Notre Dame is primed and ready to kick off its season against the Miami Hurricanes on Sunday, August 31, in Hard Rock Stadium. The Fighting Irish will make the long trek south for this game, and while they were just there at the beginning of the year when they knocked off Penn State in the College Football Playoff, the weather certainly will not be the same.
Any non-Florida team typically tends to struggle when playing in the state of Florida based on the weather. For a team like Notre Dame, which certainly never feels the type of heat the Sunshine State teams do, it is going to be tough, and defensive coordinator Chris Ash is well aware of that. South Bend had a bit of a heat wave go through recently and when asked if it helped prepare the Fighting Irish for the Florida head, Ash's answer is a bit worrisome.
"I guess I’ll answer your question with a question, 'Have you been in Florida in the summer?'” Ash asked when speaking to the media. “We need it, but no, it’s not going to be the same as what we are going to encounter in South Florida."
With Florida in the middle of hurricane season and rain pretty much an everyday occurrence, not only with the Fighting Irish dealing with the heat, but humidity as well. Right now, it is forecasted to be raining all day long with scattered thunderstorms, making the field conditions tough, but also making the air very humid.
This humidity could affect how players play, simply in how well hydrated they are. For Miami, they are more used to playing in this weather, but for Notre Dame, the players could struggle with conditioning and dealing with the heat.
Weather will certainly play a factor for Notre Dame vs. Miami
Florida was just narrowly missed by a hurricane last week, as Hurricane Erin just brushed the coast, but there are already two more systems out in the Atlantic that are looking to form into large storms. Notre Dame could be dealing with some serious weather during its game against Miami, something that can never really be prepped for.
New quarterback CJ Carr is going to have to figure out how to keep the ball secure if the rain is coming down, causing for conditions to be less than optimal. Humidity will be around 85% by the time of kickoff, which will make things damp and sticky, not a great combination to play a football game in.