Sept. 7, 2001
As Notre Dame coach Bob Davie talked to the press about 48 hours before kickoff, one thing was certain. The team has their game faces on and are focused on the task at hand.
“We’re ready to go.” Davie said. “We’ll find out what kind of football team we have on Saturday night. See the things that are positive, see the things that are negative.”
The Measuring Stick
A game against one of the nation’s top teams in their house can be a daunting task. But Davie is excited to see how the team will handle the adverse situation on Saturday night.
“This game will be the measuring stick.” Davie said. “We feel good about our preparation. We feel good about our progress. I have a good feeling about this football team. I want to see where we are and how good we can be.”
This game presents a lot for the Irish to be excited about. Saturday night’s game will match two of the most storied college programs on a national prime time stage. Davie was asked what he is looking forward to the most about this game.
“Just seeing us play,” Davie said. “We have so much invested in this and so much hard work. We have asked our players to sacrifice a lot. I am excited to put this product on the field and see where we are. This is probably as big of a test as there has been for Notre Dame football, to open up a game against a Nebraska team that has already played two games in Lincoln.”
Bowl Game Atmosphere
Davie was asked to compare the hype and festivities surrounding this game to last year’s game. He stated that every game Notre Dame plays in has a bowl game-like atmosphere, but this one has added significance.
“Considering all the big games we have played in, this might be the biggest,” Davie said. “From what I understand in Nebraska is there’s a tremendous buzz right now about this football game. The Irish are going to show up and play.”
Davie also remarked that the 7 p.m. kickoff doesn’t change the approach to the game. Since this is the first game of the season, the Irish have not yet established into a specific pre-game routine.