Notre Dame Turf Claims Another Victim

The Black Daggers, a U.S. Army Special Operations Command Demonstration Parachute Team, delivered the game ball before last Saturday's USC-Notre Dame game at South Bend, but one of the group's members members, left, had an encounter with the turf at Notre Dame Stadium on impact.

He caught his left leg in the turf while landing and, according to Blue-Gray Sky, was spotted on crutches with a walking boot during the second half of the game.

When the Trojans played at South Bend in 2005 — the Bush Push game — Desmond Reed suffered torn right knee ligaments and nerve damage while turning to field a ball on a kickoff return. Although the turf was in better shape last Saturday — "They actually cut it, " defensive line coach Dave Watson said — coach Pete Carroll wasn't satisfied, saying the field didn't have a uniform feel.

"I don't understand why it's like that, I mean who plays here? They sharing it with a local JC or something?"

At Notre Dame's traditional pep rally on Friday night, Crewcut Charlie Weis told the crowd the reason the grass was shorter was, "because I don't want to hear any more excuses [Saturday] afternoon."

There were no excuses from the Trojans, who won, 38-0. We're not sure about the Black Daggers.