The crowd applauded. It was a nice ovation, but hardly overwhelming. Then again, this wasn't that type of crowd, either.

There's always someone waiting to say hello
1:57 p.m. (CST) When Bob Davie finally returns from his office, he has visitors. Fresno State basketball coach Jerry Tarkanian is stretched out on Davie's plush, gold couch with seven friends sitting around waiting for Davie's return. Seems Tark and the boys are in town for the game and hanging out with Dick Vitale. While Dickie V is nowhere to be seen or heard, Davie grabs a seat and just relaxes for a minute.

Tarkanian brings up how good Fresno State has been doing this season and is quick to point out how after last year's Silicon Valley Bowl (in which Fresno State lost 37-34 to Air Force), he was the first to say "David Carr for Heisman." Davie joins in, saying he thinks the Bulldogs are good enough to win it all. "They're that good," he said. "Colorado State will be a tough game, but they have enough talent and potential to reach the top five or six and get in a BCS bowl."

That would be nice for Davie and the Irish, considering if the Bulldogs make a BCS bowl, Notre Dame automatically earns the other at-large spot if it has nine wins.

A few minutes later, Davie asks his assistant, Jan Blazi, to find the best person on campus to give Tark "the full tour" -- the stadium, weight room, locker room, everything. As Tarkanian and friends say goodbye, Davie is reminded of one little fact.

"You know, some people actually go to these games for fun and to have a good time," Davie said. "You forget that once in a while as a head coach."

With that, Davie welcome NBC's Tom Hammond, Pat Haden and three others from the crew that will televise Saturday's game.

Questions, questions and more questions
2 p.m. (CST) NBC's Tom Hammond and Pat Haden arrive in Davie's office dressed casually, but come out questions blazing. This interview with Davie is crucial for Saturday's telecast. They ask about everything from offense to defense to special teams to strategy and Davie is more than candid with them. While he doesn't volunteer the information, if they ask a question, Davie doesn't duck it either.

	Bob Davie talks about Saturday's game with Pat Haden (left) and Tom Hammond (right).

One of the big topics this week was how Davie and the Irish dealt with the postponements of last week's game against Purdue due to the terrorist attacks on the U.S. last Tuesday. They obviously canceled practice last Tuesday, but since no one had called off the game as of Wednesday morning, the Irish practiced. "But I didn't have a good feeling at all about the game," Davie said. Sure enough, after practice they found out the game was postponed.

Notre Dame did nothing football related Thursday and Friday. Instead, the Irish worked on things like unselfishness, leadership and chemistry. It was a time for players to reevaluate their goals for the season. By Saturday, the Irish seemed like a new team. "It felt like we started a new season," Davie said. "We needed that. We needed to coach the things that are important."

When asked if Notre Dame was ready for the game, Davie said, "I'll be disappointed if we're not. We needed and used this time to get ourselves back together."

The fans making being Notre Dame's coach unique
3 p.m. (CST) The thing that makes being the coach of Notre Dame so unique? The fans. They are always there. Here it is, well over an hour since the luncheon ended and after Davie pops in his office to grab his briefcase, he comes out to find children and families waiting for an autograph, a handshake or just a chance to say "Good Luck." Sometimes, it can be a distraction, which is why Davie spends maybe a half-hour per day in his office. His assistant Jan Blazi prioritizes his messages and he returns calls, but most of the time, Davie is in the stadium working. But when he's around, Davie doesn't disappoint the fans. This time, he makes the rounds before heading across the street for an ESPN interview inside the stadium.

"It's all about the coaching," Davie said. "All the pep rallies, luncheons, you do it on the fly because the only thing that's important is having your team ready to play every Saturday across the street."

Of course, being Bob Davie doesn't have all the perks you would think it might. Like crossing Juniper Street to get to the stadium is not as easy as it sounds for the most recognizable face on campus. Davie, still in his suit from the luncheon, draws stares from the drivers. Some honk, but no one is stopping to let the Coach cross the street. About seven or eight cars pass before someone finally allows Davie to cross.

It's tough being Bob Davie, part II: Davie forgot his keys to get in the stadium. Davie gets the attention of an usher and asks if he'd mind letting him in. "I guess," said the usher. "You look like a pretty trustworthy fellow."

Davie smiles and says "I suppose," and heads down the hall, through the Notre Dame locker room, through the training room and into the video room for the interview.

'It's Friday. It's almost time to perform'
3:45 p.m. (CST) Finally, Bob Davie is able to ditch the suit. Interviews are over and Davie has changed into a pair of shorts and a navy blue Notre Dame pullover. As players roam around the locker room, Davie yells for the players to "Gather round." Fifteen or so players take one knee in front of Davie and the rest of the team fills in behind them. For Davie, this is a chance to remind the players of the importance of this game.

"I believe this is a new chance for us...a new season. Do you guys believe that?" Davie asks.

The players wake up the echoes with a resounding "Yes."

"Then let's make sure we focus 110 percent in meetings, we concentrate and focus on this," Davie said. "It isn't Tuesday, it isn't Wednesday. It's Friday. It's almost time to perform. Remember that when you're sitting in those meetings and you're 100 percent focused."

With that, players break off into their respective groups for meetings over the next couple hours. It's less than 24 hours from game time.

Davie shines in dark meeting room

	Bob Davie drills his team in meetings Friday night.

5:15 p.m. (CST) This is when Davie is at his best. Meetings. Xs and Os. His love for the chess-like nuances of the game shine in this dark meeting room. There are offensive, defensive and special teams meetings Friday afternoon. Davie -- along with four assistant coaches -- run the defensive meeting as 40 or so players sit in a room with maybe 10 rows of chairs. They go over formations, situations, tendencies and the general game plan. It starts with Davie drawing up formations on a dry erase board. Before long, a huge screen -- maybe 10 feet wide by 15 across -- drops down and films from this week's practices are shown. Points are emphasized. Davie uses a red laser pointer to show where players are supposed to be. Players are quizzed. Mistakes are pointed out. The guilty party always acknowledges his mistake with a "Yes, sir."

Soon Michigan State game film is rolling and Davie gets excited when he thinks his defensive game plan will work against certain Spartan formations. The pullover he was wearing is long gone, exposing his green Notre Dame golf shirt. To Davie, a long-time defensive coordinator at Texas A&M and Notre Dame, this is the fun part. He cracks jokes with the players. About halfway through, he calls for a five-minute break so players can get a drink.

Soon, though, they return, the lights go out and the meeting continues.

Keeping the priorities in order
6:30 p.m. (CST) The dinner at the Monogram Room may have seemed like a typical pregame meal. Bob Davie sent his offensive and defensive lineman up to the buffet first, since he said that's where the game would be won. The room was spectacular, as usual. It was a fitting tribute to past monogram -- or letter -- winners. But there was something different, something special about this pregame meal.

Seated among the players and coaches was the Delgadillo family. Last year, 14-year-old Scott Delgadillo visited South Bend in late September with the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Scott had leukemia and his one wish before he died was to visit Notre Dame for a football game. Scott and the team hit it off immediately. Davie asks if Scott's heading to the pep rally. Yes, said Scott. Davie asked if he wanted to speak to the crowd? Sure, said Scott. Without one note, one ounce of preparation, Scott stood in front of 12,000 people and gave a speech that moved the crowd to tears. "It really was amazing," Davie said.

Cornerback Shane Walton was particularly taken with Scott. Both were from San Diego and they immediately struck up a friendship. In fact, in the Purdue win Scott saw on Sept. 23, 2000, Walton picked off a Drew Brees pass and returned it for a TD. Walton stayed in touch after Scott left South Bend. When Scott's health was deteriorating, it was Walton who helped him whenever he was home on semester breaks. During one stretch, when Scott went blind because of the disease, it was Walton who would walk him to his different treatments. Notre Dame kept Scott fighting. In his room, he has a replica "Play Like a Champion" sign. He used to tell his dad his goal is to one day be able to reach up and touch it, just like he somehow managed to do last September to the original sign that Irish players touch before running onto the field.

Scott died late January, 2001. His final wish was to have his funeral in South Bend, have Mass at the Basilica. Six Notre Dame players -- Walton, Joey Getherall, Rocky Boiman, Grant Irons, Anthony Weaver and Sean Milligan -- were pall bearers. And later this year, Scott's wish to visit Notre Dame will be honored as the Make A Wish Foundation International Wish of the Year.

During dinner, Davie thanked the Delgadillos for joining them. The players gave them a standing ovation. "I hope this helps you get your priorities straight," Davie told his team. "If last week wasn't enough, this should show what's important."

Following dinner, the players and Davie headed over to the Joyce Center for the pep rally. The band was playing, 12,000 fans crammed in the place and Davie addressed the crowd, keeping the Irish faithful ready for Saturday's game.

Then, Davie showed he had his priorities in order. He quietly got into a car and drove to Penn High School to watch the Homecoming ceremonies, where his daughter Audra is up for Homecoming Queen.

Safety first for Irish this week
7:10 p.m. (CST) As Bob Davie climbed into the front seat of the green Ford Crown Victoria, an unmarked squad car provided by the Notre Dame Police Department, he was anxious to make it to Penn High School in order to catch the school's homecoming announcement.

As the car pulled out of the parking lot, another squad car, with its lights flashing, blocked traffic to make for an easy exit. As Davie's car drove past he said, "Is that for me?"

"Indeed," said the driver, a university-supplied security guard named Irv.

As the car hurried to its destination, Davie asked Irv about the security at Saturday's game. "You don't think we'll get any crank phone calls, do you? I mean, Notre Dame isn't really the place where that type of stuff happens, right?"

Whatever concerns Davie may have had, Irv eased, by telling the head coach that the university has double-, triple- and quadruple-checked its security plans and has even had an outside party evaluate the plans, in an effort to bring a different perspective.

"In 17 years of working at Notre Dame, we've only had two calls and on one of them we found a fake device," Irv said.

Time with the family

	Bob Davie takes in the Penn High School football game while waiting for the halftime ceremonies featuring his daughter, Audra.

7:30 p.m. (CST) Davie arrives at the Penn-Clay football game about four minutes before the half. He says it's only the second time he's been able to attend a local high school football game.

You would think that the arrival of Davie, the biggest, high-profile celebrity in the area would cause chaos at a jam-packed Friday night football game. But nothing could have been further from the truth.

As Davie walked through the crowd in search of his wife Joanne and son Clay, a few brave individuals asked for a handshake or picture. But most were caught completely off-guard as the Notre Dame head coach walked by.

"Is that Bob Davie?" "Hey, that's Bob Davie!" "Oh my! It's Bob Davie!" "Really? Bob Davie?" were some of the typical responses.

An onlooker asked the coach if the attention ever gets old. "Honestly, it doesn't," Davie replied. "There are so many programs, so many places where coaches work just as hard and don't recognized for it. You can never, ever, turn your back on those that support you."

Watching a high school football game, Davie's love for the game of football shined through. "See that No. 24," Davie beamed. "Lightning fast. The kid's got moves.

"And this kicker, here. See him? He's got a great leg."

As the final minutes of the half ticked away, Penn High, the school that Davie's daughter Audra attends, took a 35-0 lead. Then the Penn coach took a time out.

"A timeout with a 35-0 lead," Davie said to his family. "You're killing me, here."

Proud father
7:55 p.m. (CST) When the halftime buzzer finally sounded, the Penn band began to set up on the field. Davie, in a hurry to get to a prior speaking engagement and then to his team, could only grin. "Everything takes a couple minutes around here."

	Audra Davie (second from right) talks with her boyfriend, Jay Simmons, while waiting to see if she would be named Homecoming Queen.

A couple minutes later, Audra and her boyfriend, football player J.J. Simmons, were introduced as part of the school's homecoming court. You could sense the pride in Davie's eyes as he rose from the metal bleachers to give his daughter a standing ovation.

After the entire homecoming court was introduced, the winner was announced. It wasn't Audra. Immediately after the announcement, Davie walked to the railing to support his daughter, who asked Dad to hand a bouquet of flowers to Mom. "You did a good job," Davie said. "I'm proud of you."

With that brief exchange, Irv the security guard escorted Davie through the crowd and back into the green Crown Victoria for a quick trip to see the Leahy's Lads.

'Don't take anything in your life for granted'
8:10 p.m. (CST) The Leahy's Lads are a group of former players that played under former Notre Dame coach Frank Leahy. Leahy, who graduated from Notre Dame in 1931 after playing for Knute Rockne, coached the Irish for 11 seasons, winning five national championships.

Needless to say, they have high expectations when it comes to Irish football. On this chilly Friday evening, they are gathered in a white tent behind South Bend's Varsity Club, commemorating the start of yet another season at Notre Dame.

	“	With the events over the past week, I've learned to be less selfish, to take nothing for granted. My daughter was one of four girls to make homecoming court at her high school tonight and I promised her I'd be there. So I went. And now I'm here with you. So my message for you tonight is a simple one: Don't take anything in your life for granted. ”
		— Davie, to Leahy's Lads

As current Irish coach Bob Davie enters the room, the reaction is somewhat mixed. Some immediately drop what they're doing, grab their cameras or start to applaud. Others continue to eat their warm cherry pie. He doesn't have a speech prepared.

"When I was first a head coach, I plotted and planned a lot more," Davie said. "But there just isn't the time to do that anymore. So you go in there and speak what's on your mind."

Tonight, that's Audra's homecoming events, which Davie uses to hit home an even greater point.

"With the events over the past week, I've learned to be less selfish, to take nothing for granted," Davie tells the onlookers. "My daughter was one of four girls to make homecoming court at her high school tonight and I promised her I'd be there. So I went. And now I'm here with you. So my message for you tonight is a simple one: Don't take anything in your life for granted."

Time to relax
8:30 p.m. (CST) His quick speech to the Leahy Lads now behind him, Davie is back in the unmarked squad car, eager to rejoin his team some 30 miles away in Plymouth. As he gets in the car, Davie tells Irv, "I'd like to be there in 30 minutes, so I can visit with some of the players."

Davie explains that traditionally, Friday nights are a time to relax, to reflect. He doesn't worry about X's and O's, instead using the time to talk about off-field topics with his players. "It's like you've gotten through the week, you've made it to this point, so now it's time to relax a little bit," he said.

Davie said he has no jitters the night before a game. "At this point, you just want to play the game. You just want to get out there and coach. Your day, your week of preparing, is over. So you don't want to think to much."

As the car speeds on its way to Plymouth, Davie poses an honest question to his driver Irv. "You can't get a speeding ticket in this thing, can you?"

"Nah," Irv says. "Even if a cop did pull behind me, I would just flash my lights and he would know that we're one of them."

"Good," Davie replies. "Cause (a speeding ticket) is just about all I'd need right now."

The car rolls into the parking lot at 9:01 and Davie teases Irv for being a minute late. "It was that guy a few blocks back that couldn't make his mind up about which lane, wasn't it," Davie jokes.

The Irish players have already gone to their rooms. After a quick sandwich and chips in an empty banquet room, Davie, too, heads for bed. The night before home games, he says, he tries to be in bed by 9:30.

On this night, he walks into his pitch-black room, searching for a lightswitch. Unable to find one, he reaches his way to a nearby lamp, only to find it is broken. He reaches for another lamp and this time, a light flickers on.

"Staying in Plymouth," Davie said. "You gotta love it."

Wayne Drehs is a staff writer at ESPN.com. He can reached at wayne.drehs@espn.com.