Notre Dame plays its first football game in 21 days tonight in South Bend when the Flordia State Seminoles come to town for a primetime matchup.

Because of the COVID-19 surge at ND, which had at one time 25 players either directly affected or in quarantine due to the virus, ND had to postpone its scheduled first away game against Wake Forest two weeks ago. The game is now scheduled for Dec. 12. ND had an open date last week, also due to the COVID- 19 pandemic. On the original 2020 schedule, the Oct. 3 date was a game against Wisconsin to be played in primetime at Lambeau Field - the home of the Green Bay Packers. But in August, the Big 10 canceled all non-league games for conference members.

Despite being out of action for the past two weekends of the college season, ND was able to maintain its No. 5 national ranking in the polls. ND, at 2-0, 1-0 in the Atlantic Coast Conference, has some tests ahead of it, including the long anticipated match-up in South Bend with Clemson. Before that, however, ND has a very challenging ACC schedule to play.

ND resumed practices on Wednesday, Sept. 30, but on a restrictive scale, according to head coach Brian Kelly. Players who have recovered from COVID-19 had a lighter workload, because they were unable to condition during their 10-day isolation and had more hurdles to clear in the following days. Players in 14-day quarantine started modified workouts on their own after one week as long as they tested negative for the virus.

The last time the Irish went as many as 21 days between regular-season games was in 1918, during the Spanish Flu pandemic. A total of 35 days went by between Sept. 18 opener against Case Tech, and a added game with Wabash. The Wabash game replaced a scheduled match-up with Nebraska in Lincoln.

Tonight the Irish play a young and struggling Florida State team. The Seminoles enter at 1-2, winning their first game last week against Jacksonville State University, 41-24. The two losses have been to Georgia Tech, 16-13, and powerhouse Miami, 52-10.

FSU has a new head coach this year in Mike Norvell. FSU is expected to start its third QB of the season tonight in Louisville transfer Jordan Travis. The season starter, captain James Blackman, was benched after the Miami game, Freshman Tate Rodemaker started last week against Jacksonville State.

FSU leads the series against the Irish, 6-3. The last game between the two schools was played in 2018, with ND winning, 42-13.

As I mentioned, the game is in primetime on NBC-TV. It is the first of two night games this year at home. The second is the Clemson game.

IRISH NOTES ... ND wide receivers have not played much of a role so far this season. In the Duke and USF games the Irish depended heavily on the tight ends and running backs to catch passes, Tight ends Tommy Treble (eight receptions), and Michael Mayer (four receptions) have combined to catch more passes than all of ND’s wide receivers combined ... In the USF game the experienced offensive line took charge as ND racked up 459 rushing yards. The wide receiver corps will get some much needed help tonight with the season debut for junior Kevin Austin Jr., the return of grad transfer Ben Skowronek from a hamstring injury, and a clean slate of health for junior Braden Lenzy. With those weapons in the lineup, QB Ian Book has plenty of talented options ... Speaking of Book. He made his 25th career start as quarterback in the 52-0 win over USF. He’s compiled a 22-3 record as a starter with 21 of those wins coming since he took over as the full-time starter against Wake Forest in game four of the 2018 season. His play improved in the USF game but there is more improvement needed from him ... CB Clarence Lewis posted three pass breakups in the shutout of South Florida, the highest total among ACC players in a single game that week. Overall, Lewis’ three PBU this season, all coming against South Florida, rank him third in the ACC in average passes defended per game (1.5) ... The Irish boast a current win streak of eight games, the longest among Power 5 programs ... RB C’Bo Flemister reached the 100-yard rushing plateau for the first time in his career with a 127-yard performance vs. South Florida. It marked the third-consecutive game in which the Irish have boasted a 100-yard rusher, dating back to the 2019 Camping World Bowl ... Four-star wide receiver Deion Colzie, from Athens (Ga.) Academy, announced his verbal commitment to the Irish recently. He initially pledged to Notre Dame last October before decommitting on March 20 - near the beginning of the pandemic in the United States ... Here is the very latest on the COVID -19 situation at ND. Since June 18, at least 45 Irish players have tested positive, 27 of them since ND’s last game with of South Florida on Sept. 19. While all 45 still must follow team protocols such as mask-wearing and social distancing, there is presumed immunity, at least temporarily. Kelly said he expects the on-field players available for tonight’s game should be about 90-plus percent of the roster ND had for the season-opening Duke game ... Two players who won’t be available are sophomore Buck linebacker Jack Kiser and starting defensive tackle Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa. Sophomore Marist Liufau and junior Shayne Simon, who tag-teamed in the opener then missed the USF game, will share the playing time tonight at Buck linebacker. Junior defensive tackle Jayson Ademilola, could receive his first career start today, backed up by sophomore Howard Cross III ... The Irish are 20-point favorites tonight against a Florida State team struggling under a new head coach, and starting their third different QB. ND should prevail and also should be pretty hungry to get some hits and be hit after the 21-day span between their last game and tonight. In my preseason picks I have the Irish winning today, no reason to feel any different despite all the turmoil caused by the COVID -19 outbreak on campus.