Bring it on, South Florida

NOTRE DAME – Fans flocked to Notre Dame’s campus on Friday in preparation for the first home game of the 2011 Notre Dame Football Season, but the team has been prepping for much longer.

Quarterback Dayne Crist said the key to Saturday’s match up against the University of South Florida is playing smart.

"Limit mistakes, Limit turnovers. Just like anything protecting the balls got to be the most important thing with this team because they can exploit any mistakes that you make,” said Crist.

Defensively things could get tricky with USF’s dual threat quarterback B.J. Daniels, but Notre Dame Safety Harrison Smith said they’ll be watch him.

"He's an athletic guy and he can throw the ball so there's always that option that he can scramble around and kind of create something,” said Smith.

 Inside Linebacker Manti Te’o said the defense is going to keep the intensity going against the Bulls from the start of the game.

 "Starting with a bang is something else we've been focusing on and not waiting,” said Te’o.

 But no matter what Saturday brings, the team plans to give it their all.

 "We want nothing but success and we're going to do everything we can to compete for every minute of the game that we're out there,” said Crist.

 Saturday’s game starts at 3:40 p.m. against the South Florida Bulls.