Irish pride into the hearts of those who would later become part of a sea of green that dominated the Stadium's bleachers.

While freshmen struggled to learn the cheers, they participating enthusiastically at the pep rally and initiating cheers to get in to the spirit. Notre Dame freshman Ben LeRoy said he especially enjoyed watching the push-up tradition whenever the Irish scored. With the Irish off to a 2-0 start, many are excited about the upcoming games.

"I'm looking forward for the rest of the season, as long as the offense starts scoring some points," said Laura Maclean.

Many students this year were concerned about the new tailgating policy, which outlined a specified area where tailgates were to be hosted under Notre Dame and Indiana state police supervision. Only students who were over 21 could host a tailgater that served alcohol, and law enforcement officials frequently walked through the student tailgating lot checking IDs.

Hillary Castrop, a Notre Dame senior who hosted a tailgate for the first time, said she had an overall pleasant experience.

"There were about 15 people at my tailgate including myself and the police didn't really bother," said Castrop.

However, the majority of the pre-game partying took place off-campus, where rules were not as strictly enforced, students said.

Although the tailgating rules have changed and freshmen continue to get the seats furthest from the 50-yard line, many Irish fans said they enjoyed a triumphant 24-17 defeat over the Boilermakers Saturday.

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