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Notre Dame Stadium

September 4, 2011 by · Comments Off on Notre Dame Stadium 

Notre Dame StadiumNotre Dame Stadium, At kickoff, the heat index at Notre Dame Stadium was 98 degrees. And that was the least oppressive weather on Saturday.

The heat generated two waves of severe storms that rolled through northern Indiana Saturday, delaying the battle of Notre Dame in South Florida for almost three hours.

“I’m from California. They have no thunder and all that crap other,” Close the wooden corridor when asked if he had experienced anything like Saturday’s air antics.

The delay at halftime was the worst, a duration of two hours and 10 minutes as lightning struck around the campus of Notre Dame. That meant that each party had to deal with about 120 minutes of downtime before taking the field for warmups.

“Everybody was very anxious,” said Harrison Smith deep. “At first we sat in the locker room, as it was then half-time were delayed, so we take the pads off, trying -.. We were all wet air was almost like a two-a days for us, so they were a bit used to it. ”

But despite the sense of two a day, everything was new to Smith.

“I’ve never experienced anything like that,” said Smith. “I guess it’s part of the game, so, just go with it.”

On the other hand, however, experienced a time lag earlier this year. South Florida experienced a delay of a beam in his first scrimmage this year in Vero Beach, according to coach Skip Holtz.

“The players were there saying, the coach, we’ve been here before, we have, we’re fine,” said Holtz, adding a caveat. “You can not prepare for what either team had to go to today. I do not care, you can not prepare. The NCAA does not allow a working week of 20 hours, not be allowed to spend eight days our trying to get a practice in ”

Despite Notre Dame increased the gates in the third quarter, explained by Smith and quarterback Tommy Rees as a product of the atmosphere in the stadium, was seen in a different light by Holtz.

“I was a little annoying in the first [late] because I was told we’d get a notice of 10 minutes and the road we realized we were taking the field was when he ran out of Notre Dame in the field,” said Holtz . “Our guys were laying on the floor with his pads and shoes, and suddenly it was like, well, come on. It took us about half a quarter, it took about ten minutes to turn around and get it started and has there run some momentum in the third quarter. I could not slow down. ”

Theo Riddick looked anything but confidence in the punt returns Saturday, dropping two kicks and networks in return -2 yards in the game.

“He has to. I told her to get her ass back there,” said Brian Kelly on how he managed Riddick problems. “We have a waiver wire, can not operate one. We need to get to that position. All I remember is that Theo can not let disappointment or show their emotions in the way it plays. It to recover, and will have to recover for us next week and have a great game. ”

Punting was a problem of Notre Dame, and with Ben Turk averaged just 34.2 yards per punt. But, as one of the drops of Riddick, played a crucial stem a key field goal for USF. The two field goals were the product of suspect special teams play could be seen as the difference in Saturday’s game.

Skip Holtz became the first Notre Dame alum to win the Irish since 1998, while the victory was obviously sweet, second-year USF coach certainly had the pleasure of walking by his alma mater.

“As soon as the buses to get here, I took off and went to the cave and lit a candle simply because that’s how I got to college,” said Holtz. “A lot of emotional stuff, which was the residence where he lived, spinning, a lot of emotional moments for me.

“It is great to a university that has meant so much to me and my family … Notre Dame is all that I’ve always believed it, and it was great again, and I have great respect for this university and the institution. ”

Lou Holtz legendary “father was not present, although most of his family. Lou was working a change in the ESPN studios in Bristol, although they may not do much work.

“From what I understand he said he would not have to go on the air when the game was on, so for eight hours – probably thought it was a commitment of three hours when he turned around and makes him” laugh Holtz .

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