Notre Dame Fighting Irish College Football Pregame Quote, 12/30/2024

Q. What stands out to you about Georgia, their offensive line?

HOWARD CROSS III: The interior specifically. First off, in general, a big SEC team. A lot of talent, big bodies, very quick, very strong. But the interior offensive line is a really good offensive line. Definitely, got my work cut out for me.

I have been watching film. I’m excited. I love going against great talent. That’s kind of what makes the game great. And what makes me most excited is going against great talent. So I’m excited for the game, for sure.

Q. I know it’s hard to tell how you planned. Do you think this is as good a group you have played this year, talking about their great talent?

HOWARD CROSS III: Yeah, for sure. Yeah, this is a really good team, along with like USC, Texas A&M.

Q. You have played others?

HOWARD CROSS III: Yeah, they are a SEC team. We have the same speeches when we played Texas A&M and everything like that.

Q. What has the experience been like?

HOWARD CROSS III: It was life changing. Just everything in general from football to school. I learned so much. I made lifelong friends, lasting relationships. I mean, obviously, I came here in general to get my education. Football will end at some time. That’s why I came here. I got my master’s. I got a master’s. I have a major and minor and internships. I’ve got people giving me the whole football speech. So I’m proud of myself. It was life changing for sure.

Q. Yeah. What did you get your undergraduate degree in? It was probably so long ago.

HOWARD CROSS III: My minor was in economics and my major is in industrial design.

Q. What did you get your master’s in?

HOWARD CROSS III: Nonprofit business management. I wanted to do a business master’s, but it was either that or coding at the time, and I’m not doing that.

Q. What will you do when the season ends? Will you work out somewhere?

HOWARD CROSS III: Yeah, I will go right into training. I have to move out of my house. I’m discussing my dad battle strategies to start training. Again, I’m very excited for the next phase. Obviously, I have been here. I’m very excited for the next phase of my life. I’m excited to start a new journey, but right now I’m trying to for sure finish this journey on an extremely high note.

Q. So how was the transition from prepping for Indiana to suddenly prepping for Georgia? I guess you have been doing that schedule kind of all year?

HOWARD CROSS III: Yeah, we take it a week at a time. It’s not like a multi-week thing. No, we do one game at a time. We are playing USC, we review for USC. If we are playing Indiana, we look at Indiana for a week. But it’s just week-to-week stuff. Nothing crazy.

Q. Howard, how different is it preparing for the backup quarterback when you only have essential half a film to watch?

HOWARD CROSS III: I mean it’s kind of like having all the puzzle pieces to the puzzle without just one single piece. We have schemed up everything he’s probably going to do. We schemed up everything he could do. We’re pretty sure he’s this type of quarterback. We know the skill players. We know the

O-line and everything else. So at this point, it’s go out and play and figure it out.

Q. What is different about Georgia that you have seen maybe in that last game against Texas versus earlier in the season if you watched film?

HOWARD CROSS III: Again, they are very put together team. As I keep mentioning, their offensive line is a really good offensive line. I have my work cut out for me. And again, I’m really excited when I see great talent that I go against. Any time I watch film, all SEC or All-American, like a lot of dudes will be starting to freak out. That makes me excited. Do you know what I mean?

Q. Have you talked about just kind of the fact that everybody is kind of anticipating this being a bit of an old school match-up, a lot of running the ball, a lot of physical?

HOWARD CROSS III: Oh, yeah, I have definitely heard that. Again, I have my work cut out for me this game, and I’m excited for it. Again, a younger quarterback, I think. Again, we don’t know what he’s going to do. Obviously, he’s just starting, and I’m sure they will try to run the ball. Yes, this will be an old school, run down the middle and see who gets farther in the game. I’m excited for it.

Q. What do you think about an independent team not getting a chance at one of those automatic byes in the first round? Do you think they should change the structure?

HOWARD CROSS III: I mean, that’s what happens. That whole we don’t play anybody thing, it’s just ‚Äì it just depends on the schedule. Looking back on it, like next year we have Miami. We have a bunch of teams. It just depends on the schedule. Last year, we had a top ten schedule. This year, we didn’t, but then next year we also have another top ten schedule. It just varies from week to week ‚Äì not week to week, but year to year.

I get it. We don’t play a championship. The one time we were in a championship, we won the ACC. But, yeah, that was COVID year, which is a lifetime ago at this point.