Dec. 25, 2004
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – The Notre Dame football team completed its third day of game-week preparations for their Insight Bowl clash with Oregon State with a one hour, 45-minute practice Saturday at the Indian School Park practice facility in Scottsdale.
The Irish enjoyed another cloudless day as the team conducted its second consecutive full pads practice. The practice opened with offensive and defensive team vs. scout drills before moving into special teams work and closing with field goal drills as the team finalized preparations for the Beavers of Oregon State.
“We had a physical practice today and we’ll start to wind it down a little as we get closer to the game,” said interim head coach Kent Baer. “Today was the equivalent of a Wednesday practice of a typical game week. We had planned to go longer in practice, but we were pretty sharp today and the kids were pretty lively so we closed it down a little earlier that I had planned. We’re making good progress.”
After practice, the team gathered for a Christmas lunch featuring a players’ gift exchange and talent show. The players were released for dinner on their own in the evening.
UP NEXT – SUNDAY, DEC. 26
On Sunday, six Notre Dame players (Derek Curry, Mike Goolsby, Ryan Grant, Carlyle Holiday, Greg Pauly and Brady Quinn) will participate in an Insight Bowl press conference on Sunday morning at 10:30 a.m. at the JW Marriott Camelback Inn in Phoenix.
The Irish will practice from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., their final full-scale practice before Tuesday night’s game. Video b-roll and still photography will be permitted during the first 20 minutes of practice before the workout is closed to the media. Players will note be available to the media following practice, but brief interviews with coaches will be possible by request. Media members should submit their interview requests during the viewing period at the beginning of practice.
Sunday evening, the players have the option of attending the NBA basketball game between the Phoenix Suns and Toronto Raptors in downtown Phoenix.
Notre Dame and Oregon State are set to clash in the 16th annual Insight Bowl on Tuesday night, Dec. 28, with kickoff slated for 9:47 p.m. EST (7:47 p.m. MST in Phoenix) at Bank One Ballpark in Phoenix. The game will be nationally televised by ESPN with the telecast beginning at 7:45 p.m. EST.