Just not the Gators! It's the USF Bulls. As part of an agreement that ND has with the Big East, begining in 2010, to play 3 Big East teams every year they will make the trip in 2011 for a November game.
Cool! USF has become a very competitive program. Who knows where the two programs will be in 2010? I like the fact that it keeps our schedule at a high competitive level, with 3 Big East teams, hopefully still 3 Big10 teams, USC and one other Pac10 team, and our traditional academy rivals.
Yes, and they killed us. It was about 5 years ago, in Ty's second year. In his first season, we upset FSU at their place but the next year they put it to us. I think they shut us out and scored in the 30s.
I seem to recall Miami coming up to play as well....Convicts -v- Catholics? I think that was the t-shirt of the day.....
You are referring to the famous Miami game of 1988, which ND won 31-30 and went on to finish undefeated and win our last national championship to date. I was there with my family. It was by far the most raucous and exciting game I've ever attended in ND stadium. It was so loud you could barely hear the person next to you.
Not suprisingly ND fans in general (not all) aren't very excited about this game, it's sort of a lose/lose in the general overall view. USF inspite of their rise in the last few years doesn't posses any cache to beating them and if you lose to them well it's sort of embarassing...even if it shouldn't be. Auburn lost to them this year and USF was a good team, yet I'll bet most Auburn fans were embarassed. I know that Texas fans were embarassed that UCF nearly beat them, if we'd have actually lost I don't know what would have happened but it wouldn't have been pretty. Terry
The other game I was thinking about was FSU while Holtz was your coach. The game that Notre Dame won but then FSU ended up being voted #1 after Boston College upset Notre Dame. I don't remember the year.
Bill, it was 1993. I was in the stands on about the 50-yard line up near the top as the field goal went through the goal posts to give BC a 41-39 last second victory and to break the hearts of ND fans. The prior week was one of the biggest games ever in ND stadium as we held on for the victory over FSU. The ending to that season was probably one of the most controversial in NCAA D-1 history. The anti-ND folks reveled in the FSU national championship, and the ND fans felt - still do - that we got screwed in the final poll. Although I felt we got screwed, I resigned myself to the fact that we controlled our own destiny and did not finish the job against BC, thus opening the door for the controversial final poll.
Terry, I am excited about the game because it's a challenge. IMO to look at it as a "no-win" is to lack confidence. I would ask those who don't like it, what kind of team would you rather schedule? A Texas or Oklahoma? A Florida International or Louisiana-Monroe? Make a decision, folks.
Sid, I'm not excited right now, but they have proven in the last few years that they are a quality Div1 team, they don't have history or tradition on their side but maybe some day they will. So to me personally I'm fine with them being on the schedule and I look forward to every Notre Dame game. Heck I can't wait till San Diego State comes to town to open the season next year!! Terry
I will answer for Tennessee. I want every team on our schedule to be in the top 10 the day we play them... just make sure that they are not on the day after! :twisted: Fulmer... are you listening!?!?!?!?
I like your approach, Tom. I hope that's how it works for my team. Terry, I think I made a bad choice of words when I said I'm "excited". When I re-read my post I realized that I'm really not "excited", but I'm OK with it as opposed to being not happy about it. My feelings about it are similar to yours. :?
I'll betcha there's one coach with the initials N.S. who doesn't think UL-Monroe is a pushover.... :wink: