Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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back Everett Golson stepped up in the pocket and delivered a strong pass to sophomore wide receiver DaVaris Daniels early in the second quarter for an Irish gamehigh gain of 31 yards. Daniels' first catch in almost two full months was the first bright spot on a dim night for the Irish. He finished the game with six catches for 115 yards — the first Irish receiver to break the century mark this season — and gave Notre Dame a reason to get excited about the future of its offense. "That's just a show of what's to come," Daniels said in the locker room after the game. "Lucky for me, I have at least two or three more years with [Golson]. That's just a glance at the future." Daniels broke his collarbone in the second quarter of the 21-6 win at Boston College Nov. 10. The week prior, he caught seven passes from Golson, including a deep ball in the closing minutes of the fourth quarter to help force overtime against Pittsburgh. Wide receiv- Sophomore DaVaris Daniels became the first Notre Dame wide receiver this season to record more than 100 receiving yards (115) in a game with his six catches against Alabama. photo by bill panzica ers coach Mike Denbrock was concerned heading into the Alabama matchup that two months away from the field would chip away at the sophomore rookie duo's chemistry. "It was certainly coming, and that was a huge setback," he said. "Him and Ev were just getting in a little bit of a zone." It took only one quarter to find the zone again. Golson looked for Daniels often, especially when under duress, and they connected for a few more long receptions. "I think it was good for our confidence going into next year," Daniels said. "I hate to send the seniors out like this, but the future is bright for us." Brian Kelly Won't Go Pro Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly plans on being in South Bend next fall despite rumors swirling about several professional teams interested in hiring him. Kelly said he had not talked directly with any National Football League teams as of two days before playing Alabama. He told reporters that leaving Notre Dame after this season wasn't an option.