Its ND vs. Fla. St. in Champs
For the first time in eight years and the first time in a bowl game since the 1995 season, Notre Dame and Florida State will square off on the gridiron in the Dec. 29 Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando, Fla.
"Anytime you open up the season, you always have high expectations," said Irish head coach Brian Kelly Sunday night. "Our football team had high expectations coming in, and when some of the things don't go your way, you look toward your senior leaders and how they're going to respond. We're really proud of this football team and the way they've responded after an 0-2 start.
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"Having two teams like Notre Dame and Florida State, who has overcome some adversity earlier in the year to come back and be playing really good football, really makes for a marquee match-up, and it makes it special for our kids being in Orlando. A nice way to finish the season, to be part of the Champs Sports Bowl."
This time, it will be head coach Jimbo Fisher leading the Seminoles against the Irish after legendary Florida State head coach Bobby Bowden led his squad against Notre Dame the first six times the two schools matched up.
"We've gotten a chance to watch them with the Wake Forest game, and obviously, very talented defensively," said Kelly of the Seminoles, who have allowed just 15.17 points per game this season.
"Great athletes. Their numbers speak for themselves, and it's going to be a great challenge for us, but one that I know we'll be prepared for. Last year going into the Sun Bowl against Miami, we had a great defense to prepare for, and we think we've seen some really good teams this year. Florida State is going to be the biggest challenge this year."
Florida State holds 4-2 lead in the series, which hasn't been revisited since the Seminoles and Bowden came into Notre Dame Stadium and defeated the Irish, 37-0, in 2003. A year earlier, Tyrone Willingham's Fighting Irish stunned Florida State in Tallahassee, 34-24, to raise Notre Dame's record to 8-0 in Willingham's first year with the Irish.
The last time these two teams met in a bowl game was the Jan. 1, 1996 Orange Bowl in Miami. Playing without starting quarterback Ron Powlus, who suffered a broken arm in the second-to-last game of the regular season, the Irish and quarterback Thomas Krug battled the Seminoles before finally succumbing, 31-26.
The Orange Bowl loss was the second of what would eventually become a nine-game bowl losing streak for the Irish. Notre Dame currently is on a two-game bowl winning streak, claiming the 2008 Hawaii Bowl in Charlie Weis' second-to-last year at Notre Dame and a 16-point victory over Miami last December in the Sun Bowl.
This will be Notre Dame's 31st bowl game. The Irish have a 15-15 mark in post-season play. Florida State has won three bowl games in a row and has a 24-14-2 mark in post-season play. The Seminoles played in the Champs Sports Bowl one previous time, and that was a 42-13 victory over Wisconsin in 2008.
This will be Notre Dame's third appearance in Orlando's Citrus Bowl Stadium. In 1994, Notre Dame lost to Florida State there, 23-16. Six years later in 2000, Notre Dame defeated Navy in Citrus Bowl Stadium, 45-14.
Rees to start; Riddick at RB - Kelly named sophomore Tommy Rees the starter for the Champs Sports Bowl with Andrew Hendrix expected to play a role.
"Tommy Rees is our starter. He'll start the bowl game, and Andrew will get an opportunity to play as well," Kelly said. "But Tommy is our starter, he's been our starter the whole year, and he'll be that starter against Florida State in the Champs Sports Bowl."
Meanwhile, Dayne Crist's status for the bowl game remains undetermined. Kelly confirmed that Crist asked for and was granted a release from his scholarship after three-and-a-half years at Notre Dame, where he is expected to get his undergraduate degree upon the conclusion of the semester later this month.
"That's yet to be determined. We're not really sure," said Kelly of Crist's role in the bowl game. "We've given him a release and he's going to have to pursue some of those things. So right now, it's pretty much up in the air, and I've got to focus on the guys that are going to be here."
Asked further about Crist asking for permission to be released from his scholarship, Kelly said, "I was not surprised. Dayne's been professional all year. He's worked hard. But he knew he wanted to continue to play, and he was going to get that opportunity probably somewhere else.
"So it didn't surprise me and we want to do everything to help Dayne to make sure he gets that opportunity."
Kelly also said that junior Theo Riddick would play running back in the Champs Sports Bowl, a position he moved from (to the Z receiver) upon Kelly's arrival two seasons ago. Riddick, who was coming back from a hamstring injury in the last regular-season game of the year against Stanford, played the position against the Cardinal.
"Running back, he's going to play the running back position," said Kelly of Riddick against Florida State. "He's got some great flexibility where he can play in the slot and do some other things. But his primary focus will be at running back."
