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Irish Begin Game Week Preparation
Notre Dame worked nearly two hours Monday at AT&T Stadium in its first on-site practice for the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic.
The Fighting Irish (12-0), No. 3 in the CFP rankings, practiced in shorts, shoulder pads and helmets for the first time since Thursday before breaking for a few days off. They arrived in North Texas on Sunday. Now their focus is on their opponent, No. 2 Clemson (13-0, 9-0 ACC).
“We’re excited about getting into a routine now,” Irish Head Coach Brian Kelly said. “Now that we’ve gotten settled in, it’s really [time] for us now to get into game-week mode and kind of flip it into our preparation.”
All players who were expected to play before leaving campus are here and accounted for. There are no new injuries to contributors and no Irish players missing the game to begin NFL draft preparations, Kelly said. Off the field, the team made a productive day of it, mixing in meals, meetings and down time. They were scheduled to attend a comedy show Monday night.
Among the gifts received when the Irish arrived were a traditional cowboy hat and boots for Kelly.
“I feel like a Texan today,” Kelly said.
The Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic celebrates its 83rd anniversary on Saturday, Dec. 29. Live Coverage on ESPN is set for 3 p.m. CST, with kickoff slated for 3:10 p.m.
This marks the fifth consecutive year for the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic to be a part of the ESPN bowl lineup. Sean McDonough and Todd Blackledge are set to provide the call from the booth with Holly Rowe and Tom Rinaldi reporting from the sidelines.
ESPN Radio returns as the Classic's national radio partner for the seventh consecutive year. Bill Rosinski teams with David Norrie in the booth and Ian Fitzsimmons on the sidelines to describe all the action from AT&T Stadium.
