Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/102697
"You prefer to have a guy with experience next to a guy with less experience," Hiestand said. But then, do you want to break up the tremendous continuity Zack Martin and Watt have had on the left side? Watt worked some at snapping in the spring of 2010 and said center is where his football career began. "Whatever the team really needs," Watt said. "I know Nick Martin's done a great job coming in playing some center this year [in practice], as well as [freshman] Mark Harrell, so it will be interesting. … It's another skill set to learn." Learning how to consistently snap, especially in the shotgun, is the prime hurdle. 4. Tempo Vs. Physical Identity One of the greatest testaments to Kelly's adaptability as a coach is his flexibility on offense. His 12-0 Cincinnati Bearcats uptempo, no-huddle style finished dead last in the country (120th) in time of possession with a 25:46 average per game. Three years later, his 12-0 Notre Dame team was better suited to a more methodical approach and placed 10th nationally in time of possession with a 32:34 figure per contest. Different approach, but same bottom line: whatever it takes to win. There were various reasons why Kelly and Co., played at a slower pace, from protecting a defense that was among the most dominant in the nation to experiencing growing pains with a greenhorn quarterback in sophomore Everett Golson. As Golson continued to blossom, Kelly expanded the repertoire, including using the mobility of his signalcaller more frequently in the zone read or rolling him out more. By the time the Fighting Irish were preparing for the BCS National Championship Game against Alabama, Kelly's confidence in Golson had grown appreciably. "You're just looking for continued leadership and growth and a recognition of what you're trying to accomplish," Kelly said of Golson. "… Now, it's about bringing it every single day. Not just the physical, because he has the physical tools, but bringing that mental edge every single practice. That's hard to do as a young guy, but I think he's starting to understand that." Some might say if it's not broke, don't fix it, and the defense should remain a major strength in 2013. But whatever it will take to continue to win and improve is the approach Kelly will continue to add on offense. 5. Roots Of A Coaching Tree Notre Dame's coaching staff appears to be in place for another season together in 2013 after making several dramatic shifts in 2012. It reaped huge dividends … and with that comes inevitable job offers as head coaches. After the 1988 national title, it took another year before three Notre Dame assistants were hired as head coaches, most notably defensive coordinator Barry Alvarez at Wisconsin. Another BCS-level season in 2013 will likely result in the Fighting Irish staff members being in high demand. That's the kind of "problem" Notre Dame and Kelly will always want to have. ✦