Notre Dame’s season opening football victory over Duke last week was not pretty. In fact, is was very disappointing.

But a win is a win.

The Irish started slow and finally came around late in the second quarter and then continued their slow progression into the second half.

The offense never really impressed at all during the 27-13 win in the first-ever game for the Irish as a member of the ACC. The defense, however, showed signs that it can dominate and be a real asset as the season goes on.

ND had to rely on a fake kick to spark the offense into action. The fake punt by kicker Jay Bramblett came in the second quarter after the Irish went three-and-out on their first three possessions. At the time, ND trailed Duke, 3-0. Bramblett made his fake run on a fourth down at the ND 21. He ran for 14 yards and the first down. A former high school quarterback, he knew how to scramble and get the extra yards.

That continued the drive that ended with the Irish scoring their first touchdown of the 2020 season.

It was a break-out day for running back Kyren Williams. The sophomore workhorse carried 19 times for 112 yards and two TD, plus he caught two passes for 93 yards, one covering 75 yards.

Also contributing to the win were two fourth-down conversions and the play of the receiving corp and defense.

Despite the win, ND had to suffer through a poor performance from third-year starting quarterback Ian Book.

It was the first Notre Dame game in 102 years played in a pandemic, first conference game in ND’s 132 seasons, and it was played in front of the smallest home crowd since the Great Depression. There were 10,097 fans in the stands - almost all of them students.

Book finished 19 of 31 passing for 249 yards and one TD plus one interception. He had a second interception but is was nullified by a penalty against Duke. His pass-efficiency rating was 136.7, which is almost a full 13 points below his final ranking last season.

Until Book and company finally get going, I’m confident that Irish defense, which showed great promise, can carry the load.

ND defensive coordinator, Clark Lea, was free-wheeling with substitutions during the game as the Irish used 11 defensive linemen.

Today the Irish host the University of South Florida. Originally Western Michigan was scheduled to be today’s opponent but that game fell when that school’s conference put a stop the contest. USF was added when the Bulls suddenly had an open date. All these happenings were due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

USF enters the game 1-0 beating Citadel, 27-6, in its opener. ND and USF played once before, in South Bend, and the Bulls won in an upset, 23-20. The game was played on 2011 and had several weather-related delays, including the stadium being cleared at one point due to thunderstorms.

USF has a new coach this year in Jeff Scott, the former offensive coordinator for Clemson. That will present a problem for the Irish defense as he brings with him a new offense and defense.

Irish fans are reminded that game will be broadcast nationally on the USA Network with a 2:40 p.m. scheduled kickoff. All the remaining home games will be on NBC network.

IRISH NOTES ... Although the crowd count was over !0,000, ND announced it would allow 15,525 (20 percent of stadium capacity) fans into the game. The missing 4,000 fans could be attributed to students who had tickets and decided not to go to the game ... Other game stats saw Tommy Tremble have 5 catches for 38 yards; Joe Wilkins 4 for 44; and Michael Mayer 3 for 38. Jonathan Doerer was 2 for 2 in field goals with kicks of 48 and 34. Defensively Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah had 20 tackles followed by Kyle Hamiltonwith seven. Owusu-Koramoah had three tackles for losses totaling 21 yards, including two sacks ... With his 112 rushing yards and 93 receiving yards, Williams became the first Notre Dame football player to total at least 90 rushing yards and 90 receiving yards in a game since running back Allen Pinkett against Air Force in 1983. Williams’ performance earned him ACC Running Back of the Week. Head coach Brian Kelly praised Williams’ performance but added that other ND backs are going to get into the action. He noted Jafar Armstrong along with freshman running back Chris Tyree and juniors Jahmir Smith and C’Bo Flemister as needed contributors. Tyree rushed six times for 20 yards, and Smith carried five times for 15 yards. Flemister did not play as he continues to recover from a collarbone injury. Kelly said Flemister would be available for today’s game ... During the game ND announced it extended the contract of Kelly through the 2024 season. I won’t comment on that ... With wide receiver Ben Skowronek is likely sidelined today with a hamstring injury sustained in last week’s game, Kelly mentioned freshmen Xavier Watts and Jordan Johnson may be used. Neither played last week against Duke ... Junior wide receiver Braden Lenzy made it to the top of the Notre Dame football depth chart this week. Last week he was listed as a probable starter but did even get into the game. Kelly said Lenzy wasn’t healthy for the Duke game and was battling a hamstring injury ... Today’s opponent has pulled off some upsets in the past. They include a 26-23 overtime win at No. 17 Auburn in 2007; a 17-7 win over No. 18 Florida State in 2009; and the win over No. 16 ND in the season opener in 2011 ... ND and USF announced a three-game series will be played in the not so distance future ... The Duke game was also the regular season debut of Tommy Rees as offensive coordinator and play-caller. We’ll give him a C- ... ND’s most talented wide receiver, junior Kevin Austin Jr., remains on schedule to return by mid-October. Austin suffered a broken bone in his left foot during pre-camp workouts and underwent surgery on Aug. 3 ... Former ND head coach Charlie Weis’s son, Charlie Jr., is a assistant coach with USF ... USF’s punter, Trent Schneider, is older than some of the assistant coaches for both schools. He is also very good at what he does. Schneider worked construction for eight years in his home country, Australia, before becoming a collegiate punter. He played rugby and soccer in high school ... ND is favored by 26 points today, but after last week’s lackluster performance by Book and company, I doubt ND will cover. The Irish should win this one , and if ND finds its true offense today, it could put up some big numbers. But that is a big “if” .