Only one person in the storied history of Notre Dame football has a losing record as head coach.

Two other former Fighting Irish head coaches, Knute Rockne (1918-30) and Frank Leahy (1941-43; 1946-53), rank first and second in NCAA history for all-time winning percentage.

So, is there pressure to win at Notre Dame?

"When you're in charge of a program of this nature, there is without question a great deal of pressure," current head coach Tyrone Willingham said.

Willingham learned all about that pressure the last two seasons. After stumbling through a 5-7 season last year, he is 1-1 this year. He did however have success in his first season going 10-3 with an appearance in the Gator Bowl, but has yet to repeat that accomplishment.

Then there is the prestigious history of Notre Dame, everything from Rockne, to the Four Horseman and "Rudy" to Touchdown Jesus. The history of the Fighting Irish reaches children all across the nation, whether you grew up in South Bend, Ind. or Tampa, Fla.

"Growing up, everybody hears of Notre Dame, they hear the tradition and the history and everything like that," said Stephen Reaves, the redshirt freshman quarterback slated to start this weekend. "All the movies that came out about them - I watched 'Rudy' a lot.

"They're really the team that I really latched onto when I was younger, I liked them when I was a little boy."

Willingham knew a lot about Notre Dame when he was in college - playing football at MSU as a walk-on in the late 1970s.

The pressure that comes with being the head coach at Notre Dame doesn't bother Willingham. He said the only pressure for his team should come from him.

"I've always said that the pressure really should come from within," Willingham said. "That there is no one who has higher expectations for this program, what we're about or what we should be accomplishing than coach Willingham."

MSU head coach John L. Smith sympathizes with Willingham and said people have to understand that it takes time to build a program. In addition to MSU, Smith has been a head coach at Idaho, Utah State and Louisville, and has tired to build a winning program at each place.

"He wasn't brought in because things were cherry," Smith said. "If things were real good, he wouldn't be there."

"He's a proven guy," Smith added. "Give him some time, he's going to get it going. I think you're seeing that more and more each week and you're going to continue to see that (in the future)."

Head coaching experience at Stanford for seven years (1996-2001) helped Willingham to deal with some of the pressures at Notre Dame, he said.

So, what's the difference between Notre Dame and other programs such as Stanford in terms of the pressure to win?

"I've used the word more," Willingham said. "And that thoroughly applies."