Lightning, rain, and stadium evacuations have left Notre Dame's football season looking rather cloudy just one game into the season.

Weather delays of two hours and ten minutes and 30 minutes delayed the inevitable as the Irish lost the season opener 23-20 to South Florida in the first Irish game ever played to feature a weather delay.

It was an interesting game to say the least, being delayed twice due to lightning. The stadium was also evacuated twice.

Oh, and there's a quarterback controversy all over again. Tommy Rees took over for Dayne Crist at halftime and led the Irish the rest of the way. Now we aren't sure who will be the quarterback when Notre Dame faces Michigan next Saturday.

"We didn't expect to have to make this move, obviously, so it's going to require us to obviously evaluate the quarterback situation and make another decision," Kelly said after the game. "This was a step back for us as it relates to where we thought we were going. We certainly did not believe or think that we would have to make the decision that we made today."

Crist, last year's starter before a season ending knee injury happened in week nine, won out the starting job in pre-season camp. But he was just 7-of-15 for 95 yards including an interception when Notre Dame was on the USF five yard line.

Rees took over in the 2nd half, after a two hour and ten minute rain delay and was 24-of-34 for 296 yards, two touchdowns but also two interceptions.

One of those INTs came with the Irish again inside the USF 10 yard line. The 2nd came on the first play following the 2nd weather delay--which lasted 30 minutes.

Even so, Rees entered the game with the score 16-0. It ended 23-20. He certainly provided spark.

So does he believe he deserves to be the starter?

"I really don't have a comment," Rees said taking the safe approach. "We'll let the coaches decide that. It's up to them."

Rees took over for Crist as the Irish starter last season after Dayne's injury. Tommy went 4-0 to close out the season. But after losing out on the job--no one expected to see Rees play by halftime of the first game. But then again--no one expected Dayne to play the way he did either.

"Not surprised but not I wasn't necessarily expecting it," Rees said about the change. "Obviously we had our fair share of problems in the first half, but I was just prepared and ready to go, and if my number was called, I would be ready to go."

The QB battle and Irish lost were almost side stories to the bizarre day that say 81,000 fans evacuated from the Stadium not once but twice. For Irish coach Brian Kelly---the evacuations were the normal part of the day.

"You know, the chaos was on the field for me," Kelly said after the game. "I thought our administration did a great job of making prudent decisions relative to the rain. I think the weather---it's obviously an incredible task to move 81,000 people in and out of a stadium. I think everyone that was involved in that should be commended. It was chaotic for me in the way we played. All those other things were left up to very capable people."

Notre Dame looks to bounce back against Michigan next Saturday at the Big House. It's the first ever night game at Michigan Stadium. Countdown to Kickoff gets you started at 7pm here on channel 16.