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SOUTH BEND – Coming off two emotional games, Notre Dame faces a new test this week.
The No. 25 Irish (5-2), who ended a six-game losing streak to Boston College last weekend after a narrow loss to USC on Oct. 17, will have to stay focused when they take on a one-win team in Texas.
Notre Dame will be designated the home team when it plays Washington State (1-6) at 7:30 p.m. Saturday in the Alamodome in San Antonio.
“You can only look forward,” running back Armando Allen said. “Those games (against Boston College and USC) are out of the way. The outcome was one win and one loss, and we ended with a win. After that, you can only look forward.”
Not looking too far ahead and overlooking the Cougars could be difficult for the Irish.
Notre Dame opened as a 30-point favorite and was favored by 28 1/2 Tuesday.
Washington State’s one win was a 30-27 overtime victory over 3-4 SMU on Sept. 19, and the Cougars have lost six games by a combined score of 232-76 and were twice held to six points. Washington State is coming off a 49-17 loss to California, and its closest loss is a 27-14 setback to Arizona State on Oct. 10.
“Guys are saying no one wants to fall into a trap game,” left guard Chris Stewart said. “We think we can go out and do well against this opponent. Not to embarrass anybody, but we strive to play to our standard and get the win.”
Coach Charlie Weis said playing in San Antonio will help keep Notre Dame focused against a struggling opponent.
Saturday is the first neutral-site game for the Irish this season. Notre Dame has seven home games, four road games and one off-site game, and the Irish will likely have the majority of the crowd in the 65,000-seat Alamodome pulling for them.
“Just the intrigue about how this is going to play out is exciting in its own right,” Weis said.
Weis also said Notre Dame will be focused on putting together a complete game. The Irish’s last six games have all been decided by seven points or less, a school record for a single season.
“It is one those situations, where we are going to have to go down there ready to go, or we are going to find ourselves in the same game we have been playing in the last month and a half,” Weis said.
The Irish will likely be without senior receiver Robby Parris. Parris, who injured his right hip, knee and ankle against USC and left early against Boston College, is doubtful for Saturday, Weis said. The Irish have been playing without sophomore receiver Michael Floyd (collarbone) since Week 3. Notre Dame running back Robert Hughes, who suffered a concussion against Boston College, has been cleared to play.
Note: Running back Giovanni Bernard of St. Thomas Aquinas in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., orally committed to Notre Dame, according to Rivals.com. The 5-foot-9, 198-pounder is the 17th committed for the class of 2010.
