Oct. 03--Rain, rain, it won't go away. But it isn't expected to push Saturday's game between No. 6 Notre Dame and No. 12 Clemson to another day.
The 7:22 p.m. kickoff is scheduled to go on as planned, even with historic rainfall expected.
Though reports indicate Hurricane Joaquin no longer is a threat to the East Coast, President Barack Obama on Saturday afternoon declared a federal state of emergency in South Carolina thanks to relentless rainfall that is could reach as much as 12 inches by Monday.
Forecasts called for between four and eight inches of rain Saturday as Joaquin continues to move east from the Bahamas. The National Weather Service issued a flash-flood warning for the area through Monday morning and winds of 17 miles per hour or more are expected.
"Our officers and partners with other agencies will do everything we can to ensure the safety of fans coming to (Saturday's) game, but we urge personal caution and patience from everyone coming to and leaving campus," Clemson police chief Eric Hendricks told the website clemsontigers.com.
Ominous clouds sailed swiftly by in the gray sky during the mid-afternoon at Memorial Stadium, dropping a steady spray throughout the day.
Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly said Thursday that the school has hotel rooms booked should the weather push the game back from its scheduled 7 p.m. start.
Irish quarterback DeShone Kizer said earlier this week that he wasn't too concerned about the sloppy conditions.
"Some of my best games in high school came in the rain," Kizer said. "It's something that I haven't experienced lately, but we'll prepare for that using wet balls in our practice and understanding that the wind is going to come into play and things like that."
Notre Dame is 4-0 this season, while Clemson, which hasn't played since Sept. 17, is 3-0.
