Pat Haden

Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis wants to send the senior class out with a win against Syracuse on Saturday in their final home game.

Weis has told the team's underclassmen that if they don't play well, the seniors won't get to enjoy their last game in South Bend.

So the heat's on for the Irish to put away the 1-8 Orangemen with time to spare on the game clock so the Notre Dame seniors, who have played under three head coaches, are rewarded for their perseverance by getting to bask a bit in the success of this season.

Here's a look at some of the seniors who have made an impact in this comeback season for Notre Dame football.

All hail Hoyte
Last year linebacker Brandon Hoyte was second on the team in tackles. This season the fifth-year senior, who has a nose for the football and is always in the middle of the action, has built upon his efforts of a year ago.

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Hoyte, one of the two team captains for 2005 (quarterback Brady Quinn is the other), has had a terrific season. Not only does he lead the Irish in tackles, he also helps lead the team in attitude along with junior safety Tom Zbikowski. Hoyte's contributions have been key given that the team's top tackler and emotional leader of last season linebacker Mike Goolsby graduated.

Hoyte, who is six-foot and 235 pounds, is very powerful. He is a punishing tackler, and his quickness allows him to be a disruptive force in the backfields of Irish opponents.

Before the season Hoyte had as a goal to be a more complete linebacker. He was pulled in the nickel coverage last year, but this year Weis doesn't take him off the field. He's earned the trust of the coaching staff as the most dependable guy they have in all situations. He can play the run, is good in pass coverage, and is a good blitzer.

Mays comes into his own as a starter
There were signs back in the spring that this could be a special season for linebacker Corey Mays. The talented athlete capped an excellent spring of practice with a stellar performance in the Blue-Gold Game, where he had a game-leading six tackles and a quarterback sack.

After making his mark on special teams the last few years, this is the first season for Mays as a starter. At 6-foot-1, 243 pounds, Mays is the prototypical big body a coach wants playing in the middle of the defense, and he stepped in and filled the hole left by Goolsby's departure.

Mays has been impressive all season, but he played particularly well in wins over Tennessee and Navy. He will finish the season as one of the team's leading tacklers.

Fitzpatrick's foot will be missed  
A former walk-on who earned a scholarship prior to the 2004 season, D.J. Fitzpatrick has become one of the top dual kickers and punters in college football. For the last two seasons, I think Fitzpatrick has been more than just productive. I feel he's been very, very solid.

Last season Fitzpatrick hit on 11-of-15 field goal attempts for an impressive success rate of 73.3 percent. This year he's been even better. Through the first nine games of the season, Fitzpatrick nailed 9-of-11 field goal tries for a success rate of 81.8 percent.

Fitzpatrick has turned out to be an excellent directional punter. Through nine games this season he has averaged 40.2 yards per punt, and seven of his 34 punts have been inside the opponent's 20-yard line.

Weis believes Fitzpatrick will wind up in an NFL camp next summer because he is so multidimensional.

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