Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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are ��� and not just the offense,��� summarized offensive coordinator/ quarterbacks coach Chuck Martin of what a team needs to emphasize to give it the best chance to succeed against the schedule it faces. There were various reasons why Kelly and Co., played at a slower pace in 2012. One was to protect a defense that was among the most dominant in the nation. It didn���t need a pedal-to-the-metal approach on offense because its primary identity was stopping people and making them work from a long field. Then, it was to milk the clock in the second half with the running attack. Another was experiencing growing pangs with a greenhorn quarterback in sophomore Everett Golson. The first objective on offense was to not play too recklessly and limit turnovers in order to aid the defense. After committing 19 turnovers during the 2011 campaign in the five losses alone, the 2012 Irish finished with merely 15 turnovers in 13 contests. It went from 110th in 2011 for most turnovers to tied for 13th with several teams (including Alabama) in 2012. It was one of the single biggest reasons why Notre Dame went from 8-5 in a December bowl to 12���1 and played for a national title. As Golson continued to blossom, Kelly expanded the repertoire, including using the mobility of his signal-caller 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 during the December preparation period. ������ 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.��� Now that Golson has the full year of experience under his belt, how will it be channeled in 2013? Do the Irish go more up-tempo despite graduating an AllAmerican target in tight end Tyler Eifert, around whom opposing defenses had to constantly game plan, and the top two running backs, Theo Riddick and Cierre Wood, who combined for 1,659 yards rushing in 2012? Or is the program���s identity now on a stout defense ��� unlike at Cincinnati ��� which returns eight starters, most notably Louis Nix III and Stephon Tuitt up front? Martin said the uptempo game has never really been Kelly���s identity. It���s more about picking your spots, as he had to at Cincinnati in 2009 when there were 10 new starters on defense and the Bearcats had to win some shootouts. ���Coach Kelly has never been like Oregon where they just go uptempo no matter what,��� said Martin, who added that the skill sets the Ducks recruit are ideal for their breakneck pace. While Golson and his