Notre Dame’s fan-storming celebration after the big 47-40 win over No. 1 Clemson in South Bend, Ind. on Saturday has been a huge story.
The students in attendance for the game defied social distancing recommendations and stormed the field at Notre Dame Stadium, gathering with thousands packed into tight quarters (seen here). Some of the players on both sides got caught with fans around them, making for a tough situation as teams try to avoid positive COVID-19 cases.
What was it like from the perspective of Notre Dame quarterback Ian Book? He shared his thoughts during an interview with Scott Van Pelt on ESPN Monday night.
“It was hard (to get off the field),” Book said. “It was an unbelievable moment. I ran out there screaming and yelling. It was just a moment I’ll never forget.”
Book said he tried to hurry off the field after he recognized the potential problem.
“Once I saw how many people were starting to come on the field, I had to get out of there and try to grab a couple of my teammates and go celebrate in the locker room together. Luckily I’m a fifth year, so I’ve had my opportunity with 80,000 fans. And I’ve got to see it all and enjoy the victories. It’s probably tough to be a freshman; this isn’t like any other year. And if we want to play football and accomplish the goals we want to accomplish, we got to do it the right way.”
Book also recognized most players did a good job of not getting sucked into the big celebrations.
“We’re basically living in a bubble. Obviously after the game, with everybody storming the field, it’s a great moment. It’s what you come to Notre Dame to play for. But, we had to stay safe, so I was trying to hurry up and get off the field. There’s so many protocol for this team. It’s just been an unbelievable job of following everything. They understand that one slip-up could get the whole team in trouble. They see the bigger picture at hand.”
Notre Dame is now 7-0 following the win and proved it is legit. Book had 310 yards passing and 68 rushing yards in the game.
As for the students, the school is not happy with their behavior. The university is threatening students with holds on their records if they leave the area.
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