FLORIDA STATE AT NO. 5 NOTRE DAME

Saturday, 7:30 p.m. (NBC)

several Irish players tested positive for COVID-19 on Sept. 21, that matchup was postponed to Dec. 12.

Although simply playing at home is considered an advantage, Notre Dame players have noted the importance of even the smaller number of fans. After the win against Duke, wide receiver Avery Davis expressed the sentiment that seemed to reflect the general consensus among players: It didn’t feel that different.

“Honestly, I was expecting a lot less,” Davis said. “I didn’t think there was going to be that many people in there, so to see them and to feel them and hear their energy, that was really exciting.”

The crowd, while only about 12.5% of stadium capacity, provided many of the hallmarks that players have come to expect. Students screamed on the opposing teams’ third downs and lifted each other up for touchdown pushups following Irish scores. Offensive line coach Jeff Quinn had to

shout for his players to hear him over the sound of the marching band playing in the stands 25 yards away. A speaker behind the northern end zone amplified the band’s music so loudly it seemed to shake the ground nearby.

Quarterback Ian Book said he planned to pretend there were 80,000 people in attendance, but he didn’t have to use his imagination as much as he expected.

“When I got out there, I was pretty happy with the crowd that we had,” Book said. “It felt like more people than I thought it would be, so I loved it. The crowd was great.”

About that crowd noise: Some of it is artificial. The ACC has provided its teams with standardized options, including audio files from the NFL and EA Sports. In the first two games, Notre Dame played the EA Sports file through the speaker system at 65-70 decibels, according to Rob Kelly, senior associate athletics director of media and brand.