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Although many disagree, I would argue that storming the field after the USC game was a positive experience for the Notre Dame student body. After the devastating loss to Ohio State in late September, Notre Dame students were hungry for a field storming. In the final seconds of the Ohio State game, students were giddy with anticipation, some first-years even stumbling their way toward the field before the game was over, effectively jinxing the outcome. For weeks afterward, the student body stewed in the loss, ruminating on how wonderful it would have felt to touch their shoes on that turf. After the field-storming was plucked from their hands by Ohio State, they couldn’t resist the opportunity when it was so generously returned by USC.

Not only were students able to fulfill their desires to storm the field, but they were able to do it more safely thanks to the lack of hype surrounding the win. Because the game felt lower stakes and the team won by a greater margin, people hesitated about whether or not to rush the field. They moved with less haste and not everyone rushed down the stadium seats, making it a calmer environment than the injury-inducing scene at the Clemson game in the 2022 season. The USC game was a win for both Notre Dame and public safety.

Finally, it was fun, and that should be reason enough. Why else did students come to the game if not to support our team and have fun? If this is how students express their excitement, so be it. I would rather see students storming the field after an exciting win than walking away bored and unamused. At the end of the day, the game day experience is supposed to be fun, and the USC field-storming accomplished just that.