Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com NOV. 27, 2021 15 it in a practice on Wednesday or a game on Saturday." It wasn't always there, though. As would be expected of someone who played one high school football season. His acclimation was like jumping from Single-A baseball to the majors. There were initial bumps on the field and mental hurdles to clear, including the inevitable but still humbling moment where he wondered if he was built for this. To Buchner, that's a foreign feeling. He paused to recall when it last hit him. "Probably middle school lacrosse, or maybe baseball when I was younger," he said. "It was always something when I was playing up with older kids, because that's what it's like when you come here. "You're playing with people much older than you. It's like, 'Can I do it?' Then baseball, you get your first hit and you think, 'OK, yeah I can.'" That " hit" was somewhere in fall camp, he said. Getting to that point be- fore his first season opened the door for more possibilities — like playing Year 1 in some manner. Buchner said Kelly and offensive co- ordinator Tommy Rees told him during camp he might have a role. The initial package of plays for him was in the Flor- ida State game plan, he said, but weren't needed. The next week was different. By the end of that 32-29 win over Toledo, Kelly said Rees called plays for Buchner that were installed for any quarterback. Warp speed didn't feel so fast. "When things start slowing down, it means you know more about the game, you've gotten more reps, you've seen it," Buchner said. "It's like doing a math problem. The more times you've done the math problem, the easier it gets for you." 'WE LIKE THE THINGS WE SEE' Buchner's debut in Notre Dame's sec- ond game was a planned move and a well timed one in the moment. Notre Dame's last three possessions ended in a strip-sack and two three-and-outs. The Irish started their fifth drive on their own 4-yard line, and out came Buchner as a change of pace. This is where plans and visions for Year 1 roles changed. Buchner kept the ball on a read option and scooted 26 yards on his first play. An 11-yard gain on a similar run followed. A 15-yard completion and 43-yard Kyren Williams' touchdown run capped an eye-opening drive. Save for a one-game absence versus Wisconsin due to an ankle issue, Buch- ner has seen his role and trust grow to the point where Notre Dame pulled Coan for him — and not sophomore Drew Pyne — in the Oct. 9 game at Virginia Tech. Buchner uncorked a 46-yard heave to senior receiver Kevin Austin Jr. on his fifth snap. Two plays later, he scored his first career-rushing touchdown. He led a nine-play, 80-yard touchdown march that put Notre Dame ahead at halftime. Irish friendly households surely won- dered if the future had arrived now. Buchner threw two interceptions in the second half, though, following an eight- yard touchdown toss to Williams. Just one of his final six passes found a teammate. Two of them went to Virginia Tech de- fenders, including a 26-yard pick-six. "I threw an out [route] to a cloud corner, which you can't do," Buchner said. "I can learn from that. I won't do it again. It's not a great feeling." He clearly learned something, be- cause the second interception stands as his last misfire. Those subsequent eight straight completions have yielded 94 yards and one touchdown pass. There have been occasional missteps, like his fumble on the 5-yard line in the fourth quarter at Virginia. Buchner pi- loted Notre Dame to that point in eight plays, covering 85 yards, including a 22- yard downfield strike to sophomore tight end Michael Mayer. Then it rudely halted. All told, the fumble had little impact on Notre Dame's 28-3 win. It even gave Kelly something more to evaluate. "It's his reaction, our conversation and how he took that," Kelly said. "We want to get him back in there and see how he leads that next drive. You can't duplicate that in practice. "Do we want to fumble? Absolutely not. But all those things are building toward his development. From my perspective, those are moments that allow us to see what he's about. We like the things we see." What you don't see — jitters, rust and feeling overwhelmed — is just as impres- sive given the context of his enrollment. "I completely forgot," Coan said, "he didn't have a season last year." In fairness to Coan, Buchner hasn't offered many reminders. ✦ Buchner's Year 1 involvement in the Irish offense is a credit to his skill set as well as his ability to manage a big step up in caliber of competition. PHOTO BY CHAD WEAVER