SOUTH BEND (AP) — Notre Dame players need to learn that being satisfied with just winning, especially over a team the Irish are expected to beat, isn't good enough, coach Charlie Weis says.

The Irish need to learn to put teams away, Weis said Tuesday.

"I realize this year we're not in position to play for a national championship. I've got that figured out," Weis said. "But just as our team is developing a different mentality I also understand that as we continue to get better and try to get into that position, you're going to have to play the game differently. I think that's important for me to understand, just like for them to understand, that going for the jugular is part of this game."

The Irish (6-4) have had trouble putting teams away this season. They needed a big defensive play against San Diego State, a three-touchdown underdog, to rally to a win in the season opener. They let Stanford score two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to close to within a touchdown. They also let Navy score two touchdowns in the final 1:39 and have a chance for a third last Saturday.

Notre Dame also has let some games slip away. The Irish led North Carolina 17-9 at halftime and 24-16 early in the third quarter but couldn't hold on, losing 29-24. Against Pittsburgh, they led 17-3 at halftime and 24-17 with five minutes left but lost in four overtimes.

This week the Irish are favored by 19.5 points against Syracuse (2-8), which will be playing its first game since coach Greg Robinson was fired. Weis is not only worried that Syracuse coaches, with nothing to lose, might pull out some exotic plays, he's worried how his own team is going to react to seniors playing their last game at Notre Dame Stadium.

Seniors are always emotional for their last games, so Weis is counting on the others to help get them through it.

"You put it on the younger guys, 'This game is not for you. This game is for them,'" Weis said.

The Irish are coming off a week in which they survived the Navy scare after Weis' job security was one of the main topics of discussion. Next week they play No. 6 USC (9-1), their archrival that has beaten the Irish six straight times by an average of 25 points.

In between, there's Syracuse. But Weis sees no reason to coast.

"It doesn't matter who you are playing, it's still going to be a ton of reasons to play well, a ton of reasons, but most importantly because it's the last game for those seniors," he said.

Weis also announced Tuesday he will call the plays for the last two regular-season games. Weis, who built his reputation as the offensive coordinator for the New England Patriots, called plays last week because offensive coordinator Mike Haywood missed Thursday's practice to attend the funeral of a 24-year-old niece in Houston.

Weis said Haywood is going to miss at least one practice this week, possibly two, because of "personal issues."

"He's got some things he needs to deal with and I'm supportive of that," Weis said.

Weis, who called the plays for his first three seasons at Notre Dame, said he decided to keep the play-calling duties against USC because with Thanksgiving and travel, next week is a "short week."

Weis said he was comfortable calling plays last week and it was easier for him to "whittle" the number of plays the Irish were using to about eight after halftime, when Notre Dame had its most success against the Midshipmen.

"To get back to what we needed to do to win the game," he said. "When you're not involved in that whole process and all the play calling, that's a much more difficult task to do than when you're actually involved in the play calling."

Notes: Cornerback Terrail Lambert, who missed last week's game against Navy with an ankle injury, is doubtful this week, Weis said. ... Wide receiver Michael Floyd and linebacker Brian Smith, both who sprained knees against Navy, will undergo MRIs this week to determine the extent of their injuries. Weis has said he expects both to miss the final two regular-season games and play in a bowl game.