updated 3:21 a.m. ET Jan. 2, 2007

NEW ORLEANS - Brady Quinn has one more college game to impress the NFL scouts, one more chance to show he’s worthy of being the top pick in the draft.

That’s not exactly what he’s focused on, though.

Notre Dame’s star quarterback merely wants a win in Wednesday night’s Sugar Bowl, not another batch of eye-catching stats. If he throws three interceptions and the Fighting Irish still come out on top, that’s fine with him.

The draft? That’s for another day. The head-to-head matchup with LSU quarterback JaMarcus Russell? Let the media have fun with that one.

“I just want to play a good game for my team,” Quinn said. “I’m not worried about putting up numbers and silly little things like that. If he has a better game than me and we win, that’s fine, that’s great, that’s all that matters.”

Besides, Quinn already has put up enough numbers to show the NFL what he’s capable of doing in a pro-style offense. Over the past two seasons, he’s thrown for nearly 7,200 yards, with an astonishing touchdown-to-interception ratio (67 TDs, only 12 picks).

More important to Quinn, he’s been a major part of helping Notre Dame reclaim its status as a college football powerhouse. While the No. 11 Fighting Irish (10-2) fell a bit short of expectations this season, they still earned a spot in the Sugar Bowl against No. 4 LSU (10-2).

“A win in this game would be a great way to cap off the career for me and the rest of the seniors,” Quinn said. “We overcame a lot of tough times.”

When he signed with Notre Dame in 2003, the Irish were coming off a 10-win season in Tyrone Willingham’s coaching debut. The program seemed back on track after the mediocrity of the Bob Davie era. Quinn had every reason to expect more of the same.

“I came in here with high hopes,” he said. “I mean, they were 10-3 the year before. I’m thinking, ’Hey, we’ll be winning a national championship in the next year or so.”’

Of course, it didn’t work out that way. With Quinn starting nine games as a freshman, Notre Dame slumped to 5-7. The Irish were humiliated at Michigan 38-0. They were blown out at home by Southern Cal (45-14) and Florida State (37-0).

College football Complete recaps of all 32 games

It was a rude awakening for Quinn. The youngster was picked off four times by Purdue and three more times by FSU. He threw for 350 yards against Boston College, but it still wasn’t enough to prevent a last-second loss.

By the end of the season, Quinn’s stat sheet was in line with the overwhelmed freshman he was: a 47 percent completion rate, with 15 interceptions and only nine touchdowns.

Quinn improved as a sophomore, but it wasn’t enough to keep the Fighting Irish from another disappointing season. After going 6-6 and getting wiped out by Oregon State in the Insight Bowl, Willingham was fired.

Enter Charlie Weis, who groomed Tom Brady into a Super Bowl-winning quarterback at New England.

Slide show   Week in Sports Pictures Pain on the skating rink, flying high on the hardwood, upsets on the football field, and more. more photos

“When the coach is fired and you have to go through that change, you have to wonder, ’How good are we going to be the next two years? What is going to be my fate?”’ Quinn recalled. “But if you looked down deep inside, you knew this was a good team. We just needed someone to bring it out. Coach Weis has done that.”

He sure did it with Quinn, who thrived in Weis’ offensive system. The quarterback finished fourth in the Heisman Trophy balloting as a junior, throwing for a school-record 3,919 yards with 32 touchdowns.

MORE FROM NOTRE DAME CENTRAL

Notre Dame Central Section Front

Inside the Irish blog: Latest news and analysis   Weis turning focus to finale at Stanford Irish blog: Tate a finalist for Biletnikoff Award Irish blog: O'Brien Award snubs Clausen Florida’s Meyer says Notre Dame not an option Irish blog: Clausen reportedly involved in fight   Video: NFL to stay away from Belichick disciples? Out of Bounds: ND fans blame Obama for football woes CFT: Weis’ name linked to Chiefs 6-5 not good enough for Irish, Weis says Notre Dame Central Section Front   Add Notre Dame Central headlines to your news reader: