SOUTHBEND, Ind.– (CBS) Mother nature didn’t cooperate in South Bend this afternoon, but that didn’t stop the Bulls from winning their biggest game in program history.

USF upset 16th-ranked Notre Dame on the road this evening to kick off their 2011 NCAA season. The Fighting Irish lost on a day when they turned the ball over five times, which was the difference in today’s match up.

After nearly three hours of lightning delays that halted play temporarily, Skip Holtz and his team walked off the field victorious and greeted the loyal fans who made the long trip to Notre Dame Stadium.

The Irish out performed the Bulls in nearly every offensive category, but USF was able to capitalize on the turnovers and put up points behind the offensive leadership of QB B.J Daniels. He threw for 128 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions.

Defense was another huge factor for the Bulls tonight. The momentum swing came in the first quarter when the Irish drove down the field and failed to score on 3rd-and-goal. Bulls safety Jerrell Young stripped the Notre Dame runningback and Keyvon Webster recovered the ball and brought it back 96 yards for a touchdown.

It’s hard to take anything away from the Bulls because their performance was quite impressive, but the Irish continued to shoot themselves in the foot time after time. Michael Floyd was the only bright spot for Notre Dame, but one player can’t make up for numerous crucial mistakes.

Tonight’s victory was monumental, and this young USF program has plenty more big wins to come.

A win of this magnitude will surely place USF in a good position for a Big East title run, but for now Holtz and his team will enjoy every moment of this significant day in USF football history.