TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- A little over a month ago, after the Michigan State game, Ty Willingham talked about his team's identity. It was the third week in a row Notre Dame had won in the final minutes and he was looking for a way to describe them

"Throughout the course of a season, a team identifies itself," he said. With a quick shrug of the shoulders he said, "maybe this is who we are." But his puzzled expression suggested he wasn't totally convinced with that answer. He was waiting for them to define themselves before he would do so.

	It's tough to ignore Ryan Grant and Notre Dame now.

With the score tied 10-10 against No. 13 Florida State, Willingham's team -- and I think we're all agreed that's who they are -- made a few pointed comments about who they were. To get the conversation started, Courtney Watson reminded us he was a Butkus finalist when he picked a Chris Rix pass.

With his second field goal of the day, Nick Setta told us he was that same guy who kicked five field goals in the season opener. About a minute later, Glenn Earl, who didn't really need to tell us he was a bona fide, big-time hitter because we pretty much knew that -- felt the need to tell Seminole QB Chris Rix who, upon the introduction, gave up the rock.

All season, running backs coach Buzz Preston has coaxed Ryan Grant into establishing his identity. "Believe in yourself," he told him. On a toss play in the third quarter, one that made the score 20-10, Grant found his vision when he saw the cutback, he found his speed when he slashed through the hole, and when glided into the end zone, standing tall, he just may have found himself.

In August, Carlyle Holiday tried to tell us he was a passer. "We're throwing the ball more, because that's what I like to do." With 3:50 left in the third quarter, Holiday took a breath, planted his feet, ignored the backside rush and delivered a sweeter-than-honey fade to Omar Jenkins in the corner and told us he just might be a passer indeed. As he leapt into the arms of Sean Milligan, Holiday looked to his right with the kind of wide-open grin a little boy flashes to his dad when he says, "See, I told you I could do it!"

On the sideline Willingham met Holiday's look with a pointed finger. You know, the same gesture a basketball player gives any passer after he's assisted him on a dunk. Willingham had an idea who these guys were. And he seemed especially pleased they weighed in with opinions of their own on Saturday.

Alan Grant, a senior reporter for ESPN The Magazine, is spending the season in South Bend. Look for his regular reports on ESPN.com. E-mail him at alan.grant@espn3.com