Meyer to Notre Dame?

Notre Dame's decision to fire Tyrone Willingham had a deafening effect on the fifth-ranked University of Utah football team.

Many of the Utes were huddled around a television set in the lobby of the football office when ESPN reported the news.

"The whole room just came to a silence," said defensive tackle Sione Pouha, who acknowledged that an accompanying report that Utah coach Urban Meyer was Willingham's likely replacement put a scare into the captive audience. "I kind of feel down about it, but on the other side I'm happy for coach Meyer."

Meyer, who is 21-2 in two seasons with the Utes, is a former Notre Dame assistant coach and listed the Irish, along with Michigan and Ohio State, in an escape clause in his current contract.

"I have great respect for that university. That's the reason it's in my contract," Meyer said after Utah's practice Tuesday evening. "That's where I grew up, in that part of the country. . . . I think a lot of people look into it more than it is, and I'm sure this is going to spark a lot of discussion, but I'm just trying to get a team ready to play in a bowl game."

On Sunday, the undefeated Utes (11-0) will learn where they're headed in next month's Bowl Championship Series. The most likely scenario is the Fiesta Bowl and a matchup with probable Big East Conference champion Pittsburgh.

"We had a good practice today. I'm glad you guys asked about that," Meyer joked after being bombarded with questions about the job opening at Notre Dame.

Meyer, a native Midwesterner who grew up in Ashtabula, Ohio, coached receivers and special teams at Notre Dame from 1996-2000. He left the South Bend, Ind., school in 2001 to become the head coach at Bowling Green. Two years later, he took the job at Utah — leading the Utes to back-to-back outright conference championships.

After his first season in Salt Lake City, Meyer turned down opportunities to coach at his alma mater Cincinnati and Mississippi State. This year, he's rumored to be on a list of candidates for openings at Florida, Washington and Illinois.

The sudden vacancy at Notre Dame caught Meyer by surprise.

"I just heard about it right when I was walking out here and I have no comment on it," he said. "I don't lnow much about it. I think anytime there's a change you just feel for the families involved. That's the tough part of the business."

When asked if he was expecting a telephone call from South Bend, Meyer responded cautiously.