Notre Dame wide receiver Key’s guide to success

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — When Lawrence Keys III counts his blessings ahead of the Camping World Bowl on Saturday in Orlando, Florida, Chris Finke ranks near the top of his list.

Whether it’s teaching him the finer points of being the slot receiver at Notre Dame — which faces unranked-but-dangerous Iowa State for the first time in program history — or helping Keys through the homesickness that nearly wrecked his first year on campus, Finke has been there for his fellow receiver.

Their age difference hasn’t mattered one bit. Finke, a former walk-on and current team captain from Dayton, Ohio, who just finished up work on his master’s degree in business, has taken an active interest in his talented teammate, a redshirt sophomore from New Orleans.

“Finke is amazing,” Keys said. “I love Finke. Finke is my guy. Finke taught me almost everything. He broke it down from crumbs to the whole meal, and I appreciate it a lot.”

Being hotel roommates on the nights before games this year has given them even more time to bond.

“We watch a lot of film together, eat together, watch TV together,” Keys said. “We laugh. We do a lot of things together. He’s a wonderful guy, and he has taken me under his wing as he gets ready to leave.”

They also share additional responsibilities as returners, Finke handling the punts and Keys the kickoffs. But it’s the intricacies of route-running and the like that have given them the most to discuss.

All but 16 of Finke’s 100 career receptions have come in the last two seasons, including all six of his touchdowns. Keys, listed at the same height (5-10) as Finke but still putting on the requisite muscle, had 13 catches for 134 yards this season but is still seeking his first touchdown.

A recent conversation on the eve of senior day against Boston College resonated with Keys.

“He was just telling me, ‘Keys, you’re up next,’ ” Keys said. “He was like, ‘It’s a big role, but at the same time, walk around campus and enjoy every moment you can because it flies by so fast. Just cherish it.’ ”

There were times during Keys’ freshman season when that seemed impossible. He felt overwhelmed at times in the classroom and socially.

“We jumped straight to academics as soon as I got out of the car,” Keys said. “I was like, ‘OK, I see what kind of place it’s going to be.’ But I expected it. I love taking challenges. Academics is one of the hardest things here, besides football.”

Budgeting his time, getting proper rest, even the Midwest winter weather were shocks to his system.

“I was still trying to find myself, still trying to find that comfort part of being here and getting out of the homesick thing,” Keys said. “Coming here, you’re all alone and not having your parents with you anymore. For me, just growing up under them as a little kid until I’ve grown into a young man-slash-adult now, I feel like it’s a hard challenge to get unattached from your mother and start to live your own life.”

Del Alexander, Keys’ position coach, saw the young player struggling and mentioned it to Finke and a few other veterans in the room. They did what they could to ease Keys’ burden.

“That’s kind of normal, being a freshman, but he felt it probably a little more intensely than some other people did,” Finke said. “You could see it with how he was carrying himself day to day. Anytime there’s something going on like that, you obviously can’t take them home, but you can try to make where they’re at feel a little more like home.”

Gradually, Keys made the adjustment. On Sunday evenings, amid the quiet calm on campus, he found himself drawn to the famed Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes.

“That’s our recovery day; it’s the only day we have off,” Keys said. “I’d go to the Grotto and just say a prayer that the man above will keep looking down on me.”

Eventually, Keys could feel his equilibrium return and his spirits lift. He still likes to visit the Grotto when life’s problems start to pile up or he misses his family back home.

“It actually gives me strength and power to live another day,” Keys said. “I wake up every morning and have a smile on my face and say that I’m going to have a good day.”

CAMPING WORLD BOWL: NO. 15 NOTRE DAME VS. IOWA STATE

The facts: 11 a.m. Saturday in Orlando, Florida, Ch. 7, 1000-AM.

The records: Notre Dame 10-2, Iowa State 7-5.

The storyline: You know what’s not all that cool? Being a wafer-thin appetizer before two meaty playoff entrees are served later in the day. That’s just the way it is for the Irish, a good team that’s a clear cut below the elites.

Don’t sleep on these Cyclones. They lost by one point each to Oklahoma and Iowa and by two points to Baylor. They have a quarterback, Brock Purdy, with legit NFL potential and a tight end, Charlie Kolar, who’s a nightmare.

Are the Irish ready for a tussle?

“We want to finish on a great note,” coach Brian Kelly said. “But we won’t be defined by any one game in particular.”

Not really a run-though-a-brick-wall quote, is it?

They’d better be ready, or else they’ll lose.

The line: Notre Dame by 3½.

Steve Greenberg’s pick: Notre Dame, 30-20.