SOUTH BEND (AP) — Notre Dame tight end Will Yeatman is trying to approach Saturday's game against San Diego State like any other game.

It will be tough, though. The San Diego native has friends who play for the Aztecs, which adds to his excitement. Adding even more to the anticipation is the desire to try to restore his reputation following his January arrest on misdemeanor counts of drunken driving and reckless driving after he was caught driving a car on a campus sidewalk with his headlights off in the early morning hours.

Under a plea agreement, if Yeatman stays out of trouble for a year, the drunken driving charge will be dismissed.

Yeatman, who turned 20 in April, was suspended from spring football and was not allowed to play lacrosse in the spring as the Irish advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals. A year earlier, he had led the Irish lacrosse team in points his freshman season.

It was hard for Yeatman to sit out.

"When you don't have something, that's when you realize how much you miss it," he said.

Telling his parents about his arrest was difficult, but telling his teammates was even tougher.

"My parents were obviously infuriated at me, but it was a lot tougher to tell 45 lacrosse teammates and 110 football teammates that you're not going to be there," he said. "I think that they kind of saw the sorrow I had in my eyes and realized this is real life. I think all of them learned from my mistake."

Others, though, weren't as forgiving. He felt scorn from some students on campus.

"They were pointing their fingers at you, saying, 'Look at that idiot. Look at what he did. Look at how he screwed up for both his teams,' It's tough to walk through that," Yeatman said.

Coach Charlie Weis said it was obvious Yeatman was embarrassed by his action, but he believes Yeatman matured.

"I think anytime you can grow from humility, I think that's a good thing," he said.

Although Yeatman is the most experienced tight end on the Irish roster, he was beaten out for the starter's job by freshman Kyle Rudolph, who has more speed. But Yeatman, who excels at blocking, is expected to see plenty of playing time.

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STILL YOUNG: If Rudolph does start, he would be the first freshman tight end in school history to start his first game. ... The Irish depth chart lists eight freshmen as starters or backups. The only schools with more are SMU with 13 and North Texas with nine. The Notre Dame depth chart also has 13 sophomores, including six listed as starters.

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SCHEDULING: New athletic director Jack Swarbrick likes the schedule started by his predecessor, Kevin White, that calls for Notre Dame to play seven home games, four road games and one game at a neutral site where Notre Dame is the home team. He said the neutral-site games, which begin next season with a game against Washington State at San Antonio will allow the university to promote itself around the country athletically and academically.

For those who complain Notre Dame is softening its schedule, Swarbrick said there is no choice under the 7-4-1 schedule. That's because the Irish must play some home games against teams not looking for return games, and top teams won't do that.

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BY THE NUMBERS: The game Saturday will be the 400th at Notre Dame Stadium. The Irish are 298-96-5 during that span, a 75.3 percent winning percentage. It will be the 200th straight sellout. The first game in that stretch was the first game of Weis' freshman season in 1974. ... Notre Dame, which lost its season-opener 33-3 to Georgia Tech last year, has never lost back-to-back season openers at Notre Dame Stadium. The only time they lost consecutive season openers at home was in the first two years the school played football in 1887 and 1888. ... Notre Dame has a 7-7 record in September under Weis.

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FOURTH-AND-1: While Weis won't be calling plays this season, he will be making the decision on whether to go for it on fourth-and-1.

"That is always the job of the head coach to have to make that decision. Because right or wrong, you're going to have to live with that decision," Weis said.

Weis said he in many cases he might tell offensive coordinator Mike Haywood on third-and-1 if he plans to go for it on fourth down, if necessary, so Haywood can consider going for a big play.

Weis also said he won't be holding a play call sheet during the game, saying it might prove too tempting. "Because a call sheet would be just like asking for trouble," he joked.

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WEIS SAYINGS: "I will not be happy if we sputter on offense, I will not be happy if we sputter on defense and I will not be happy if we sputter on special teams. So you won't have to ask me after the game how I feel."