Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/197760
✦ News & notes higher than 59th in passing efficiency or averaging at least 30 points per contest. When asked why, Kelly had to bite his tongue some. "I'm not going to answer the question," Kelly replied. "Look around college football, the teams that are scoring a gazillion points. It's not innovative gurus on offense. It's pretty clear why they're scoring a gazillion points." Translation: I've been extremely fortunate to have Tommy Rees as the life raft of Notre Dame football the past four years, so for me to say publicly he doesn't have the skill sets or dual threat of a Jameis Winston (Florida State), a Johnny Manziel (Texas A&M), a Marcus Mariota (Oregon), a Braxton Miller (Ohio State), a Tajh Boyd (Clemson), not to mention Bryce Petty (Baylor), or others, would be in very poor taste. In Golson, the Irish were building toward having a dual threat at quarterback in years to come prior to his current academic purgatory. Golson remains on the West Coast, where he is training with quarterback specialist George Whitfield. Kelly said he and offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Chuck Martin stay in touch with the former starter on a weekly basis, and a graduate assistant keeps Golson up to date on the team's weekly game plans with more frequent conversations. "He's working hard," Kelly said. "He's in a disciplined environment, one I'm very comfortable with." The expectation is that Golson will be readmitted to Notre Dame for the spring semester that commences in January. Injury Report Senior nose guard Louis Nix III was the anchor in the middle for Notre Dame's superb second-half defensive performance against USC, but he incurred his own share of battle wounds. A blind-side block on one fourth-quarter play when Nix was running at full speed launched him through the air and on his shoulder. Nix needed help getting off the field during the fourth quarter before returning, and head coach Brian Kelly said Tuesday that the defensive mainstay was still sore. The Irish head coach also voiced his displeasure with some of USC's tactics against Nix. "We showed some [tape] clips to the officials where we thought he was targeted on some plays that we weren't happy with," Kelly said. "We're going to be careful with him this week." Air Force's triple-option attack, and its undersized offensive line that likes to cut block, make Nix a less essential piece of the puzzle for the Irish defense this week than against other opponents. Kelly didn't say he would hold Nix out of the lineup, but the staff will be more judicious in monitoring his reps in practice and the game Saturday. "We need Big Lou. Option football is not his cup of tea," Kelly said. Meanwhile, sophomore safety Elijah Shumate missed Saturday's game against the Trojans entirely with a hamstring injury that he suffered in last Thursday's practice. "We ran him on the treadmill [on Monday] without pain," Kelly said. "He's ahead of schedule. "I'm not ready to declare him ready to play Saturday. … He's questionable right now. He's not out." Safeties usually have a vital role in guarding the alley against the triple option. In Notre Dame's last trip to Air Force, a 39-17 victory in 2006, Irish safety Chinedum Ndukwe was credited with 22 tackles — 15 of them solo. ✦ Sophomore safety Elijah Shumate missed the USC game due a hamstring injury he suffered in practice last week and is questionable for this Saturday's contest at Air Force. photo by bill panzica ✦ Page 13