Notre Dame Week - Game Day

It's kind of embarrassing, but I actually had trouble sleeping last night, waking up thinking about today and this football game. I'm ready to go. Kickoff can't come soon enough. ABC is in the house. ESPN is in the house. The parking lot hedgehogs are drawing $100 per car. The beer is getting cold and the coals are getting hot. I'm ready for some football. Outside the Coliseum is a much crazier place when Notre Dame comes to town. I do not entirely get it. It is always a sellout, so the crowd is large, but the other games were sellouts, too. And 92,000 people is 92,000 people, regardless of the opponent. Maybe a lot of people come without tickets just to hang around outside. Whether you are going to the game, watching it at home or listening to it from outside the Coliseum, here are a few more fun details about the game:

God's Favorites: Personally, I think God has more important things to care about than who wins a football game, but to my fellow Catholics who seem to think that it is unholy for a Catholic to root against Notre Dame, let me remind you that Notre Dame's famous Touchdown Jesus should properly be referred to by His full name:

TOUCHDOWN JESUSCHRIST

Kickoff: Officially, it's a 5:00 p.m. start time. However, that's just when they start with the pregame promo video on ABC. The actually anticipated moment for the kickoff is 5:13 p.m.

Celebrities in the House: If you are a celebrity watcher, keep your eye out for some of these likely attendees: Will Ferrell, Nick Lachey, Vanessa Minnillo, Donald Trump, James Caan, George Wendt, Charlie Sheen, Dennis Haysbert, Josh Duhamel, James Lesure, David James Elliott, John Seda, Robert Patrick, Duane Davis, Shari Headley, Joe Maloof and Michael King. Famous athletes expected to be in the house include Ronnie Lott, Sam Cunningham, Charles White, Mike Williams, Marshall Faulk and Ken Griffey Jr. Oh, and Anthony Munoz, who will be honored at halftime and will be featured in a sports card that will be distributed to fans before the game.

Do The Right Thing: Bring an unwrapped toy to the game. Champions for Children will collect new, unwrapped presents for needy children. There will be donation centers accepting unwrapped toys at several locations around the Coliseum.

Possible TV Facts: Some of the curious facts and figures you might see pop up on the screen during the broadcast today.

The Irish are 9-0 on the road under Weis.

Notre Dame's last road loss was at USC (2004: 41-10).

Notre Dame thinks a big win could put them in contention for the BCS title game. The last team to beat USC by 10 points or more was Notre Dame (2001: 27-16).

Pete Carroll is 19-0 in November.

Charlie Weis is 7-0 in November.

Since the loss at Oregon State, USC's defense has given up just 6.3 points per game.

Since the loss to Michigan, Notre Dame's offense has been putting up 36.1 points per game.

Against other Division I-A teams, North Carolina (1-10) is scoring 11.1 points per game. At Notre Dame, the Tar Heels scored 26.

Pete Carroll is in his sixth year at Southern California, has compiled a 63-11 record. Since his first season, Carroll has posted a 57-5 record. The average margin in those five losses? 3.6 points.

Notre Dame's 41-9 victory over Army last Saturday broke a four-game losing streak when wearing green jerseys. Road teams, however, wear white.

The Trojans were 37-35 from 1996 to 2001 and have gone 57-5 from 2002 to 2006.

USC has outscored the Irish by 62 points in the last two games at the Coliseum.

Brady Quinn is 49-of-98 for 537 yards against USC in his career with three touchdowns and one interception.

USC has not surrendered a pass play of more than 45 yards since 2004.

Irish running back Darius Walker averages 4.5 yards a carry in his career against the Trojans.

USC backup linebacker Lou Ferrigno Jr. (injured, will not play) is the son of actor Lou Ferrigno (The Incredible Hulk).

Jeff Samardzija is Notre Dame's career leader in touchdown receptions.

Dwayne Jarrett is USC's career leader in touchdown receptions.

Since 1987, Notre Dame is 12-9-1 when ranked in the top 10 and facing another top 10 team. The last four such matchups, however, were losses.

USC's out-of-conference foes include 3 teams still in the running for BCS bids: Notre Dame, Arkansas and Nebraska.

Notre Dame's schedule included 3 teams still in the running for BCS bids: USC, Michigan and Georgia Tech.

USC's defense is first in the Pac 10 in every defensive category: scoring defense, pass efficiency defense, rushing defense, total defense.

Oregon State, which defeated the Trojans in October, finished third in the Pac 10 with an 8-4, and is likely headed to the Sun Bowl.

The expected attendance of 92,000 will push USC over the existing Pac 10 season attendance record, which was set last year by USC.

USC has three different receivers (Smith, Jarrett and Patrick Turner) who have caught more than 11 passes in a game this year.

USC has scored 20 points or more in 62 straight games.

USC is 33-0 under Carroll when they have given up less than 300 yards in total offense.

USC has kicked off to open each of its 10 games this season.

USC has six players who graduated early from high school. Booty graduated a year early. Brandon Hancock, Fred Davis, Michael Coleman, Kevin Ellison and Antwine Perez all graduated a semester early to play spring ball.

USC lost the only game in 2006 in which it surrendered more than 100 rushing yards to the opponent's leading rusher.

Since 2001, nine members of Pete Carroll's USC coaching staff have left for NFL jobs.

At the start of the 4th quarter, USC presents the Lighting of the Torch, which, obviously enough, results in the Olympic Torch being lit at the Coliseum (site of the 1932 and 1984 Olympic Games).

David Buehler is a fullback who can kick 50 yard field goals. His last name does not sound like Ferris Bueller's last name. It rhymes with "Steeler."

Where to Go, What to Do: If you are here from out of town, here's a little help:

Directions: From the North - Take the 110 Freeway south, exit Exposition Blvd., turn left on Flower St., follow the directional signs to Coliseum and parking. From the South - Take the 110 Freeway north, exit Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., turn left on Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., follow directional signs to Coliseum and parking. From the East - Take the 10 Freeway west, exit Los Angeles St., turn left on Broadway St. or Hill St., follow directional signs to Coliseum and parking. From the West - Take the 10 Freeway east, exit Hoover St. and turn right, turn left on Jefferson St., turn right on Figueroa St., continue past campus and follow directional signs to Coliseum and parking.

Parking: General parking is limited around the Coliseum on Game Days. The stadium seats 92,000, but the lots fit only 8,200 cars. However, there are many different parking options available for those who don't want to pay $50 to park on someone's lawn in the 'hood. The options include:

USC Campus Parking - USC owned parking structures will open at noon. The costs will be $20 for PSA, PSB, PSD, PSX, $25 for PS1 or PS2, and $20 for the USC Parking Center and shuttle to the Coliseum (starting around 2 p.m.). Expect long waits for the return shuttle after the game.

Coliseum Complex Parking - All Coliseum parking lots will open approximately 11 a.m.. The only General Public parking lot available is on the South Lawn of the Natural History Museum. To access the South Lawn, enter on Menlo Ave. and Exposition Blvd. All other lots are reserved for USC Athletic Department Donors. Prices for all lots: Cars (South Lawn) - $25, RVs & Buses (Lot 2) - $125 per day.

Off Site - There will be expensive parking near the Coliseum. Our favorite spots include the lots on Figueroa near the carpool lane exits at 39th Street, and the parking structure at the corner of 39th Street and Vermont.

Heritage Hall: If you have never been to USC's campus before, the must-see sights include Tommy Trojan and Heritage Hall. The USC Athletic Department is headquartered there, but visitors are welcome to come inside and view USC's seven Heisman trophies (Mike Garrett's is currently in South Bend, on loan to the College Football Hall of Fame), the 2004 Football National Championship trophy, the seven retired football jerseys, the Lexus Gauntlet, and a variety of other awards and trophies.

Tailgating: Tailgating is permitted on game days on campus, around the Coliseum and in the Coliseum parking lots (many of the private off-site lots do not permit tailgating). Drink all you want, but don't expect a refresher once you get into the stadium. The Coliseum does not sell alcohol, nor does it permit alcohol to be brought in using any container other than your stomach and bloodstream.

Trojan Walk: About two hours prior to kickoff, the team arrives at the east end of Christmas Tree Lane and walks into the Coliseum through the Peristyle. Yellow ropes mark the team's path, and every inch of the path will be surrounded by Trojan fans. The players do not have time to stop and sign autographs, but high fives and shout-outs are not discouraged.

The USC Marching Band: About 90 minutes before kickoff, the USC Marching Band starts making its way from Heritage Hall to the Coliseum, marching through the heart of campus, past the flagpoles at Hoover and Exposition (kick them for luck), and around Exposition Park to the Colisum.

The USC Bookstore: The USC Bookstore is located in the center of campus just south and west of Tommy Trojan. The second floor has all the good stuff. If you just want t-shirts, footballs, jerseys and common merchandise, you can also shop at Trojan Fan Fest or merchandise tents set up outside the Coliseum.

Trojan Fan Fest: The Trojan Fan Fest opens four hours prior to kickoff. There are inflatable games for kids and free giveaways for fans. Did you miss your tailgater? Come to Fan Fest and get all kinds of grub and grog.

Tickets: None are available. This was sold out last summer. If you already have tickets, but need to get them at will-call, the general will-call booth is located outside Gate 4. Will-call opens 3 hours prior to kick-off and remains remain open until the end of the 1st quarter, when the last six or eight tickets are sent to Gate 33. Don't forget your photo ID.

Gates: They open at 3:00 p.m. You can enter at Gates 1, 4, 11, 16, 19, 23 or 28A, unless you are a student. Student tickets get you into gate 28, which is limited to student entrance, only with a valid student ID. Watch out for scalpers selling student tickets and telling you it's no big deal to use a student ticket without student ID. They lie. Student IDs are scanned electronically and can only be used once per game, so you can't even flash a quick ID for someone who looks slightly similar to you, as we did in the old days. And don't count on re-entry, either. Once you leave, you are gone.

Prohibited Items: Any items deemed a security risk will be sent back. These include knives or other weapons, cans, bottles (except non-reusable sealed water bottles), umbrellas and video cameras. For a complete list of prohibited items and stadium policies, please visit www.lacoliseum.com.

ATMs: Located at Gates 6, 14, and 23.

Elevators/Escalators: Escalators are located adjacent to sections 4, 11 and 19. They take you to the second level, which starts at Row 68. An elevator for handicap access only is located at tunnel 6.

There you have it, your Game Day Guide. Enjoy the festivities.

Media Takes: Here's what various publications are saying about the game:

ESPN reports: the key to the game is whether Notre Dame's defense shows up.

CNNSI's Stewart Mandel picks the Trojans by 17.

USA Today calls it USC 31, Notre Dame 20, and says USC's defense will be the key.

Fox Sports is discussing how this is Brady Quinn's last shot.

CBS Sportsline has a countdown to game time on its college football front page and openly roots for Desmond Reed to have a big game for the Trojans.

Locally, the L.A. Times notes that this has become the third most popular ticket in StubHub's history.

The Orange County Register says USC's secondary is better than in years past.

The L.A. Daily News says, with 18 starting seniors, this might be Notre Dame's big chance.

The Chicago Sun-Times focuses on the receivers.

The South Bend Tribune thinks this season looks a lot like Notre Dame's 1977 championship team.

Video Clips: Here's the USC 2006 Flash Animation. Highlights from the 2005 game can be seen here and here and here. Coca-Cola honors the rivalry with this commercial. Watch a Notre Dame cheerleader get popped by the Irish flag.

FIGHT ON! And again remember, His full name is

TOUCHDOWN JESUSCHRIST

(I love this game!)

Comments

[Cranky Greg]

Great win!
USC v. Ohio State!