The bowl matchups are out, and where Notre Dame is headed should come as no surprise. Almost every bowl projection before Sunday had the Irish in the Gator Bowl, and that’s exactly where they’re headed. The Irish will meet South Carolina, a program they have clashed with four times before but not at all since 1984. This year’s game will be played at 3:30 p.m. EST on Dec. 30 in Jacksonville, Florida.
This will be the Irish’s fourth Gator Bowl, and they have no place to go but up after their last appearance in the 2003 edition. [autotag]Tyrone Willingham[/autotag] had led the Irish to a 10-2 regular-season record in his first season, but that didn’t matter to Philip Rivers and NC State. Rivers threw for 228 yards and two touchdowns in a 28-6 trouncing of the Irish. It didn’t help that [autotag]Pat Dillingham[/autotag] threw three interceptions.
Here are some images from a game that proved to be a sign of things to come for the rest of Willingham’s tenure: