BOWL UPDATE : ORANGE : Injuries Annoying but Not Significant

Injuries posed more of an annoyance than a significant hardship to both Notre Dame and Colorado heading into Tuesday night’s Orange Bowl.

Irish Coach Lou Holtz said nose tackle Chris Zorich “is no more than 75%” because of a dislocated kneecap he suffered Oct. 27. “Watching him on film, he definitely favors the leg,” Holtz said Sunday.

Linebacker Donn Grimm, who has shared time this season with Demetrius DuBose, has a hip pointer. “I don’t expect him to play much, if at all,” Holtz said.

Colorado linebacker Terry Johnson, who has alternated as a starter this season with Chad Brown, is questionable because of a pulled hamstring, although he appeared improved Sunday.

Wide receiver Mike Pritchard, wearing a light cast to protect a broken bone in his left hand, fell on the hand during Saturday’s workout but reported no ill effects. Pritchard has been able to catch the ball with surprising proficiency.

Holtz, asked if he planned any new wrinkles for the bowl game, said: “If we did have new wrinkles, in all honesty would you expect me to share them with you? You’re more naive than my wife.”

Colorado expects little trouble adjusting to the loss of backup defensive back Eric Hamilton, sent home shortly after he arrived in Miami when Coach Bill McCartney became aware of the player’s Nov. 30 arrest for driving under the influence. Hamilton, a sophomore, was Colorado’s nickel back and a standout special-teams player. Defensive coordinator Mike Hankwitz said sophomore Dwayne Davis would take Hamilton’s place. “When we go to the nickel, we’ll put (strong safety) Tim James up in the underneath zone and bring Davis in to play the deep zone,” Hankwitz said.