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Harrison Smith expects his fifth season at Notre Dame to be different from all the others. This time, he believes the Irish will break through and match the hype that always surrounds them.
If they play the way they are capable of playing.
For that to happen, Smith will have to be one of the team's leaders, both in the locker room and on the field, where he intercepted seven passes from his safety position last season, including three in a Sun Bowl win over Miami. Smith is also the team captain this season and he's going to be more vocal if needed.
''He brings back a lot of experience, he's very savvy to the position, intelligent and smart the way he turns on formations,'' said South Florida coach Skip Holtz, whose Bulls open against the Irish on Saturday. ''He just understands football.''
Smith didn't play as a freshman in 2007 when the Irish went 3-9. They followed that with 7-6 and 6-6 seasons under Charlie Weis, who was fired. Brian Kelly's first season ended 8-5, thanks to a four-game winning streak that included five Smith interceptions.
The Irish are ranked 16th going into this season and Smith said ''anything short of a BCS bowl is not what we're here for.''
''I've been here before when we were rated high preseason and supposed to do great things and it didn't turn out that way. It went quite the opposite,'' Smith said. ''The preseason ratings aren't that big a deal to me.''
His formula for stealing passes goes behind his ability to step in front of a route or receiver and physically catch the football. There is a thought process.
''The truly great ball disrupters understand they're really having the ball go where they want it to go, so they're not shocked when it goes there,'' defensive coordinator Bob Diaco said.
There is also some gamesmanship with the quarterback, and the Irish will be facing a good one Saturday in South Florida's B.J. Daniels.
Smith, who at 6-2, 214 pounds was in on 93 tackles a year ago, said picking off passes can be attributed to a combination of factors and circumstances.
''There are some plays where you know something is coming, know a certain look is coming and you can kind of be a half-step slow, just so it looks like there is room there and you can make your move,'' he said. ''And there are other times where you actually do kind of fall into it, to be honest. Where you actually might be a half-step slow reading it and you just end up getting lucky. And that's part of the game.
''There is a skill involved and there is what the quarterback does and things like. There are times when you know something is coming and you can give the quarterback a look where he thinks he's got something open and you can jump on it.''
Smith's duties as a captain mean he will speak up when needed. Wide receiver Michael Floyd was also slated to be a captain but lost that role following his suspension after a drunken driving arrest.
''Most of it is just the same, trying to go to work every day and trying to set an example through your actions rather than words,'' Smith said. ''At the same time being captain and a leader you need to step up and say things when things need to be said. I've definitely tried to get a little more vocal and communicate with all the other guys without forcing it and making it to where they don't believe what you are saying.''
Kelly said he saw Smith's leadership qualities early on after first watching the team, but said they became more pronounced with his progress as a player.
''You have to do it on the field to get everybody's attention,'' Kelly said. ''A guy who had to go out there and perform. Once he started making plays and got confidence, he got everybody on his bandwagon.''
The Irish will have some young players seeing action for the first time in a collegiate atmosphere Saturday. Coming into Notre Dame Stadium for the first time in front of 80,000 can be a rush, especially for a freshman.
The advice from Smith: Enjoy it.
''I would definitely say take it all in. Not a lot of people get to go through what they're going to go through. So take it in and definitely embrace it,'' Smith said.
''But at the same time, don't get too caught up in it. You know, I think even I'm going to have that excitement. This is my fifth year doing it. ...You can't really describe it. I think that's something that you want to embrace, but at the same time, you know, be who you are. Be the player that you are, have the confidence that you're here for a reason and you're playing for a reason.''
Notes: Another player counted on for leadership, quarterback Dayne Crist, said Wednesday he's ready to go after coming off a second straight season-ending knee surgery. Crist hasn't played since last Oct. 30 when he was injured against Tulsa. Crist won the starter's role in a camp competition with Tommy Rees. ''I'm not trying to prove anything to anyone but myself. Just that I can go out there, that I'm fortunate enough to be out there playing again, and being with my best friends playing a game that I love,'' Crist said. ''That's the only thing that matters to me.''
