Golden Tate's big day Saturday became a footnote after Notre Dame lost 33-30 in double-overtime to Connecticut.
Tate, who nine catches for 123 yards with a touchdown, set school records for catches (83) and receiving yards (1,295) in a season. Jeff Samardzija, who pitches for the Chicago Cubs, held the previous marks with 78 catches and 1,249 yards.
Tate also tied the school record for 100-yard receiving games in a season with his eighth such performance. Tom Gatewood also had eight 100-yard games in 1970.
But with a third straight loss and more speculation on coach Charlie Weis likely being fired after the season, Tate was asked mainly about how things fell apart for Notre Dame which was 6-2 and thinking BCS at the start of November.
"I think there were a couple of times we got ahead of ourselves and started thinking about other games," Tate said. "Every game except for Washington State and Nevada could have gone either way. We could be 2-and-whatever; we could be 11-0. It's just the way it is."
Another round
The loss to Connecticut likely means Weis will not be coming back.
Even if Notre Dame pulls off a win over No. 14 Stanford on the road next week, it is hard to imagine athletic director Jack Swarbrick retaining Weis.
But the players said they are not too concerned about another round of questions about the state of the program and Weis' future this week, though linebacker Harrison Smith did admit those questions have become grating.
"We've already been through, so that's the last of my worries right now," Smith said.
Senior Day blues
Notre Dame dropped its final home game for the second year in a row.
Entering Saturday's game Weis said one of his biggest regrets as a coach was last season's Senior Day loss to Stanford.
Weis said the mood in the locker room was what you would expect after a loss, calling it gut wrenching as a lot of players knew this was their last home game.
The seniors walked back onto the field after most of the fans left the stadium.
"I have a lot invested in this program and this university," senior center and captain Eric Olsen said. "I've been through a lot during my four years. There were a lot of ups and downs, and it's just sad to see it come to an end."
