Cignetti did use the portal but he also brought talented players from his time @ JMU. What makes this so undeniably amazing is the things he did with the talent he brought to the program. Pat Coogan left Notre Dame to be one of the only 4 or 5 star players on the roster. The rest of the roster were at best two to three star recruits. Both lines on either side of the ball were giving up size and 50 to 60 pounds to the majority of teams they played. This season was literally a David vs Goliath season. And it all came down to a bad throw by a quarterback that will likely be relegated to an afterthought in the years to come. If Beck hit that wide open receiver as he should have we aren’t even talking about the game now. Cignetti proved two things, one he is a great coach and two the top rated talent isn’t always what wins the day.