SamboraBlog

October 15, 2005

BY JIM O'DONNELL STAFF REPORTER

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Kelly green, midnight blue and here's-hoping gold were the kaleidoscopic underpinnings of the night Friday as close to 40,000 people turned out at Notre Dame Stadium to pump the ninth-ranked Irish (4-1) on the eve of their midseason showdown with No. 1 USC (5-0).

The crowd clapped and roared as past ND greats Joe Montana, Tim Brown and Chris Zorich joined coach Charlie Weis in calling for class, dignity and noise today when Notre Dame tries to end the Trojans' 27-game winning streak (2:30 p.m., Ch. 5, 890-AM).

Said Weis: ''I want to make sure that we handle ourselves as respectful people because we are going against an A-class team.'' But, he added: ''This has been stereotyped as a quiet place,'' a comment that drew a wave of thunderous denial from the gathered hopefuls.

The pep rally was only the fourth ever held in the historic stadium. Current stars Maurice Stovall and Corey Mays also spoke. The event was hosted by Daniel ''Rudy'' Ruettiger, the pushy ND walk-on immortalized in a 1994 film. Ruettiger, 55, now bears a startling resemblance to the late actor Karl Malden in his autumnal American Express/ ''Streets of San Francisco'' phase.

Throughout the day, rumors ran from the Grotto to at least one Chicago radio station that Weis had convinced fellow Jersey-ites Bruce Springsteen and/or Jon Bon Jovi to appear at the assembly. One South Bend TV station went so far as to report that Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora had ''definitely'' been seen near Touchdown Jesus at midday. Apparently not.

THE VISITING TROJANS showed cool and spark when they strolled through a mid-afternoon gauntlet of about 3,500 ND fans outside the stadium en route to their Friday walk-through. A few of the USC players even stopped to sign autographs. Heisman Trophy winner Matt Leinart never took off his iPod, riding shotgun over the left shoulder of coach Pete Carroll and possibly jamming to old tunes by Ashlee Simpson.

More than once, the Trojans and their retinue drew attention to the height of the grass on the field, as if suggesting that ND groundskeepers were thickening the sod to slow USC's speed.

REGGIE BUSH, perhaps the speediest Trojan, told reporters after the workout he is ''100 percent.'' Bush continues to wear a rubber sleeve on his bruised right knee. The flashy junior running back suffered the injury during a 42-21 victory over Arizona last Saturday at the Los Angeles Coliseum.

LEE CORSO AND ESPN ''GAMEDAY'' compatriots Kirk Herbstreit and Chris Fowler warmed up for their assignment with live drop-ins near the Hesburgh Library during the hours building to the pep rally. Corso was commentator enough to admit that six weeks ago, he picked Notre Dame to be 1-5 after the USC game. Sharpest Chicago media archivists will recall his 1983 turn as Northern Illinois coach, when WLS-Channel 7 aired a Sunday morning highlights show featuring Corso with co-host -- and gridiron legend -- Jimmy Piersall.

THE IRREPRESSIBLE BEANO COOK, at www.blueandgold.com: ''Giving Charlie Weis an extra week of preparation for an opponent is like giving Gen. George Patton an extra 100 tanks for battle.'' Beano's pick: ND 37, USC 31. ... Dick Vitale was a surprise visitor to the Notre Dame pep luncheon at the Joyce Center. Vitale was in South Bend to check out the new edition of Mike Brey's men's basketball team.

USC TEAM AND STAFF were scheduled to bunker down Thursday and Friday just a short pass line away from one of the Michiana riverboats. ... Foggy QB Leinart, apparently with no TV Guide in his hotel room, asked: ''The game's on NBC, right?''