Sports Information Office University of Notre Dame 112 Joyce Center Notre Dame, IN 46556 www.und.com NOTRE DAME 574-631-7516 574-631-7941 FAX F O O T B A L L GAME DAY EDITION: SEPTEMBER 6, 2003 NOTRE DAME (0-0) (#19 AP/#16 ESPN/USA Today) Notre Dame Fighting Irish (0-0) Sept. 6 WASHINGTON STATE ....1:38 EST Sept. 13 at Michigan ......................3:30 EDT Game No. 1 vs. Washington State Cougars (1-0) Sept. 20 MICHIGAN STATE .......... 1:30 EST Sept. 27 at Purdue ................................. TBA The Date and Time: Saturday, Sept. 6, 2003, at 1:38 p.m. EST. Oct. 11 at Pittsburgh ............................ TBA The Site: Notre Dame Stadium (80,795/Natural Grass) in Notre Dame, Ind. Oct. 18 USC ................................. 1:30 EST The Tickets: They're all sold -- with this being the 168th consecutive sellout at Notre Dame Stadium (the Oct. 25 at Boston College .................... TBA first 130 coming at the old 59,075 capacity). The Washington State game marks the 216th home sellout in Nov. 1 FLORIDA STATE ............. 2:30 EST the last 217 games (dating back to 1964) and the 151st sellout in the last 174 games involving Notre Nov. 8 NAVY ............................... 2:30 EST Dame, including the first 10 games of 1998, the first 11 in '99, the first five in '00, the first nine in '01 and all Nov. 15 BYU ................................. 2:30 EST 13 in '02. Nov. 29 at Stanford ....................... 5:00 PST The TV Plans: NBC Sports national telecast with Tom Hammond (play-by-play), Pat Haden (analysis), Dec. 6 at Syracuse ..................... 1:00 EST Lewis Johnson (sideline), Jim Bell (producer) and John Gonzalez (director). WASHINGTON STATE (1-0) The Radio Plans: For the 36th consecutive season, all Notre Dame football games are broadcast on Aug. 30 vs. Idaho (at Seattle) ......... W, 25-0 more than 200 stations in all 50 states nationwide by Westwood One with Tony Roberts (play-by-play), Sept. 6 at Notre Dame ................1:38 EST former Irish running back Allen Pinkett (analysis) and former Irish quarterback and 1956 Heisman Trophy Sept. 13 at Colorado ..................... 1:30 MDT winner Paul Hornung (pregame/halftime analysis). A live broadcast from the Notre Dame student station, Sept. 20 NEW MEXICO .................2:00 PDT WVFI, also is available through the Notre Dame athletic department web site at www.und.com. All Notre Sept. 27 at Oregon ...................... 12:30 PDT Dame football games are heard on WDND-AM (1620) and WNDV-FM (92.9) in South Bend with pre- and Oct. 4 ARIZONA ........................ 2:00 PDT post-game analysis featuring Sean Stires, Andy Budzinski, Shawn Lewallen, Jack Nolan and Larry Oct. 18 at Stanford ....................... 2:00 PDT Williams. All Irish games also are carried live in the Chicago market on ESPN Radio 1000. Oct. 25 OREGON STATE ............2:00 PDT Real-Time Stats: Live in-game statistics are available for the Washington State game, via the Notre Nov. 1 at USC ............................. 4:00 PST Dame (www.und.com) and Washington State (www.wsucougars.com) athletics web sites. Nov. 8 UCLA ............................... 4:00 PST Web Sites: Notre Dame (www.und.com), Washington State (www.wsucougars.com). Nov. 15 ARIZONA STATE............. 2:00 PST Nov. 22 at Washington.......................... TBA IRISH KICK OFF 2003 SEASON SATURDAY AGAINST WASHINGTON STATE The 115th season of Notre Dame football is set to begin Saturday at 1:38 p.m. (EST) when the Irish play WEEKLY RANKINGS host to Washington State at Notre Dame Stadium. The game will be televised nationally by NBC and it will Here's where Notre Dame has been ranked in mark the 168th consecutive sellout at Notre Dame Stadium, a streak that dates back to Thanksgiving Day the weekly polls during the 2003 season: of 1973. The Irish are beginning their second season under head coach Tyrone Willingham following a remark- Week AP ESPN/USA Today BCS able 10-3 record last year that included a trip to the Toyota Gator Bowl on New Year's Day. Notre Dame preseason .... 20 ................ 18 has 38 monogram winners back from that squad, including 14 starters and currently is ranked in both of Aug. 26 ...... no poll ............. 18 the major national polls (20th by Associated Press, 16th by ESPN/USA Today). Sept. 1 .......... 19 ................ 16 Among the returning players on this year's Irish roster are a pair of preseason first-team All-Americans in senior linebacker Courtney Watson and senior cornerback/kick returner Vontez Duff. Watson, who also was a Butkus Award finalist in 2002 and is a candidate for the honor again this season, led Notre Dame with 90 tackles last year despite missing three games due to injury. Meanwhile, Duff is widely regarded as one of the most explosive all-around players in college football after becoming the first player in school history to return a punt, kickoff and interception for a touchdown last season. Like Watson, Duff is a candidate for postseason honors, having been named to the ’03 Jim Thorpe Award Watch List. Washington State (1-0) kicked off its 2003 campaign last Saturday with a 25-0 shutout of Idaho in a game played at Seahawks Stadium in Seattle. WSU running back Jonathan Smith carried 16 times for 160 yards and two touchdowns, and kicker Drew Dunning booted four field goals as the Cougars won the debut game for new head coach Bill Doba. In the victory, Washington State rolled up 339 yards rushing, their highest output on the ground in 10 years, and finished the game with 466 yards of total offense. The Cougars are one of three teams on this year's Irish schedule that reached the ’02 Bowl Champion- ship Series. WSU posted a 10-3 record last year and advanced to the Rose Bowl, where it lost to Okla- homa, 34-14. Saturday's game will be the Cougars' first-ever meeting with Notre Dame. 2003 FIGHTING IRISH FOOTBALL PAGE 1 SEPTEMBER 6, 2003 NOTRE DAME VS. WASHINGTON STATE NOTRE DAME'S PROBABLE STARTING OFFENSE Pos. No. Player Notes Page 2 WR 80 Omar Jenkins Averaged more than 17 yards per catch in 2002 LT 70 Jim Molinaro Made first three starts of career and played 124:37 last year LG 73 Mark LeVoir One of largest linemen (6-7, 320) on this year's roster C76Bob Morton Former second-team prep All-American; DNP in 2002 MEDIA INFORMATION or 55 Zachary Giles Played in one game in '02; two years experience in system RG 65 Sean Milligan Only returning starter on OL; 17 career starts (12 in 2002) THE. WILLINGHAM CONFERENCES RT 74 Dan Stevenson Saw action in 11 games last year; started at RT in Gator Bowl Tyrone Willingham’s weekly teleconference- TE 85 Billy Palmer Has played in 14 career games (made first start at USC in '02) style press conferences will take place on Tues- WR 21 Maurice Stovall Lanky sophomore caught 18 passes for 312 yds. as a rookie day mornings prior to each Notre Dame game, QB 7 Carlyle Holiday Third in ND history with .0194 INT pct. (5 INT in 401 attempts) with the next scheduled for Sept. 9. They are FB 16 Rashon Powers-Neal Converted tailback; ran 77 times for 344 yards, 2 TD last year held at the WNDU-TV studios (on US 933/Busi- RB 4 Ryan Grant Doak Walker Award candidate; ran for 1,085 yds., 9 TD in '02 ness 31, west edge of campus) in South Bend. A light meal is served beginning at 10:30 a.m. NOTRE DAME'S PROBABLE STARTING DEFENSE (EST), and Coach Willingham will address the Pos. No. Player Notes media from 11-11:30 a.m. (EST). At least one LE 44 Justin Tuck Speedy pass rusher had five sacks, 10 tackles for loss in '02 Irish player generally is available for interviews DT 60 Darrell Campbell Major force on nation's 10th-ranked rush defense last year following Willingham's remarks. Out-of-town me- NG 77 Greg Pauly Played in 12 games last year, making three starts (11 tackles) dia can connect to the Willingham portion of the RE 92 Kyle Budinscak Begins second year as starter; two-time Academic All-District conference via phone to listen and ask ques- ILB 33 Courtney Watson Butkus Award candidate; led Irish in tackles (90) last year tions — contact the Notre Dame sports infor- ILB 39 Brandon Hoyte Made three starts in '02 and was leading ND tackler in all three mation office at (574) 631-7516 for the access OLB 49 Derek Curry Second-year starter who will see time as both ILB and OLB number. All teleconferences also are available LCB 34 Vontez Duff Preseason All-American and Thorpe Award candidate on satellite (Galaxy 3-C, Transponder 4). Video FS 19 Glenn Earl Thorpe Award candidate; second on team in tackles (81) in '02 highlights from the previous week's Notre Dame SS 26 Garron Bible Played in all 13 games last year (two starts) as dime back game are included at the end of each hour-long RCB 9 Jason Beckstrom Missed entire '02 season with torn biceps; has five career starts satellite feed (11:00 a.m.-noon EST). The tele- or 24 Dwight Ellick Former all-BIG EAST track star played in every game last yr. conferences also are carried live on WDND-AM (ESPN Radio 1620) in South Bend, as well as NOTRE DAME'S PROBABLE SPECIALISTS the official Notre Dame athletics web site Pos. No. Player Notes (www.und.com). PK/KO 13 Nicholas Setta Has made 87 straight PAT kicks (second-best in ND history) P13Nicholas Setta First ND player to hold both kicking duties since '92 (Hentrich) TUESDAY TRANSCRIPTIONS HLD 8 Matt Krueger Walk-on senior quarterback is a South Bend native Transcriptions of Tyrone Willingham's Tuesday or 19 D.J.