SOUTH BEND, Indiana -- This isn't supposed to happen at Notre Dame.


No one expected the Fighting Irish to plummet so quickly from the national championship race, let alone drop out of the Top 25 for the first time in eight years. Yet consecutive losses to unranked teams -- Boston College and Brigham Young have left Notre Dame with a relatively dismal 4-3 record. Students as well as coach Lou Holtz are wondering what's wrong.


"It seems like the tradition skipped a year,'' freshman Shannon Donovan said Tuesday as he dodged the rain on his way to the library.


The Notre Dame campus was quiet as students studied for midterms. Many of them wore Notre Dame shirts or hats, and a few had on sweatshirts commemorating one of the Irish's eight national championships.


Small, white signs with "We are ND'' in blue and green hung in residence hall windows, and a larger, fading sign made out of cloth hung on the wall outside Cavanaugh Hall, a dormitory.


Many students could only shake their heads or shrug their shoulders when asked about the Irish collapse.


"I think the whole thing is nobody knows what's wrong,'' junior William Lajoie said. "If I figure it out, I'll drop Lou a line.''


Many placed the blame on Notre Dame's offensive line. It hasn't given quarterback Ron Powlus the protection he needs, forcing him to scramble and make hasty decisions, said senior Kelly O'Neill.


Some said the team lacks the leadership it has had in past years because of its many young players. Others said simply that this is a rebuilding year, something that all programs have to endure every few years.


But this is Notre Dame, and students have come to expect a national college championship at some time in their four years, said senior Jason Woodrum. "The only major thing that happens in my four years is we drop out (of the Top 25),'' Woodrum said. "That's not supposed to happen.''


The Fighting Irish are headed for their worst season since 1986, when they finished 5-6 in Holtz's first season in South Bend.


Holtz said he understands the students' frustration. But Notre Dame is not that far away from being a contender again, he said Tuesday afternoon at his weekly news conference.


"Sometimes, things just don't fit,'' Holtz said. "We are not as far away as the film would lead you to believe.''


The team needs a placekicker and for its offensive line to work in unison, Holtz said. Notre Dame, which has an open date this week before taking on Navy at home, will spend the rest of the week working on basics.


"These next three days should be very, very profitable,'' the coach said. "We've got to practice on the fundamentals and try to get back on the winning route.''